Watch Ellen DeGeneres: The Beginning For Free

Powerful

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

This performance marks 3 years after the "come-out" of Ellen Degeneres. FYI, Ellen was raised in a strict Christian Science environment, and although she no longer goes to that church, she believes in God and her belief is evidently shown in this performance. As she always has been funny and witty style, Ellen also shows her love and passion for people and animals. My favorite part is how Ellen chooses to end the show with such impressive story of her meeting with God. It makes us laugh for the moment, but then when we find "the silence", we can see how incredible and sophisticated this woman is. If you are a fan of Ellen DeGeneres, you cannot miss this.

I am (of course) a fan of Ellen's talk show and have seen her original sitcom once or twice as well as several of her hosting duties but I had never really seen her do her stand-up. If you too are a fan of hers then you know exactly what you're in for because with Ellen...what you see is truly what you get. Her incredibly unique talent for pointing out the obvious, using biting sarcasm, and an awkward sort of uncomfortability in certain situations makes us laugh at ourselves and at her. One thing Ellen has never been is a "shock" comedienne and it simply isn't necessary for her and wouldn't look right on her. That's why I was a little disappointed that she felt the need to throw in literally a sparse amount of curse words. I'm not a prude, language doesn't bother me in the least but I like when entertainment avoids it so that everyone can appreciate it. She uses it so little that it just would have been better without it. The very first thing she addresses is her "coming out" and does so in an emotionally charged and touching way that makes you smile like almost everything she does.I have never seen anyone who is just so inherently likable. She has such incredible chemistry and is so down to earth. Her style and her comedy and the way she speaks to people is simply a God given gift and you can see all that come out on stage. I don't find her uproariously funny necessarily, I didn't have tears streaming down my cheeks but she is just so great to watch. One of the best things about this video is at the end during the credits when we see audience members addressing her. It is sweet and touching and proves how instrumental she is in making people smile. She is a brilliant comedienne and this is a great special to check out. If you're not a fan of her show then watch her stand-up and you'll have to appreciate her talent and her ability to make people laugh. Not only that but I think she is one of the few professional comedians who is actually unique in her style. 8/10

You can read what some nay sayers post or you can read a professional critique, without a slant that one much question if homophobia played a role instead of fair and balanced review. Ellen doesn't have a top rated TV show AGAIN by mistake, read below..............This post-coming-out performance fully acknowledges Ellen DeGeneres's status as America's most famous lesbian, but it is nevertheless imbued with a sense of fun. For instance, rather than describe the experience of closet-exiting on her self-titled situation comedy in the late 1990s, she performs an amusing "interpretive dance." She uses her trademark goofiness to ruminate on the necessity of directions on shampoo bottles, ant road rage, and the possible nightmarish consequences of buying cheese. While the performance is not orientation-specific, the comedienne spends a fair amount of time on sex-related issues, including jokes about blow-up dolls and people who videotape their relations. She does venture into the political with an appeal for same-sex marriage and a monologue on meeting God, who turns out to be a middle-aged black woman. None of this fazes her clearly supportive audience at New York's Beacon Theatre who get to ask her questions at the end à la Carol Burnett. The best moment of the 65-minute performance for HBO comes at the end, when DeGeneres accidentally exhibits some gender confusion with a young audience member, who then pays her moving tribute as a role model. --Kimberly Heinrichs

Ellen Degeneres is one of my fave actresses and I admire her honesty and her ability to babble to an audience for over an hour without stopping! I live in England and you can only get this on video here, I watched it with 4 of my friends (all aged 16) and only me and one of my male friends enjoyed it. No-one else quite understood Ellen's quirks and rambling habits. Still, I give this one an 8 or 9. Nice work Ellen, keep it up. :)