Review: 'Thank You Very Much' doc a celebration of Andy Kaufman's genius, or whatever it was

Drafthouse Films, 2025.

A lot has been said about the one-of-a-kind comedian Andy Kaufman. But somehow, the new documentary about his life, "Thank You Very Much," seems to put a fresh spin on what we've come to know, while also examining the methods of his madness.

Grade: B+

Andy Kaufman died of lung cancer in 1984 at the age of just 35. Or was this just another one of his put-ons?  As someone in this documentary mentions, if anyone was capable of putting on a long, 40+ year con, it would be Andy Kaufman.

Love him or hate him (and there is good reasons to do both), Andy Kaufman was unlike any other. A performer that reveled in the uncomfortableness of his audience, a comedian who would be more satisfied with a groan than a laugh. He was on the first-ever episode of "Saturday Night Live" and also on the hit TV show, "Taxi," for six years. He was a frequent late-night guest and dabbled famously in professional (and amateur) wrestling.

But who was he really? This is one question that "Thank You Very Much" smartly bypasses, or at least doesn't spend much time pondering. It would be a fool's effort to try to somehow define the brain of Kaufman, or put definitive meaning to his body of work. The film suggests that lying and loss were key ingredients baked into his mold from childhood and that - especially with his split-persona of abrasive lounge singer, Tony Clifton - he may have been a bonified candidate for Dissociative Identity (Multiple Personality) Disorder. 

It uses interviews and snippets with those closest to him, like from his best friend, Bob Zmuda, as well as "Taxi" co-stars Danny DeVito and Marilu Henner. They tell stories about real things that they witnessed Kaufman doing. While everyone seemed to love Andy and have a fondness for him, they also share how frustrating he was to work with and be around. Nobody in the film declares that they understood him.

"Thank You Very Much" celebrates Andy Kaufman without ever attempting to deconstruct him. It also features so much footage that I had never seen before, even if some of the topics (like his rivalry with famed wrestler Jerry Lawler) had been familiar. He was either a gifted and misunderstood genius, or a real asshole, with the truth probably landing somewhere in-between.

Grade: B+

Genre: Documentary.
Run Time: 1 hour 39 minutes.
Not Rated.

Featuring: Andy Kaufman, Danny DeVito, Marilu Henner, Bob Zmuda, Lynne Margulies.

Directed by Alex Braverman (feature-film directorial debut).

"Thank You Very Much" is in limited theatrical release and available On-Demand on Friday, March 28th, 2025.