All language subtitles for Documentary Now s03e05 Searching for Mr. Larson.eng

Good evening.

I'm Helen Mirren,

and you're watching
"Documentary Now" season 52.

The single-panel cartoon "The Far Side"

left an indelible mark
on American culture.

But little was known
about its creator Gary Larson

until one of his biggest fans

decided to tell his story
in the documentary film

"Searching for Mr. Larson:

A Love Letter From The Far Side."

Season 3, Episode 5
Sync and corrections by FunnyFunk

[Birds chirping]

Brad: "The Far Side"
is an American classic.

This single-panel comic
won the hearts of millions

by offering a daily slice

of simple, yet elegant
comedic absurdity.

Running for 15 years

and translated into over 17 languages,

it has become an institution
all its own.

Its creator is the inimitable
genius Gary Larson.

After giving so much of himself
to the world,

Mr. Larson retired in 1995

to pursue a life of quiet solitude.

But for a man
who gave the world so much,

so little is known.

Who is the real Gary Larson?

I was determined to find out.

This is the totally unauthorized,

unofficial, definitive story

of my journey to discover
the man behind the myth.

I'm documentary filmmaker Bradley Adams,

and I am...

searching for Mr. Larson.

Hey, I'm Brad.

That's me.

[Pen scratching]

Growing up, I struggled.

I didn't really know where I fit in

until I got my passport
to "The Far Side."

Once I crossed over,
I never looked back.

Just ask this guy.
[Pen scratching]

That's my dad.

Brad: I really, uh, went crazy

with that "Far Side" stuff, huh?

Well, you certainly enjoyed it.

Yes, I did.

My dream was to live in "The Far Side".

More than a fan,

I was a disciple of Gary Larson

and his subversive world view.

So who better to write

the ultimate love letter to the man

and deliver it right to his doorstep?

My bags were packed,
my dad was behind the camera,

and I was almost ready to hit the road.

Jim: All set, Bradley?

Pretty much.

It's fun to spend time together, son.

Well, it's fun.

But don't forget, I'm the director.

And this is work, Dad.

Brad: Hey, just came to say bye.

You're actually leaving?

Yeah, the movie.

We're starting production today.

Isn't your mom coming to help?

- She's not in town till Friday.
- Oh.

Well, I think you'll be okay.

Making a great documentary
takes sacrifice.

This wouldn't be easy for me.

But I knew that somewhere out there,

Gary Larson was waiting,

and I couldn't turn my back on him.

All right, well, wish me luck.

Make sure to get the tripod.

It was a tough farewell,

but once I hit the morning air,

I felt inspired

to start my personal journey
of discovery.

All I knew was that Gary Larson
was rumored to live

somewhere in the Pacific Northwest.

So, I set out from Colorado

on my voyage across the U.S.
and into the unknown.

I had a camera, a full tank of gas,

and was ready to hunt down my hero.

Along the way, I would talk
to anyone and everyone

about my favorite thing.

So what do people think
of "The Far Side"?

Ah, here we go. Hey, sir. Hi.

So, we want to know what do you think...

I want to talk to you about
"The Far Side."

Do you know, uh, the comic strip?

All right, that's okay.

Ma'am? Hi.

So I'm making, uh,
what I would describe as

a love letter to Gary Larson, and...

she doesn't want to talk.

Hey, what is your favorite
"Far Side" comic strip?

I've got some mozzarella sticks
if you want to...

take them home now.

During my first stop along the way,

something strange began to happen.

No one would go on record to speak to me

about Larson's influence on their lives.

What's your favorite memory
of having seen this?

Uh...

It was as if reality
had been turned upside down,

and I was inside one of
Larson's absurd landscapes.

And now God was about to hit
the "Smite" button on me.

[Keyboard clicks]

Then James showed up.

He'd come to remove me from
the Applebee's parking lot,

but it turns out he was a fan, too.

I'm very familiar with this.

- Oh, you know it?
- Yeah.

So what... the documentary's based on...

- It's just about Gary Larson.
- Okay.

And it's my relationship with him

and getting to know him

and, you know, my connection
to all these comic strips.

- Because really...
- Dude.

Yeah. [Laughs]

That's pretty cool, man.

- Smoking dinosaurs.
- That's right.

- Like...
- [Laughs] That's good.

- ...tight.
- Always good.

- I can just read this stuff for hours, man.
- Yeah, me too.

This project was already becoming

so much more than
an homage to Gary Larson.

It was actually changing
the entire discussion

about "The Far Side."

Brad: Hi, sweetie.

Uh, tonight, no.

But, um, before you say anything...

Uh, I'm sorry,

but we don't need to talk
about that right now.

I've got this story for you.

I'm sorry you're feeling dizzy.

You know I don't like
talking about hormone stuff

'cause it makes me sick to my stomach.

Yes, I care about your health.

I mean, do you care about this movie?

I kept returning to the phrase
"Bearing the burden alone."

When my wife yelled those words,

something clicked.

Maybe I was bearing the burden alone?

I'm taking it all on myself
to make this film,

yet thousands, probably millions,

would enjoy it.

It was time for me to offer
"Far Side" fans everywhere

the opportunity to join
this incredible journey.

That night, as I waited
for others to answer the call,

a special someone reached out
through the Indiegogo page.

Brad: What?

Whoa. Dad, you got to see this.

It was a bombshell.

This journey was about to take a detour.

Brad: The next morning as I raced
toward my destination,

I couldn't help thinking this was fate.

My head was spinning...

Do I look okay? [Laughs]

...because I was about
to sit down

and interview a luminant, a legend.

He was quite simply, the man.

It was none other than Matthew Walter.

I guess everyone knows me

as the creator of
"The Far Side Cave."

It was a GeoCities fan site
I started around '93,

and I put up all "The Far Side" strips

and did an index for cross reference.

Brad: Oh, I remember that.

You really were a pioneer.

There was no one doing that back then.

Yeah, exactly.

This was a dream come true.

But it soon took a dark turn.

And then a year later,

I get a cease and desist
from Larson's lawyers

telling me to take down my site.

I mean, that must have been
some kind of prank or something.

No. It was for real.

And I thought Gary owed me
a big explanation,

so I acquire
his unlisted home phone number,

I respectfully reached out to him

to ask him what his (Bleep) deal was.

And I left five messages,
but he never called me back.

But that's why I wanted to talk to you.

Be careful with him
and your little movie here.

He's not a good guy.

Gary Larson's a dick.

There are moments in life
that are so jarring,

it's like your as lost

as that missing alien on the milk carton

in the kitchen in space,

where the two other aliens

are eating cereal for breakfast.

If Gary didn't want to talk
to a superfan like Matthew,

was there any chance he'd talk to me?

So I decided to do some deep research.

Turns out, Gary's reclusiveness
was an open secret,

and fans weren't happy.

Brad: People are really mean.

But there was one man who defended Gary.

His name was Ted Ellis,

an insurance agent from Boise, Idaho.

Hey, Dad. How far away is Boise, Idaho?

But even more intriguing

was Ted's claim to be
a childhood friend of Gary's.

And if that were true,

Ted could be my direct link
to Gary himself.

So I drove straight to Boise

and camped out in his office parking lot

until he arrived for work
the next morning.

That's him.

[Suspenseful music plays]

Jim: Brad! Slow down!

Dad, come on.

Excuse me, sir.

- Hi, are you Ted Ellis?
- I am.

How you doin'? I-I-I'm Brad Adams.

He wasn't thrilled to see me,

but finally agreed to talk
if I left by 9:15.

Brad, Gary has a life of his own.

He has other interests

outside of a comic he did years ago.

Brad: Yes, but it is
definitely something

that's, uh, interesting.

Yeah.

Uh, let me ask you a question.

Why do you need to talk to him so badly?

I just want to talk to him
about his work.

Well, the work is there.

Just read it.

Uh, is it true that you're the basis

of the, uh,
"School For The Gifted?"

You know, where the kid is trying to...

No, I know the strip.

Uh, he can't open the door
even though it says "Pull."

It's not me.

Well, word out there is that it is you.

- Just so you know.
- You know what?

- I've got an appointment.
- Okay.

Brad: Thanks for your time.

I actually have one last question,

and then I'm gonna leave you alone.

You grew up with Gary in Tacoma?

- I did.
- Right.

So do you think that, when he was a kid,

that that area was the type of place

he eventually wanted to live in?

- I am not gonna tell you where he lives.
- All right.

Uh, by the coastline, though, right?

- By the water?
- Have a good day.

All right.

Getting warmer.

As I drove away,

reality started sinking in.

Ted Ellis was supposed to be
my direct link to Gary,

but instead, he stonewalled me.

What was he trying to hide?

More important...

how would I ever find Gary Larson now?

Brad: Hey, sweetie.

Um, do you have a minute?

I could really use
one of your pep talks.

Well, I know the baby needs you,

but right now, I need you.

So today, this guy was very mean to me.

First he said that

my motive for honoring
Gary Larson is selfish,

which it is absolutely not.

It's the opposite.

Then he said that
I should leave Gary alone.

Like, who is he?

Then he said that my movie sounds dumb.

What?! What does that mean?!

[Phone beeps]

[Scoffs]

Did you hear that?

Was I the only one

who understood
the importance of this film?

It's moments like these
when reading "The Far Side"

is like staring into a mirror.

Like in this panel,

that's me, Clark Kent.

And there's my wife, Lisa.

And that's my film,

and she thinks it's stupid

and that I should just hang up my cape.

And it's driving me cuckoo

because she totally
doesn't have a point,

and I have to keep scouring
the "Planet Daily"

searching for Gary Larson.

It's like Gary
has a window into my soul.

It was a sleepless night

as I metaphorically approached
my in-most cave.

But, as Blake Snyder would say,

"It's always darkest
before the dawn."

What?!

300 grand?!

Jim: What? 300 grand?

I'm not kidding.

- Get in there!
- Jesus Christ.

That's real!

Brad: It may have been my
awesome description of the movie

as, "The definitive story

of Gary Larson and 'The Far Side'."

It may have been the repeated mention

of Gary's direct involvement.

It's free money!

But I like to think it was destiny.

Gary himself reaching out to say,

"Do this for me.

I need this."

Making a documentary is so easy.

And now that I had a real budget,

I could finally afford the tools

of a real documentary.

Aah.

Then I headed straight to the heart

of "Far Side" country,

Seattle, Washington,

where I opened my new
five-star production office.

How's that for HQ, huh?

Wah!

It was perfect.

Now all I needed
was a real documentary crew...

no offense, Dad.

It was only a matter of time.

[Knock on door]

Brad: Ooh, that's him.

- Brad Adams?
- Yes.

- Here you go.
- Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Look at all of this.

This is Gary Larson's
personal information and photos.

He's just a normal guy.

It's amazing you could do this
to someone for 10 grand.

I would hate it
if someone did this to me.

Really scary.

That's his house.

That's his address.

Everything was falling into place.

There was only one thing left to do.

Brad: Hi, sweetie.

Well, um, I've got some news for you.

Do you remember when you said to me

that no one's gonna
want to see my movie?

Well, it turns out that, guess what?

The Internet does.

I raised $300,000 on Indiegogo.

Yeah, but the money already
goes into production costs,

so that money is already spent.

Yes, but something's being born here...

this movie.

Okay, so you sound very tired.

So we're gonna talk
a little bit later, okay?

I love you.

[Phone beeps]

Jim: She sounds angry.

No, that's just our banter.

That's how we communicate. It's fine.

[Horn blows]

To be honest, our playful chat
had triggered some doubt.

Maybe it was jitters before the big day.

All I know is I felt lower than ever.

I'd faced hardship before
on this journey,

but something had always
come out of the blue

to lift me up.

Whether it was
the passion of a fellow fan,

or the shared wisdom
from a personal mentor,

or an overwhelming show
of public support

in the form of lots and lots of money.

But could I really expect
another miracle

to keep this project alive?

It was too much to ask.

I was ready to call it quits.

And that's when I met Renee.

What are you guys filming?

Intrigued by the camera,
she stopped to chat.

Well, we just drive
around the whole country

talking to everyone...
the fans, some experts.

We interviewed Matthew Walter.

Ah, so you just decided to make a movie.

That is so cool.

Yeah, it's pretty easy.

Everybody has something worth sharing...

you know, a story.

I mean, what about you?

Do you have a hobby,
an experience, or something?

I was a combat medic.

I actually just got back
from Afghanistan.

- Afghanistan?
- Yeah.

We're still over there?

Yeah.

Oh, wow.

Well, uh, you could do that as a story,

or maybe something less depressing.

You could do a favorite dessert,

uh, you know, a pet that you love.

Anything like that.

Hearing myself speak about

the amazing journey of this film

put everything back into perspective.

You don't need anyone's permission

to tell your story,

or anyone else's story.

Just create.

You are inspiring.

Turns out, the miracle
I was looking for...

was me.

Great. Thank you very much.

Brad: I set out that morning
feeling massively energized.

Once Gary Larson experienced
the passion of a true fan,

who knew what was possible?

Maybe he'd even come out of retirement.

The moments before meeting Gary Larson.

After all I'd been through,

anything short of that

now seemed like a total failure.

Brad: All right, so, South Maple
is one street that way.

Jim: You're gonna walk up
and just knock on the door?

Dad, I'm gonna make sure that he knows

that we were very respectful
of his privacy,

all right?

I'm not some crazy person.

This is for a film.

So many cars.

I thought it'd be easier to park.

What the hell?

Why are there so many people?

Oh, this can't be it.

No.

[Car door closes]

What is happening here?

Woman: Sir!

- Gentleman?
- Hi.

I'm gonna need you
to move that vehicle, please.

Why are there so many trucks?

- What is this?
- It's Ken Burns.

We just wrapped
his "American Masters" interview

with Gary Larson.

You interviewed Gary Larson?

I couldn't believe this was happening.

I had driven over a hundred miles,

and now here I was
not 10 feet from Gary's house.

- Mr. Larson!
- Okay, no, no, no, no, no.

But once again, the Universe
was trying to silence me.

- Mr. Larson! That's his office.
- No, no... ah!

- Let me just...
- If you could just...

no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

It was a true

David and Goliath standoff.

Me and my 73-year-old dad

versus Ken Burns, Mr. Hollywood.

I want to say one more thing.

All I wanted to do

was ask Gary a couple of questions.

That's it. And I know he's in there.

Woman: - All right.
- I know, I know, I know. We're going, we're going.

I didn't stand a chance.

Jim: You all right, Bradley?

My journey was over,

and it wasn't the ending
that I had hoped for.

So I went back to the place
where it all began.

And suddenly, it was all so clear.

My whole life,

all I ever wanted
was to live in "The Far Side."

I thought that by meeting Gary Larson,

I'd be one step closer.

But if I've learned anything
from "The Far Side",

it's that life is absurd

and it's not always
supposed to make sense.

So in a way, bynotmeeting Gary Larson,

I'm actually closer
to "The Far Side" than ever.

Gary may have created "The Far Side",

but by making this film,

I'm the one who discovered
its true meaning.

And now, I'm sharing it with all of you,

especially my wonderful family

who were so supportive of this journey.

So welcome to "The Far Side."

Gary and I will see you around.

[Man whistling musically]

Season 3, Episode 5
Sync and corrections by FunnyFunk

Repair and Synchronization by
Easy Subtitles Synchronizer 1.0.0.0