On the Line: When filmmaker Christina Clausen stood to introduce her movie, I learned I was seeing the film on what would have been Keith Haring’s 50th birthday and would have the pleasure of watching with his family and childhood friends also in the audience. No pressure.

In the Theater: Clausen uses Haring’s art and the pulsing club music of the 80’s to celebrate of one of New York’s most well-known pop artists. Clausen manages to allow Keith Haring to narrate his own story through audio and video recordings. He gets help from his family and close friends, including Yoko Ono, Fab 5 Freddy and David LaChappelle. Other famous friends you will recognize include Andy Warhol and Madonna.

Haring’s friends describe how he disregarded the established norms of the art world, and wanted to bring art to everyone and did up until almost the very last moment of his life. The film doesn’t dwell on his dying of AIDS, but rather focuses on Haring’s will to accomplish and share (almost feverishly) as much as possible with the world before his body gave out.

The Verdict: My only critiques are these: in the beginning of the film, Clausen’s artistic introductions of her talking heads become a bit tired, and towards the end the pulsing club music was a little much. Otherwise, the film is a very colorful and enjoyable portrait of Keith Haring’s life.