Studio: Gaiam Americas Release Date: 03/04/2008 Run time: 90 minutesUntil 2003, Kris Carr’s life resembled that of many other New York actresses. The attractive blonde acted in commercials, appeared in theatrical revues, and guested on programs like Law & Order. After she was diagnosed with cancer of the vascular system, Carr decided to document the experience (she has also written a book, Crazy Sexy Cancer Survivor). This isn’t how most people would react, especially if told that conventional treatments aren’t likely to help. With the support of her friends and family, Carr becomes “a full-time healing junkie.” For this TLC documentary, she also interviews fellow cancer survivors, like redheaded sisters Erin Zammett Ruddy and Melissa Gonzalez, African-American playwright Oni Faidah Lampley, and pink wigged tour manager Jackie Farry. While Carr acquires a New Age attitude (she digs the word “groovy”), Farry advances a punk-rock approach (her motto is “f— cancer”). Carr may exhibit greater acceptance of her condition, but Farry’s anger seems like the more logical response. Further, Carr’s optimism is admirable, but possibly unrealistic for those without her support system or insurance benefits (Plus, she never looks sick and falls in love with her camera man during filming). Nonetheless, her sometimes risqué sense of humor makes for entertaining company during this five-year journey. In Crazy Sexy Cancer, Carr doesn’t presume to offer any cures for untreatable conditions, but provides a model for living well through low-impact exercise and proper eating habits. The plentiful extras include a yoga routine, guided meditation, detox tips, deleted scenes, and extended interviews. –Kathleen C. Fennessy
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May 7, 2010
#1
This has to be one of the most self indulgent, narcissistic, overblown & overrated pity party films I’ve ever watched.
I think Kris Carr needs to get over herself and accept the fact that that the minute you are born you are going to DIE.
My mother went through an insane amount of kook therapies – MANY of which are mentioned in this “video” (It’s obviously NOT a film). NONE of them worked – my mother finally decided she was mortal and let go choosing to not have chemo and to die with dignity in the living room of my very HUMBLE home that I grew up in. With my father at her side she died on 12/16/2007.
I’ve lost MANY family members and friends to cancer. NONE of them had a camera following them and any money to spend on kook treatments. They just died. They had no laptops, no cell phonys, no celebrations by the “cancer elite”. They just fking died. I’m probably next.
Get over yourself
May 7, 2010
#2
She never really does reveal what makes cancer sexy, but surely part of it is her developing romance with the man behind the camera, Brian Fassett. Brian makes himself indispensable to Kris, and is at her side no matter what New Age diet she tries next. Even when she’s down, he stays up. In fact Brian hardly shows any emotions in the video, he’s just a steady sort of man for a bubbly and optimistic woman.
Her dilemma is a tragic one: she has an inoperable and untreatable cancer that paradoxically enough doesn’t need treatment because its growth is undetectably slow. What’s the sense is subjecting oneself to nauseating chemo when, in fact, you’re doing fine without it? And yet she sometimes suffers from existential panic, for even though she’s not in pain or even “sick,” she’s a walking time bomb and one of these days that cancer might spread.
She’s a lot like Chloe Sevigny and no wonder she wasn’t getting many parts as an actress, she was probably losing all the good ones to Chloe. My wife says I’m crazy and that Kris Carr is charismatic. However, she’s not charismatic enough to make me eat 80 percent raw foods and start juicing, and she becomes sort of johnny one note about how delicious juices are and how much she’s in love. Of course she’s delighted to be alive, and she surrounds herself with other young women stricken with cancer and they are her posse (didn’t see any of them at her wedding though, maybe they’re just illness friends and not wedding guest type friends). Sad to see the brilliant black playwright struggling with getting one final play done! We learned that the woman, Oni Faida Lampley, a brilliant actress and so great in the Kevin Costner movie DRAGONFLY, died last month and this movie is a great tribute to her spirit, though her death of course is not covered in this tape. Maybe there will be a sequel to talk about those young women for whom the diets and juicing do not help.
On an amusing note, Kris Carr has many Julia Roberts-style montages of herself doing funny walks across the screen, sometimes breaking into the “funky chicken,” in an assortment of size 4 play clothes and kooky hats. I counted and there are 11 such montages in the film, more than any other movie I ever remember seeing. A record?
May 7, 2010
#3
This is a wonderful movie that explores Kris Carr’s journey through cancer and life. The movie is positive and uplifting.
May 7, 2010
#4
Wonderful, inspiring, lots of great helpful info. Editing is truly amazing!
Tons of humor laced with the seriousness of Cancer. Everyone can benefit from
watching this life-changing DVD. Excellent yoga and meditation on the special features!
May 7, 2010
#5
I’d heard so much about this book on the ‘cancer support’ blogs that I wanted to read it and was so pleased to get it at such a good price. The attitude is very uplifting for a person experiencing cancer, as long as you can accept the author’s ‘non-religious’ way of dealing with her diagnosis. Some readers with cancer may not be able to accept a person who didn’t have to have surgery, chemo or radiation as representative of their own cancer journeys, and may not relate to this author. Most of the author’s avant garde diet and bowel cleansing routines to hold her cancer at bay were over the top for me, but if you have an open mind and are able to read around her ideas you disagree with, there are many good tips and life-affirming philosophies that make this a worthwhile read for a cancer patient/survivor.