We Are Pat Review (Tribeca): The Quest to Redeem It's Pat
In WE ARE PAT, filmmaker Rowan Haber gathers a group of trans comedians to see if they can recontextualize Julia Sweeney's SNL character Pat.
When Julia Sweeney debuted Pat on SNL in 1990, she could have no idea that the character would become a cultural phenomenon. She also had no idea that 35 years later, Pat would become the subject of Rowan Haber’s documentary We Are Pat. But as conversations about trans and non-binary people have expanded in the past few years, a reckoning with this character needed to happen.
Rowan Haber explains that they have always loved Pat. After sitting with some friends, talking about problematic films from the 90s, Haber rewatched the 1994 film, It’s Pat: The Movie. They still found it hilarious, but as they were laughing at the movie, they realized they were laughing at themself and wanted to examine that. So they got together a bunch of trans and gender non-conforming comedians to see if there was any way to redeem this character that had some really problematic aspects.
Something that works exceptionally well in We Are Pat is the variety of viewpoints. Seeing how various artists have grappled with the impact of this character over the years since they first arrived on SNL was tremendously powerful. There were those who were first able to see who they could be in Pat, but there were others who saw Pat as a kind of condemnation of androgeny. Hearing the various experiences was interesting and allowed the documentary to open up into something fascinating.
One of the most surprising aspects of the film is Julia Sweeney’s inclusion. She shares a lot about creating Pat in the midst of a great cast that also had very few women and trying to break into that boys’ club. She also discusses how Pat was a means for her to challenge some of the gendered expectations she faced from her mom and by simply being a woman in entertainment.
While there are moments of heaviness in We Are Pat, this is a funny documentary. Most of the guests are comedians, and they use comedy brilliantly throughout. There is a group of trans writers who sit together to try to figure out how to find comedy in Pat and how to approach it from a trans perspective. And while there is hurt expressed in those sessions, and some skepticism that there is anything redeemable about Pat, there are also a lot of really funny jokes.
In one of the most touching scenes, Julia Sweeney joins the writers and shares her thought process, her joy, and also her regret about Pat in a room full of trans writers who have varying levels of okay-ness with Pat. It is a powerful moment where people from diverse backgrounds and experiences can share with one another, gaining a deeper understanding of where others are coming from and how intent and impact aren’t always the same thing.
And that’s the real beauty of We Are Pat. It’s a documentary about having hard conversations. It’s about reckoning with your problematic favs, and deciding what can be saved and what needs to go. It’s about race and gender and weight and disabilities and how no group is a monolith. But more than anything else, We Are Pat is about approaching one another with openness and grace and a sense of humor.
Rating: 5/5
Check out my interview with director Rowan Haber.
I’ve actually hoped someone would make this movie. Glad to hear they made it well. Look forward to seeing it. (My sister was an extra in the big reveal scene, so I’ve remained aware of this movie in that slightly personal way.)