Review: Comedian takes her politics seriously in documentary ‘Roseanne for President’

If there’s one thing that the documentary “Roseanne for President” illustrates, it’s that Roseanne Barr deserves a proper documentary about her career as a glass-ceiling-busting comedian, television pioneer and general rabble-rouser. There are crumbs of her remarkable life story scattered about this doc, directed by Eric Weinrib, following her quest to secure a third-party nomination for president in 2012.

“Roseanne for President” can’t quite decide what it wants to be: a political farce underlined with John Philip Sousa-esque military marches, a deep dive into the electoral workings of various third parties like the Green Party and the Peace and Freedom Party or an intimate portrait of a fascinating, wild and influential cultural icon. It’s all of these things and therefore not quite enough of each of them.

Her campaign is a quirky and bizarre event worth chronicling, a nuanced look at Barr’s politics and her sincere attempt to make some kind of change “in her lifetime,” as she declares. Though her campaign was treated as a joke, chum for the news cycle, “Roseanne for President” shows that her efforts weren’t a stunt. If Roseanne’s celebrity may have waned, the film proves that her influence on culture can’t be denied, and hers is a clear, decisive voice, one that could inspire anyone to raise their own. Don’t count her out yet.

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‘Roseanne for President’

Not rated

Running time: 1 hour, 35 minutes

Playing: Sundance Sunset Cinema, West Hollywood