You Cannot Kill David Arquette: An Emotional Documentary With All The Highs And Lows Of A WWE Main Event

Release date: August 28, 2020
Running time: 91 minutes

Starring: David Arquette, Patricia Arquette, Courteney Cox

In 2000, after filming Ready to Rumble, David Arquette became the WCW Heavyweight Champion, in a stunt orchestrated by a WCW executive to boost ratings.  Arquette was reluctant to participate in this stunt because, as a lifelong wrestling fan, he knew that the fans would turn on him and not look kindly on someone who was given the title without putting in the work.  However, when presented with the opportunity to become world champion, it would be tough for someone to pass up.  This stunt hurt both his Hollywood career--who looked at this as the actions of someone who is unstable--and any hopes he had of a wrestling career--due to the fans turning on him.  However, years later, Arquette attempted a rocky return to the sport that stalled his promising Hollywood career.  

Arquette is a natural entertainer and you see that immediately in this documentary.  The film has a very entertaining style that draws on Arquette's passion and energy, in addition to his rich body of Hollywood and wrestling work.  It presents his backstory perfectly, getting you up to speed quickly so you can appreciate his rocky return to the ring.  It has a lot of entertaining touches for wrestling fans, like when Ric Flair makes a cameo and his title is listed as "The Godfather of Wrestling." (Note: Ric Flair is my absolute favorite wrestler.  Wooooo!)  Given Arquette's entertainment roots and general personality, the fact that the film was entertaining was not surprising to me.  However, what I was surprised about was the level of honesty that Arquette presented to the viewer.  It is very self-referential and self-deprecating.  It also has some very frank assessments of Arquette's career and wrestling stunt, from the man himself, his family and loved ones, and the wrestling fans that turned against him.  It is a good reminder to all of us that actions can have consequences that can linger for a very long time.

Given the level of self-discovery and frank honesty, the film is an emotional journey.  Although it starts out as kind of a stunt, you can tell that Arquette is dedicated to this endeavor.  It is evident that Arquette has a lot of personal pride in this journey and this goal.  The man completely transforms before your eyes through training and hard work.  It is good that you get these insights because Arquette's wrestling persona keeps his irreverent, silly outward motif.  Another aspect that I didn't expect from this documentary is that it provides a window into wrestling culture.  To climb into wrestling relevance, Arquette goes to various levels of wrestling, from true backyard wrestling, to underground wrestling, to even international wrestling in Mexico.  And sure, these matches are choreographed and staged to some degree, but Arquette definitely takes a beating.  You see his injuries, his physical pain, and the unplanned issues that happen with the sport.  And you also see him powering through these to continue his journey.

And through this all, you are provided with a fantastic window into Arquette.  The film is overly dramatic at points but that is also just how Arquette is.  The man has strong emotions and he wears them on his sleeve.  The documentary provides you with a window into his psyche, and in that you get to see some twisted moments along with his genuine passion and love for the sport.  The documentary showcases Arquette's highs and lows as he works towards his goal; and when he is actually wrestling he looks so happy and fulfilled that you can't help but smile and cheer him on.  It is really wonderful to see and a nice reminder that hard work and dedication can pay off.  

You Cannot Kill David Arquette is a documentary that provides a window into both Arquette and wrestling, with all the highs, lows, drama, and production of a professional wrestling main event.

Watch it.

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