In 1973 PBS aired “An American Family,” a documentary where the subject was ordinary people living their lives in front of the camera. Comedian Albert Brooks became fascinated by the inclusion of a Crew, whose mere presence certainly must’ve had some effect on events. What about the editing, where events could be moved around or compressed for time? Then there’s the Producer, who is ultimately responsible for creative decisions that will keep the documentary from being uneventful. After making a few short films for Saturday Night Live, Brooks made his feature debut about the uncomfortable relationship between the real world and a documentary, essentially creating Reality TV in the process. Brooks was also one of the pioneers in the comedy of discomfort, and you can see the influence this film had on “The Office” and the work of Nathan Fielder. It’s a film that looks small and low-budget, and it wasn’t a hit on the box office, but it’s one of the most influential comedies ever made.
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