MartinHafer
This is the continuation of Don Hertzfeldt's short "Everything is Okay"--a lengthy absurdist take of a stick figure named Bill. The first film had to do with Bill's brain tumor and the weird, disjoint musings of Hertzfeldt as he narrates Bill's life. Here in "I Am So Proud of You" you hear all about Bill's extended family. None of it makes any sense at all though there is a recurring theme about Christianity (such as a feral family member who eats mud and says 'Bible', a religious zealot who fathers an illegitimate child and kills it and a grandmother that likes persecuting Jews). It's all very random and insane just like the earlier short and because of this, the two films work great together when they are combined with yet another short about Bill to make an ultra strange feature-length film. Weird and not for most folks--but great for Hertzfeldt fans.
PauldeRev
Words cannot describe how moved I was when I first saw this film. I was lucky enough to catch it at the Tallahassee Film Festival in April. I was blown away. I had to leave the theater afterward because a) I had gather myself, b) I had to leave for work and c) anything I saw after it would just seem shitty and anti-climactic.It's existential in the best way; strange, awkward and funny much like "This American Life" or some works I've seen in McSweeny's or Believer. and finally human and nuanced despite the unadorned drawings of what are essentially black-on-white stick figure drawings. Like an apolitical Dan Perjovschi, Hertsfeldt can express worlds of meaning in the lightest wrist flick of his black marker.I can't recommend this movie enough. Without trying to be melodramatic, I think it may have changed my outlook on things, on life.
Zach Fleeman
I recently saw this movie at Ragtag Cinema in Columbia, MO.I've been a fan of Don Hertzfeldt's work ever since I saw "Rejected" when I was in high school, and I have been watching all of his work since then.Everything Will Be OK was an amazing film, and I was excited to find out that the sequel was on it's way to Ragtag.I Am So Proud of You exceeded all of my expectations, and makes the story of Bill a much more interesting one. It's hard to describe the art involved in this series, and the purpose of the entire thing, so I absolutely recommend that everyone go see it (if they have the chance).
playerhater951
I was lucky enough to have attended the magical school of UCSB about a week ago when Don Hertzfeldt, an alumni, premiered "I Am So Proud of You" to anyone willing to fork over five dollars. It was an experience I will never forget. All i had previously seen of his work were the shorts "Rejected" and "Billy's Balloon," so I thought I knew what to expect. "I am So Proud of You" is a phenomenal piece of storytelling, animation, and bittersweet humor. I won't say anything in regards to the storyline except that it begins by tracing Bill's family history, which is disturbingly hilarious. This film is very similar to "Everything Will be OK" in form, style, structure, and the overall theme of impending death. This is a fantastic film that should not be missed by anyone who has access to it and calls themselves a fan of anything that can be viewed in a movie theater.
