American Masters: Plimpton! Starring George Plimpton as Himself

Good biography of an interesting, unusual person. But it's not a movie you would see over and over.

George Plimpton led an extraordinary life and this biopic tells the story with a very effective combination of interviews, vintage photographs and video footage. He seemed to live his life on a stage and the viewer has a unique opportunity to follow his life in this fascinating documentary.George Plimpton's life intertwined with famous writer's, actors, politicians of his day and the film gives a glimpse into their relationships with George and the cultural influences of the time.I think the film was very well done!

Nice video of gp. I wanted more shot of the many sport challenge he accomplish.overall I rate it 4

I grabbed this immediately upon release, even though I can't say I'm a big fan nor have I read anything by him in nearly 40 some odd years. I was a young man who was at one time confused as to who George Plimpton was after first becoming aware of him as Alan Alda? Yes, that Alan Alda played George Plimpton in the movie "Paper Lion" which was based on the book , which was based on Mr Plimpton's real attempt to quarterback the Detroit Lion football team for a few plays. There was something so fascinating to me about this story that I eventually found and read Mr Plimpton's best selling book of the same name. I lost touch with Mr Plimpton after that for the most part but of course saw him on television and his name on articles here and there. Obviously my impression of him was strong enough to inspire a purchase and here is my review.Firstly , I'd say given it is merely a 10 dollar item maybe a five star could be given, but then I'd need to give 10 stars to Bob Weides bio documentary of Woody Allen which stands heads, hips, elbows , and knees above all others in the genre. There are some other wonderful bio docs that I rate higher as well, but in many of them you have the subject alive to help and maybe more film material to work with so lets deal with what we have without prejudice and NO SPOILERS.After the roughly hour and a half I came away with a much better knowledge of Mr Plimpton, an even greater fascination with him, and a great deal of admiration. His life contained far more good works, challenges, and experiences in only 76 years than most people might cram into 10 lifetimes. There is an obvious lack of big time celebrity participants , and that might be partially due to the biggest names in his life being long gone, but it keeps the focus more on George and so it works for me. It is a bit "low tech" by today's standards, almost seemingly from another era , and yet that also works. There are bits of George from interviews with Dick Cavett and Charlie Rose..and I'd have liked to have seen more of George on George or even some bonus features of extended interviews with George. I prefer to hear it from the horses mouth if I can and coincidentally enough that was Mr Plimpton's own reason for interviewing writers like Ernest Hemingway for his Paris Review.Bottom line, if you have an interest I think you will be rewarded and come away as I did, more curious and a bit inspired.

Great

Love these documentaries... and George was a unique character.

Fabulous documentary about a fascinating man!

The only talent that Plimpton had for sure was latching on to the Paris Review for her entire life. That, in turn, brought him into the circle of literary power and celebrity proximity. Given the awful (and stunningly lazy) nature of many of his publications, I came to doubt the the couple of skillful ones were even written by him. Excellent? Nonsense.

hohummmi had no idea that this guy had done so muchbut something is missingand i am not sure whatwill look at the dvd again