We went to see You Can See Everything last night … and then spent like three hours talking about it afterward. It’s that kind of movie. I’ll tell you a little bit about it in a moment. But first …
Molly Knight and I talk with comedian Gary Gulman on The Joy of Baseball podcast this week. Gary is, I believe, the best comedian working today, and he’s an even better person, and he’s a fantastic baseball fan. I think you’ll love the conversation.
You have no doubt heard about this Nathan Fielder documentary revolving around Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes. I suppose “documentary” should be in quotes since it’s more like a piece of modern art than a documentary. And if you have heard about it but not seen it, you know that there are some secrets within … it’s been a long time since a movie has come out that people are so eager to protect. *
*This “protection” of the movie’s mysteries has frustrated some people, including my pal Brandon McCarthy. We had this text exchange after I saw the movie:
I think the reason people are refusing to offer any spoilers is that the less you know going into You Can See Everything, the more the movie will bend your mind.
And so I will not offer any spoilers here — they’re out there, if you want them — other than to say this: It’s the sort of movie that, if you allow it, will get the brain buzzing and will leave more questions than answers.
That’s my favorite kind of storytelling.
But, yes, you have to allow it.
For me, it helps that I don’t give a fig about Elizabeth Holmes. I have read numerous reviews from people who are Holmes Obsessives, and they’re quite fascinating. These are people who have read everything about her, seen the Alex Gibney Documentary, The Inventor, watched the television series The Dropout, read court transcripts, everything. They have very specific thoughts (and some pretty harsh criticisms) about many of Nathan Fielder’s and Lance Oppenheim’s choices as directors. I respect that.
My wife Margo, who went with me to the movie, is something of an Elizabeth Holmes obsessive, and while she enjoyed the movie, she was deeply frustrated by what was purposely left out. She felt a little bit gaslit.
But I have read and seen none of it. I don’t find Elizabeth Holmes interesting in the least. I don’t find people who scam others compelling or worth knowing. I know she claimed to invent some miracle device that could test a single drop of blood. I know it didn’t work. I know the company went to extreme lengths to cover up that it didn’t work. Elizabeth Holmes is in federal prison. She defrauded people out of hundreds of millions of dollars. She gave people false hope. I don’t need to know more about her or her motivations or her secret dreams.
So I did not go into the movie hoping to get at some greater truth about Elizabeth Holmes. I went to see You Can See Everything because it’s very much in the zeitgeist, and because I heard that it was a thoroughly fascinating yarn, almost like a magic trick.
And so, I was able to love it unconditionally. And I did.