Review of 'I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not'

Chevy Chase is a rather polarizing comedian. He has no filter to what he says and this can often offend but it is clear from this documentary that he very much intends to entertain rather than offend but is not bothered if you don't like him. The film starts with his early life where we learn he came from an abusive family where edgy humour, perhaps, was his way of striking back. His big break came with his being in the first cast of iconic US television show “Saturday Night Live” with such co-stars as future mega-stars John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. Over time he made a number of hugely successful films including one of my (guilty) favourites “Caddyshack” never mind our annual must-watch Christmas film “National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation”. His later films were not as good with his drug and alcohol dependencies likely not helping. We learn he has been married three times with his first two marriages being quite short though he is now happily married to Jayni with whom he has had three children (Cydney, Caley, and Emily) and he also has another child from a previous relationship (Bryan Perkins). Now 82 years old, Chase has had some health issues including a serious scare that impacted his memory which we see here with him struggling to remember details from his life and striking out to the interviewee. The film ends on a high note as it talks about the annual screenings of “Christmas Vacation” where he and his wife give a short “Q&A” talk for the enthusiastic audience.

This is a very interesting documentary that shows both the highs and lows of the famous comedian. The film is not afraid to confront reports that he is difficult to work with and has sometimes caused offence such as one case that led to his removal from the long-running series “Community”. There is also his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction that have all had an impact on his life. At the end of the day though we see a man who wants to entertain his audience with his razer-sharp (perhaps not so much now) whit and intelligence, but often cuts too deep in today's “woke” society.

The film tells the story of his life from when he was born to where he is today. All of his family members appear in this film (Jayni has a lot to say here) along with many other famous faces from Chase's career including Goldie Hawn, Ryan Reynolds, Beverly D'Angelo, Dan Ackroyd, Martin Short and Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels. This is intercut with scenes from an extended interview with Chase as he is now, in his kitchen, along with, of course, excerpts from his television shows and films.

At the end of the day I felt that I know far more about the man than I did before, understanding more the reasons behind his personality and why he may often offend people. An insightful and interesting documentary that is at times difficult to watch but other times will leave you howling with laughter…

Rating: “I have absolutely no complaints”

Review Date: 2026-01-10

Directed by: Marina Zenovich

Studio: CNN Films

Year: 2025

Length: 97 minutes

Genre: Documentary

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt36956674/