Denver Film Festival Review - 'Bill Nye: Science Guy'

Written by Dave Minkus

There’s no doubt that Bill Nye has inspired a generation of scientists in various fields of research the way Star Trek did starting in the 60’s. Just watch him try to walk the floor of a symposium and deal with well-wishers and selfie hounds without breaking his stride and making these brilliant minds completely lose their minds in the process at the brief interaction for proof. While his show from the 90’s showcases his passion to educate in an engaging fashion, there’s a lot more to the man. While it could have been a fluff piece, Bill Nye: Science Guy delves deeper into who the man is and how he continues to search for knowledge and opportunities to educate.

It would be easy to dig purely into what made Bill Nye into the man he is today, but directors David Alvarado and Jason Sussberg do a fantastic job giving some of that much-needed context while spending the lion’s share of the film dwelling on who he is today. Yes, you’ll find out about the inception of his show, but you’ll also see a crotchety man who can get irked that brilliant scientists can’t figure out one is supposed to look at the lens instead of the screen when taking a selfie.

The film also tackles what could be perceived as attacks from multiple angles. It would be very easy to gloss over these points, but addressing them directly makes for some of the most fascinating parts of the film. When he’s attacked by hardline creationist critics as not a scientist, but a mechanical engineer, he owns that fact. He makes a point of making the expertise he has and his background a jumping off point to discovering and understanding various sides of science by going to the people who understand these complex ideas and acts as an effective intermediary for the common man.

What really underscores his passion for science and educating people comes from other criticism he faces from the scientific community saying that by engaging with young earth creationists, he’s only serving as a platform to give that ideology a platform. While the argument is understandable, it’s Nye’s willingness to visit Ken Hamm’s creation museum and even replica of Noah’s Ark that makes his motivations as plain as day. When talking to people who are openly hostile to his view and evidences, he makes a point of not being insulting or belligerent. He instead states his case with the belief that even if he gets through to one person, his time isn’t wasted. It’s these scenes that oddly become transcendent beauty.

Generally speaking, a TV show or film picked up by PBS is going to be something British and/or low budget. The fact that they’ve picked up Bill Nye: Science Guy for release in 2018 is a smart move in that the film balances autobiographical elements with nerd celebrity appearances by the likes of Neil deGrasse Tyson with scientific feats like the launching of a solar sail that belongs squarely in shows like NOVA. Sometimes a project becomes such a perfect fit for network it would be insane for things to work out any other way.

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