Adam Nimoy’s loving tribute to his father was thankfully on Netflix since I don’t think this was distributed through any theaters in my area.
The documentary covers the life and career of Leonard Nimoy with a big portion dedicated to the beloved, cultural touchstone character he developed…Mr. Spock. There’s also his earlier appearances in movies, Gunsmoke, The Outer Limits and how he took on numerous everyman jobs to pay the bills until his big financial break in Star Trek. After Star Trek‘s cancellation, he jumped ship to Mission:Impossible and the stage: Fiddler on the Roof, Vincent Van Gogh and other things he got into: writing poetry, those hilarious music albums and photography.
The histrionics are broken up with interviews: fellow cast members, the new Star Trek actors, directors, his brother and sister-in-law, his daughter, fans and archival footage of Gene Roddenberry. I always thought he refused to appear in Star Trek: The Motion Picture or its original, Star Trek Phase II over typecasting. Nope, it was money, Paramount had stopped compensating Nimoy for using his image via advertising, toys, etc. I don’t blame him, I just he could’ve held out further and get a better story than a recycled TV pilot!
Adam injects some elements of his own life, namely his substance-abuse issues, divorce and short, tragic second marriage. It can appear to be a vanity move but I admit it’s critical to the overall narrative for there was a time he and his father weren’t speaking.
Overall it’s a great ode to Leonard Nimoy that even the most casual fan will enjoy. It’s a shame he didn’t live to celebrate Star Trek‘s 50th anniversary.