Great Falls, MT: Fast Times, Post-Punk Weirdos, and a Tale of Coming Home Again

Comedian and musician Watts debuts with an animated love letter to Great Falls, Mont., that recounts his tangled coming-of-age there. In 1976, when Watts was four, he moved with his Black American father and white French mother from Madrid to Great Falls after his father was assigned to a nearby Air Force base. In junior high, competitive drama competitions gave Watts his first taste of onstage success, and through high school—even as he took up smoking weed, chugging Robitussin, and participating in acts of vandalism—he never stopped chasing that rush, consistently playing in bands and performing bizarre, Andy Kaufman–style improv and stand-up comedy. After high school, Watts set off for Seattle, where he joined the band Maktub, and then for New York City, where he gigged at comedy clubs until his star rose and he started making nightly appearances on The Late, Late Show. He ties it all together with a third-act return to Great Falls to care for his dying mother, during which he unpacks the influence Montana had on his life and career, and concludes, “there’s no place better.” Watts is a droll, endearing narrator, delivering his account with the rapid-fire patter of a good improv act. Budding performers and comedy fans alike will find much to love.Agent: David Larabell, CAA. (Oct.)