I Am Evel Knievel

Daredevil, death-defier, stunt motorcycle rider: it is difficult to describe Evel Knievel (1938–2007). He was all these, plus a master showman. He knew how to captivate and entertain people, and during the 1970s he was as much a fixture on American television as any major sports stars (there were even popular toys modeled after him). His life was full of contradiction, and this documentary is a brilliant look at a unique American personality greatly influenced by his hardscrabble early life in Butte, MT. Interviews with actor Matthew McConaughy (who gave a eulogy at Knievel's funeral) and with Knievel's wives, children, associates, and old-time friends reveal the man. Some critics might quibble that the remarks are too positive about whom some would consider a man with a darker side. Still, the film will introduce Knievel to a new generation of viewers who might be unfamiliar with his extraordinary feats.