Cynthia True, ‘American Scream: The Bill Hicks Story’
The impact of Bill Hicks’ short 32 year tenure in this world is immeasurable. He was a man who not only changed the face of comedy but who sought to challenge our world perception, attacking the misguided values and empty ideals that he considered to be rotting America to the core. Cynthia True’s task then in attempting to recapture Hicks’ impact on modern American society is certainly not an easy undertaking but is one for the main part that is handled with style. Despite never meeting Hicks herself, she builds her narrative on the more spiritual and vulnerable side of his character from the testimonies of those who knew him best, leaving her role minimal and, for the most part, unobtrusive.
However, herein also lies True’s only flaw as she is never able to recapture the energy or savagery of Hicks’ attacks on his homeland. Her attempts to relay the most controversial of his stage shows lack the impact that made Hicks such a unique and devastating performer. It shows that the only way to truly comprehend Hicks’ colossal influence is to hear it from the man himself.
