Jennifer M. Kroot’s new documentary film, “To Be Takei”, takes on a lighthearted yet fascinating insight into George Takei’s life.
The way the Asian-American trailblazer has been perceived has always been based on the generation of followers; the younger audience may have solely recognized him by his presence on social media and the older audience might only have remembered him from his acting career in the 60’s. This film follows the journey of George from his childhood through now, narrated by him along with appearances by a number of celebrities that have been involved in his career.
The documentary opens with George and his husband, Brad, taking a stroll around his neighborhood, depicting the couple’s quirky loving relationship as they begin their day. This consistently sets as a background as the film segways to many of George’s important life events which include his childhood in Japanese-American internment camps, early disposition in acting, climax in his career, and activism in Japanese-American relations and the LGBT community. Many were featured to help tell the stories, some included were Howard Stern, Leonard Nimoy, and William Shatner. The film did a successful job in implementing a number of dynamic relationships between Takei and the people involved in his life, adding a comedic and heartfelt perspective to the stories. In addition, many aspects of his personal life were highlighted such as the relationship that he had with his now departed mother and the struggles of fighting for civil liberties. This story focuses on both the struggles and successes that have revolutionized his presence on the global stage.
“To Be Takei” gives the audience everything that there is to know about the legendary and iconic figure. Aside from gaining insight into his life, the audience is also reminded of the important historical events that George influenced, and to follow in his footsteps to in creating an equal civil society.
“To Be Takei” opens in select theaters this Friday, August 22 and the film will be available on VOD Platforms and iTunes as well.
-Tristen Yang
