by Sara Terrell
Rating: 4/5
Joel Allen Schroeder’s documentary “Dear Mr. Watterson” is a visual fan letter to the sequential artist behind “Calvin and Hobbes”, acknowledging Bill Watterson for his work and global impact to readers and comic artists that has strived through generations of readers. While endearing towards Watterson’s legacy and packed with nostalgia, the film falls short of a wow factor and lacks some needed charisma, but leads to a genuine and positive emotional turn around.
The documentary opens with Schroeder’s story; how he wanted to be Calvin as a child and how his parents kept him from reading the comics because they thought it would encourage bad behavior. It was a heartwarming and relatable story that gives the film a nice initial spark, but the tone dies down soon after and sets a slow pace for the remainder of the film. The few following appearances he makes are lackluster, but help jump to the following segment or interview.
The rest on the documentary is mainly carried on by interviews with comic artists such as Berkeley Breathed (“Bloom County”, “Outland, Opus”), Stephan Pastis (“Pearls Before Swine”), and Jef Mallett (“Frazz”). Along with other professionals in the field they charmingly paint Bill Watterson as a genius in the art of comics. The subject that most profoundly resonated during the interviews was Watterson’s refusal to license “Calvin and Hobbes” as he felt it would cheapen the comic for the sake of profit. This artistic authenticity is accentuated by Watterson’s rejection of celebrity and reclusiveness. While not delving into his life, and without him being there at all, the viewer is given a thoughtful picture of his character and ethics.
During the latter part of the documentary its tone becomes serious as the interviewees discuss the challenges of printing their work in newspapers and Watterson’s eventual –maybe inevitable- retirement of “Calvin and Hobbes” in 1995. The segments somber attitude takes a cathartic turn for the better as they interpret the message in his comic’s final strip; a refreshing message of hope and adventure, true to the work.
“Dear Mr. Watterson” is not necessarily exciting or mind blowing. The pace is slow with the occasional humorous anecdotal quip or close up of one of the funnier moments in the “Calvin and Hobbes” comics, but generally remaining lackluster. Schroeder’s documentary, however, is genuinely heart-felt and endearing towards Bill Watterson’s impact on the world, and it is warmly refreshing.
