# George Carlin's American Dream

George Carlin's American Dream is a 2022 two-part documentary film about comedian George Carlin directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio.

## Summary
### Part 1

At the dawn of the 1960s comedy scene, a clean-cut Carlin works the mainstream variety-show circuit but soon realizes that he was meant for something edgier. He trades his suit and tie for bluejeans, and finds that his eloquence and sometimes brutal candor resonate with counterculture audiences. Propelled by sales of his four gold comedy records released on Flip Wilson's Little David label (Little David Records), appearances on talk shows, and frequent touring, Carlin becomes a major comedic force of the 1970s.

### Part 2

In the 1980s, Carlin faces major challenges: His audiences are shrinking, some critics deem him passé, and his family is suffering because of his cocaine use and his wife's alcoholism. He approaches his material with a new vigor, and fills comedy clubs and large venues with his insightful and increasingly critical observations about politics, life, and human behavior.

## Production

On August 10, 2020, HBO announced that a documentary about George Carlin was in development with Judd Apatow and his longtime collaborator Michael Bongfiglio. They were also working with editor Joe Beshenkovsky, who worked with Apatow on the documentary The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling. The film is dedicated in the memory of Patrick Carlin Jr., George's elder brother, who died a month before the film was released.

## Episodes

| No. | Title | Directed by | Original release date | Prod. code |
| 1 | "Part 1" | Judd Apatow & Michael Bonfiglio | May 20, 2022 (2022-5-20) | 101 |
| The beginning of Carlin's legendary career as one of the premier stand up comedians of his time! |||||
| 2 | "Part 2" | Judd Apatow & Michael Bonfiglio | May 21, 2022 (2022-5-21) | 102 |
| The conclusion of Carlin's legendary career as one of the premier stand up comedians of his time! |||||

## Notable interviewees

* George Carlin (archival footage)
* Brenda Carlin, Carlin's first wife (archival footage)
* Sally Wade, Carlin's second wife
* Kelly Carlin, Carlin's daughter
* Patrick Carlin Jr., Carlin's elder brother
* Kliph Nesteroff, author and comedy historian
* Jerry Hamza, Carlin's manager from 1980 until his death
* Bette Midler
* Rocco Urbisci, executive producer of Carlin's HBO specials from Playin' with Your Head onward
* Alex Winter, co-star of the Bill & Ted films
* Tony Orlando, host of the variety show Tony Orlando and Dawn
* Kevin Smith, director of Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and Jersey Girl, all of which featured Carlin
* Comedians who have cited Carlin as an inspiration, including:
** Bill Burr
** Stephen Colbert
** Sam Jay
** Chris Rock
** Patton Oswalt
** W. Kamau Bell
** Jerry Seinfeld
** Hasan Minhaj
** Paul Reiser
** Jon Stewart
** Steven Wright

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
| 2022 | Peabody Awards | Entertainment | George Carlin's American Dream | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards | Best Streaming Docuseries or Non-Fiction Series | George Carlin's American Dream | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special | Teddy Leifer, Judd Apatow, Michael Bonfiglio, Kelly Carlin, Joseph Beshenkovsky, Amanda Glaze, and Wayne Federman | Won | [9] [10] |
| 2022 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program | Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio | Nominated | [9] [10] |
| 2022 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program | Joseph Beshenkovsky | Nominated | [9] [10] |
| 2022 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program (Single or Multi-Camera) | Bobby Mackston, Matt Temple, and Joseph Beshenkovsky | Nominated | [9] [10] |
| 2022 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program (Single or Multi-Camera) | Earl Martin, Jason Gaya, Brad Bergbom, and Kevin Rosen Quan | Nominated | [9] [10] |
| 2022 | Television Critics Association Awards | Outstanding Achievement in News and Information | George Carlin's American Dream | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Critics' Choice Documentary Awards | Best Biographical Documentary | George Carlin's American Dream | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Critics' Choice Documentary Awards | Best Director | Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Critics' Choice Documentary Awards | Best Editing | Joe Beshenkovsky | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Cinema Eye Honours | Outstanding Broadcast Film | George Carlin's American Dream | Nominated | |
| 2023 | Cinema Audio Society Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Non Fiction, Variety or Music – Series or Specials | Paul Graff, Earl Martin, Jason Gaya (for "Part 1") | Nominated | |
| 2023 | Golden Reel Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Non-Theatrical Documentary | Bobby Mackston, Matt Temple, Joseph Beshenkovsky, Miriam Cole | Nominated | |
| 2023 | Producers Guild of America Awards | Best Non-Fiction Television | George Carlin's American Dream | Nominated | |