Beauty Is Embarrassing

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  • Opened September 7, 2012 (Limited)
  • For over 30 years, Wayne White has made an indelible mark on the creative world. As a designer, painter, puppeteer, sculptor, and musician, White created images and ideas that are an integral part of the pop culture lexicon, including his infamous word paintings featuring pithy phrases such as “I Blame LA” finely crafted onto vintage landscape reproductions. To this day, White gets up every morning to do the only thing his body and mind were made to do…create; whether anyone acknowledges it, or not. “I believe humor is sacred. Humor is one of the most important things we have,” says White in the film. Part biography, part live performance, part raucous comedy, Beauty Is Embarrassing tells the inspiring story of this one-of-a-kind visual artist and raconteur. Full synopsis

  • Cast: Cliff Benjamin, Tony Crow, Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris, Matt Groening, Mark Mothersbaugh, Todd Oldham, David Pagel, Gary Panter, Paul Reubens, Charles Stone, Fred Sullivan, Kurt Wagner, Paul Zaloom
  • Director: Neil Berkeley
  • Genres: Documentary

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Fan Reviews

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by jstew222

Beauty is Embarrassing is a joyful look at creativity. While it does center around Wayne White, who is so inspiring and fun to watch, you also get a glimpse into the whole White family and see how...

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by fLOURFACE

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Critic Reviews

90
The New York Times
|

The creativity grows like kudzu in Beauty Is Embarrassing, Neil Berkeley's enlightening and often hilarious portrait of the Los Angeles artist Wayne White. And it yields a thousand blossoms. Read full review

88
Slant Magazine
|

Neil Berkeley's documentary is as puckish as its subject, so steeped in artist Wayne White's creative juices that it makes you want to go straight home and start making things. Read full review

78
Austin Chronicle
| Kimberley Jones

The film is studded with stirring moments of surprise. Read full review

75
Washington Post
| Ann Hornaday

Beauty Is Embarrassing stays true to White's own exacting standards: It's thoughtful, skillfully executed and pure pop pleasure, from start to finish. Read full review

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A scene from "Beauty Is Embarrassing."