Director: Adam Nimoy Running Time : 105 min World Premiere
Luck would have it that the same year as Star Trek’s 50th Anniversary Tribeca Film Festival would launch Tribeca Tune In, a series that celebrates television. Adam Nimoy joined forces with his father originally to make a documentary just about Spock. 4 months later Leonard passed away. Adam recognized the need for a film about his father’s life, especially from the perspective of someone who knew him intimately.
Tribeca Tune In hosted a post-screening panel with Adam Nimoy, Zachary Quinto, producer David Zappone, Access Hollywood critic and lifelong Trekker Scott Mantz, and Variety‘s Gordon Cox, who moderatored for a panel. The theater had a distinct rock concert vibe. When Nimoy introduced the film, his loving tribute to his late father inspired cheers and tears.
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 18: Zachary Quinto and Adam Nimoy attends the screening of “For The Love Of Spock” at SVA Theatre 2 on April 18, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Steve Mack/FilmMagic)
The diversity in the room reflected how successful the TV show was in breaking boundaries. During the panel discussion, a young boy shared that he instantly fell in love with the show when his father showed him an episode and asked Nimoy what it was like growing up with such a famous father. Adam answered that it was exciting and also challenging to compete with the attention of hundreds of adoring fans. A woman stood up and directed to Quinto: “Thank you Zac for being such a powerful leader in the LGBT community. I am from South Carolina and I was as outsider as you could get there as a lesbian woman. Spock, Kirk, the whole cast, were my best friends growing up. I became a leader in the LGBT by emulating Spock. He was the kind of leader I wanted to be. And you playing him has had an enormous impact on my life and on our community.” A college girl stood up and said, “I was always different growing up. I was bullied a lot and the show and whole convention community was a place where I could be myself. It’s been the most important thing for me in getting through that difficult time in my life.”
These sentiments mirror those abundantly shared in this gorgeous documentary. For The Love of Spock goes in depth into Nimoy’s early years, how Spock was created, why Spock is a cultural icon, and intimate look at the rest of Nimoy’s life and work. The doc has a similar vibe to Star Trek. It’s fun, campy, entertaining, a little deliciously over the top and also intelligent, thought provoking, artful, and even-handed. Leonard was funny, out-going, a true renaissance man. When his parents announced they would disown him if he pursued acting, he saved up his own money and moved to California anyways. The list of his odd jobs made my head spin. He was known as man who could do anything and took his responsibilities seriously.
Gene Roddenberry had Leonard in mind when he created Spock. And when the network wanted the entire cast replaced after the first pilot, only Nimoy remained from the cut. Thinking this job would only last two weeks like every other acting gig; he gave it his best and didn’t think too much about it. When William Shatner sauntered into Star Trek, the dynamic between these forces cemented the ying/yan relationship that became legendary (hearing Shatner explain he could relax into Nimoy’s rivaling success only when it was explained that it would only make Shatner more famous is priceless) Also, the in-depth story of how the famous Vulcan greeting was created shows how involved Nimoy was in shaping Spock.
My favorite aspect of For the Love of Spock is the in-depth analysis of why this character is so beloved around the world. What made Spock strike such a deep cord was his struggles as the outsider and with opposing sides of himself he had to come to love and accept. Through Spock social issues around diversity could be openly explored. He wasn’t a being without emotion, he was masterful at suppression. For anyone grappling with themselves and their place in the world, Spock became a vital touchstone and familiar friend. The exploration of the human psyche that his relationships on show explored was groundbreaking. Spock also created a new generation of scientists and astronauts. Several interviews with members of NASA share that it was Spock who demonstrated who they wanted to be in the world and inspired them to follow their passion for science.
Adam Nimoy deftly explores his complicated relationship with his famous father. It was a tumultuous relationship. In the respectful and emphatic way it’s portrayed, this strife succeeds in humanizing Leonard even more. His dedication to solving his family issues and overcoming his own demons only made me love Leonard more. The level of fame that family was thrust into is impossible to imagine. In one scene, their home address was accidentally published as the fan mail address. The next day, a truck filled with mail arrived at their door. People would pull the grass out of the lawn as souvenirs and fans constantly rang the bell, hoping to meet Nimoy. The battles of an iconic father with a son trying to find his own way in the world was a beautiful call of the filmmaker to include. Like Star Trek itself, it tackled intimate, familiar issues in a mature, engaging way.
On the panel, Zac Quinto shared that what was valuable about not coming on originally as a huge Star Trek fan was he had the space to explore Spock from a fresh perspective with the blessing of Leonard. He got to experience falling in love with the show the way that a whole new audience has with the new films. He and Leonard had become very close and Nimoy’s approval and insight was essential for Quinto. Scott Manz shared that all the best things in his life came out of following his love for Star Trek.
An aptly titled documentary that truly delivers. Star Trek fan or not, this film is not to be missed.