I am so glad that HBO decided to film Billy Crystal’s performance of his own autobiography, 700 Sundays, for television. Otherwise I would have missed this jewel. In my opinion, and for those who are not quite fond of theater, this is more an intimate and emotional conversation between him and us viewers, a one-man show in which he commemorates not just the number of weeks he spent with his father but how his passing, when Billy was only 15, had an impact on the rest of his life. My daughter and I were sharing some time together and while browsing channels we decided to give this feature presentation a try. We got blown away!
Although I recently watched Mike Tyson do something similar, that was more of a staged pep-talk while Billy’s is distinctively different since he commands his audience with mastery inside the story of his life, making us forget about our surroundings. It is very rare for me to cry at presentations of any kind, but his was pure and exquisite artistry!