George Carlin's American Dream

Part 1

At the dawn of the 1960s comedy scene, a clean-cut Carlin works the mainstream variety-show circuit but soon realizes that he was meant for something edgier. He trades his suit and tie for bluejeans, and finds that his eloquence and sometimes brutal candor resonate with counterculture audiences. Propelled by sales of his four gold comedy records released on Flip Wilson's Little David label (Little David Records), appearances on talk shows, and frequent touring, Carlin becomes a major comedic force of the 1970s.

Part 2

In the 1980s, Carlin faces major challenges: His audiences are shrinking, some critics deem him passé, and his family is suffering because of his cocaine use and his wife's alcoholism. He approaches his material with a new vigor, and fills comedy clubs and large venues with his insightful and increasingly critical observations about politics, life, and human behavior.

On August 10, 2020, HBO announced that a documentary about George Carlin was in development with Judd Apatow and his longtime collaborator Michael Bongfiglio. They were also working with editor Joe Beshenkovsky, who worked with Apatow on the documentary The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling. The film is dedicated in the memory of Patrick Carlin Jr., George's elder brother, who died a month before the film was released.

• George Carlin (archival footage)
• Brenda Carlin, Carlin's first wife (archival footage)
• Sally Wade, Carlin's second wife
• Kelly Carlin, Carlin's daughter
• Patrick Carlin Jr., Carlin's elder brother
• Kliph Nesteroff, author and comedy historian
• Jerry Hamza, Carlin's manager from 1980 until his death
• Bette Midler
• Rocco Urbisci, executive producer of Carlin's HBO specials from Playin' with Your Head onward
• Alex Winter, co-star of the Bill & Ted films
• Tony Orlando, host of the variety show Tony Orlando and Dawn
• Kevin Smith, director of Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and Jersey Girl, all of which featured Carlin
• Comedians who have cited Carlin as an inspiration, including:
  • Bill Burr
  • Stephen Colbert
  • Sam Jay
  • Chris Rock
  • Patton Oswalt
  • W. Kamau Bell
  • Jerry Seinfeld
  • Hasan Minhaj
  • Paul Reiser
  • Jon Stewart
  • Steven Wright