I would often see this funny couple on variety, talk and game shows while I was growing up—and I was astounded by their brutal brand of comedy.
They would-lovingly rip into each other, playing themselves or a variety of characters. Their skits would often end on happy notes, but they were marbled with inspired comic anger and gravitas.
I would ask my dad who they were, and he’d reply, “Stiller and Meara,” consisting of married couple Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. They also had multiple roles individually, in films including The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (Jerry) and TV shows like Seinfeld (Stiller) and Archie Bunker’s Place (Meara). They were instantly recognizable, a reliable source for laughter and proof that a celebrity couple could stay together.
One Saturday night in the ’80s, my brother and I saw a hilarious Tom Cruise lookalike on Saturday Night Live parodying the Color of Money in a short film, substituting bowling for billiards. We dug in on that guy, eventually finding out it was a dude named Ben Stiller, son of the great Stiller and Meara.
Stiller and Meara: Nothing Is Lost is a wonderful documentary directed by Ben, a beautiful testament to his parents. It takes a loving look at their storied careers, their determination (and tribulations) as celebrity parents, and their effect on Ben’s life.
The world lost Anne in 2015, and Jerry in 2020, but thanks to photos, film and audio tape recorded to a large extent by Jerry, Ben is able to compile a thorough history of his parents’ lives together, on and off screen. My only complaint is that this film isn’t 10 hours long. Given Jerry’s love of recording and photographing, it probably could’ve been.
On top of their historic run as an act on The Ed Sullivan Show, the two would often appear on talk shows like Dick Cavett, and those appearances often played as brutally honest (and always funny) open-air therapy sessions. The two didn’t hold back on bringing truth into their public relationship. They also managed to stay together in their New York City apartment for 60 years.
Much of the documentary takes place in that apartment as Ben and his sister, Amy, go through Anne and Jerry’s belongings, readying the place to sell. Ben also gives time to his relationship with his own children (son Quin and daughter Ella) and his wife of 25 years, actress Christine Taylor. All offer entertaining and candid insights into the lives of Jerry and Anne, and their ultimately positive and enriching influence on their lives.
This is the sort of documentary that Stiller and Meara deserved: It’s entertaining and honest, further cementing their hallowed status in comedy history. It’s also a glistening portrait of the appreciation their family had for them, and the resulting generational talent born of their genius and commitment.
Stiller and Meara: Nothing Is Lost is streaming on Apple TV+.
Funny Family: Ben Stiller Gives His Parents the Documentary They Deserve in Apple TV+’s ‘Nothing Is Lost’ is a story from Coachella Valley Independent, the Coachella Valley’s alternative news source.