Ellen DeGeneres: The Beginning

2000
7.4| 1h6m| en| More Info
Released: 23 July 2000 Released
Producted By: HBO
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Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Synopsis

Ellen shares her humorous observations on daily life, including remembering names, clothing, the need for approval, and making personal videos in this post-coming-out performance, fully acknowledges Ellen DeGeneres's status as America's most famous lesbian.

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Reviews

Breakinger A Brilliant Conflict
Aedonerre I gave this film a 9 out of 10, because it was exactly what I expected it to be.
Ketrivie It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.
Cissy Évelyne It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.
Robert W. I am (of course) a fan of Ellen's talk show and have seen her original sitcom once or twice as well as several of her hosting duties but I had never really seen her do her stand-up. If you too are a fan of hers then you know exactly what you're in for because with Ellen...what you see is truly what you get. Her incredibly unique talent for pointing out the obvious, using biting sarcasm, and an awkward sort of uncomfortability in certain situations makes us laugh at ourselves and at her. One thing Ellen has never been is a "shock" comedienne and it simply isn't necessary for her and wouldn't look right on her. That's why I was a little disappointed that she felt the need to throw in literally a sparse amount of curse words. I'm not a prude, language doesn't bother me in the least but I like when entertainment avoids it so that everyone can appreciate it. She uses it so little that it just would have been better without it. The very first thing she addresses is her "coming out" and does so in an emotionally charged and touching way that makes you smile like almost everything she does.I have never seen anyone who is just so inherently likable. She has such incredible chemistry and is so down to earth. Her style and her comedy and the way she speaks to people is simply a God given gift and you can see all that come out on stage. I don't find her uproariously funny necessarily, I didn't have tears streaming down my cheeks but she is just so great to watch. One of the best things about this video is at the end during the credits when we see audience members addressing her. It is sweet and touching and proves how instrumental she is in making people smile. She is a brilliant comedienne and this is a great special to check out. If you're not a fan of her show then watch her stand-up and you'll have to appreciate her talent and her ability to make people laugh. Not only that but I think she is one of the few professional comedians who is actually unique in her style. 8/10
bsinc I know I'm probably gonna get a lot of negative votes on this comment, but this was honestly one of the least enjoyable stand-up routines I've ever seen...and I've seen many! So on to my personal reason why I was barely able to watch this till the end:Ellen to me is like a person in a wheelchair who everybody feels sorry for. Because she got treated badly after she "came out" there's now almost this unwritten obligation and sense of right to applaud to everything she says and does. It's pathetic! I condemn the spiteful reactions towards her coming out & everything, but empathy stops at a certain point. What's happened in Ellen's case is that now her loving and devoted fans are mostly people who've been hurt themselves. So they gobble her every word as if it came from high above...Ellen is to her fans what the AMWAY director is to his devoted fanatical ant workers.The most she made me was smile on a couple of occasions, but the crowd seemed to want to eat her up. Everything was to-die hysterical to them and I couldn't fathom it. Her material wasn't really bad, but her delivery and timing were painful to watch. She was waaaaay too predictable and what's even worse, she went for the cheapest laughs: "God...is a She" (and the mostly female crowd bursts into applause)Somewhere towards the end she even steals stuff from other comedians, but by that time I had already begun writing this woeful comment. Why I bothered to watch this till the end I honestly don't know. Maybe it was the empathy in me, trying to want to approve of this woman's comedic skills. She has none!
harry-76 She has the conviction of Don Rickles, strength of Lily Tomlin, wit of Robin Williams and diction of Jane Fonda. It's Ellen DeGeneres, live, at the Beacon Theater--a real treat for those in the provinces who weren't able to make it to the Big Apple that fun night in 2000. Obviously the result of many years in the comic and talk show business, DeGeneres has the pulse of both the sophisticated and general public at bay. She delivers her humor with a kind of sincerity and unpretentiousness that really communicates. The Beacon audience obviously loves her, and responds with great enthusiasm. Ellen has the courage to touch on "touchy subjects" and "get away" with it through her ingratiating personality. This, her fifth comedy special, may be termed her best, and credit must be extended to fine, unobtrusive direction by Joel Gallen. As no one's credited as writer, it must be DeGeneres wrote her own material, as well as executive produced this fun filled event.
LITP (lostintwinpeaks) Ellen live in the Beacon Theatre, and welcome back Ellen! Good to see you again!Best moments include the shampoo bottle jokes, and Ellen's interpretative dance routine at the beginning.Otherwise, standard Ellen fare (and that's no bad thing) with Ellen going off on every possible tangent.More please!