#ARTRAGE BOB ROSS MOVIE#

This Bob Ross doc isn’t just messy, it one that paints a mixed portrait that’s hard to decipher. Too often subjects are introduced to craft a narrative of villainy that feels like it’s been shoehorned in from a different documentary entirely. Moments discussing Ross’ art techniques and his impact as a painter and a person feel so unique and rich for examination, but they’re all buried under an umbrella of two people who were villains and screwed over people for money. “Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal, and Greed” wants to be the next “Tiger King,” with decidedly mixed results. It’s only a shame that these voices appear only in the final five minutes of the movie, playing like a manipulative tactic to show just how horrid the Kowalskis are than anything else. These people talk about finding the joy in painting and reiterate why Ross’ legacy is so important. At the film’s end, interviews are conducted with people who believe that Bob Ross changed their life, from a man who was attempting to commit suicide to a woman struggling in the wake of losing a child. In the grand scheme of rights ownership drama, there’s no doubt that Ross was taken advantage of, but it feels like that’s the only reason this documentary exists. “Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal, and Greed” Instead of examining its subject, the doc finds it easier to look at the ways others harmed Ross, instead of wondering if Ross might have hurt those he loved.

#ARTRAGE BOB ROSS MOVIE#

Really, the movie spends more time wondering if Ross had an affair with his financial backer, Annette Kowalski, than examining why the painter would do that. Her slow death to cancer feels like an afterthought in Stephen Ross’ memories, outside of recounting sad stories where she tells the young boy he’s the only one who loved her. Did he have no relationship with her after his parents’ divorce? And if so, why not? Bob Ross’ hasty remarriage to his second wife might imply that the painter had issues with commitment or even infidelity, but it’s never examined, in favor of racing to the more “shocking” parts that Stephen Ross is really irritated over (spoiler: it involves money).īob Ross’ two wives sound like fascinating women, especially his second wife Jane, who was with him when he found success. Stephen Ross never talks about his mother after this initial mention of his parents getting together. It’s this discussion of Ross’ relationships with women that could be worth exploring if the documentary decided to dig deeper.

Ross quickly remarried and things went on from there. Ross married young and quickly built a family, but the marriage broke down rather speedily, for reasons that never feel fully explained. But he was drawn to the world of painting, a place where, as he says, he could be in control and create the landscape he (literally) wanted to see. It’s doubtful many know much about who Bob Ross was outside of his PBS broadcasts, and Rofe carefully details a man who served in the military and spent a great deal of his time in Alaska. And, considering how much of the documentary isn’t actually about that, it feels disingenuous to play up such a thin angle. Quentin Tarantino's Favorite Movies: 40 Films the Director Wants You to SeeĬhristopher Nolan's Best Shots: 37 Images That Define the Director's Careerīut those “secrets” aren’t nearly as shocking as the film paints them out to be. 'Free Money' Review: There's No Such Thing as Cash for Nothing (Or Is There?) 'The Good Nurse' Review: Jessica Chastain Takes Down Eddie Redmayne in Chilly True-Life Drama

Artrage bob ross