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Val: An Insightful and Moving Documentary

Before cell phones and selfies, before Hollywood even knew his name, Val Kilmer documented his life via video recordings

By Dana MaxwellPublished 3 years ago Updated 3 years ago 3 min read
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I’m watching Val on Amazon Prime. If you’ve seen it, it’s the scene where Val Kilmer sits at his table at San Diego Comic Con, signing autographs. Fan after fan after fan hands him a photo to sign with the following request:

Hey, will you write: 'You can be my wingman anytime’?

Please write: ‘You can be my wingman anytime.’

If you could, write: ‘You can be my wingman anytime. And sign Iceman…’

Tears start rolling down my face.

I’m watching fans idolizing this man while simultaneously dismissing him.

At a certain point, Val feels ill and needs a break. With an out of focus view, he throws up into a garbage can. He is wheeled away and brought back a bit later when he’s up for more meet-and-greets.

He is no longer a young actor rising through the ranks of Hollywood, but instead, a 60+ year old throat cancer survivor signing autographs at a convention center, to presumably pay the bills. He seems to feel like a has-been, and yet, grateful for a successful career that has fans at the ready lined up for autographs. It’s overwhelming to take in. And to top it all off, he can’t really speak. He has had a tracheostomy and must plug the hole in his throat to talk, creating a robot-like raspy voice.

I keep reaching for the tissues, unable to stop crying.

This scene has struck a chord; one of many throughout the film.

***

Val Kilmer has been a recognizable name for decades. Relatively early in his career, he was hired by the studio to play the role of Iceman in Top Gun. Despite not wanting to take the gig out of a distaste for the script (which he reveals), the film undoubtedly skyrocketed his career. A career I've mostly been aware of since the early 90s, but haven't actually followed. In fact, I have only ever seen Val in one film to date – Batman Forever – and it left little impression on me. In fairness, I’m not a huge Batman fan. I much preferred other films released that year, like Now and Then and While You Were Sleeping. So, why was I tuning in to watch a documentary of an actor who wasn’t on my radar then, much less now?

I suppose the answer is simple. I’ve always been fascinated with the film and television industry. For years I worked in LA with actors in representation and gained a behind the scenes view of their day-to-day life. My job gave me a greater understanding of what an actor goes through. The oftentimes unseen talent, the constant hard work, the victories, the downfalls, and the emotional rollercoaster that shows up with every audition and booking, or lack thereof. When an actor doesn’t resonate with a script and isn’t sure if they should go for it, part of my job included discussing such difficult decisions. At the end of the day, it’s a gamble, but work begets work, and every actor knows it’s not easy to come by. If a project is successful, it's a blessing. But then what?

Case in point: Kate Winslet, in an interview on Next Question with Katie Couric, shared a saying her father always told her: “You’re only as good as your last job.” You have to continue to prove yourself, to get the next job, to hope it’s as good as your last.

An actor's life can seem dreamy, even magical. In many ways, it is. But there is more to it than meets the eye, and I wanted to get another perspective of Hollywood from an actor I didn't know much about; to hear his story. So I tuned in, perhaps a bit skeptical of whether I'd care all that much, in the end.

Turns out, I did care. More than I expected to. I got a front row seat to an intimate and poignant journey that grapples with tragedy, work, fame, divorce, financial crisis, cancer, death, and the fragility and impermanence of being human. This film chronicles Val’s life from a young age and takes us through every up and down imaginable. While it offers us Val's perspective on his own career, his life, how he’s been perceived by others, and how he feels about his future, the film goes beyond Val - showcasing universal themes of love, family, overcoming tragedy, career struggles and facing our own mortality. It’s a gripping and beautifully raw account of the hero’s journey.

Val is currently playing in select theaters and on Amazon Prime.

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About the Creator

Dana Maxwell

She/Her. Coffee and cat lover. Film and television enthusiast. Random thought thinker. If only every decade could be as cool as the 90s.

T: @danamaxwell30

IG: @danamaxwellsmart

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