Whitney: Can I Be Me

Whitney: Can I Be Me is a 2017 British-American documentary film that was written, co-produced and co-directed by Nick Broomfield. The film's subject is the life and career of singer Whitney Houston.

Not to be confused with the unrelated 2018 documentary on the same singer, Whitney (2018 film).
Whitney: Can I Be Me
Film Poster
Directed byNick Broomfield
Rudi Dolezal
Produced byNick Broomfield
Marc Hoeferlin
Written byNick Broomfield
Starring
Music byNick Laird-Clowes
CinematographySam Mitchell
Edited byMarc Hoeferlin
Production
company
Distributed byBBC (UK) (TV)
Showtime Networks (USA) (TV)
Release date
  • April 24, 2017 (2017-04-24) (Italy)
  • June 16, 2017 (2017-06-16) (UK)
Running time
105 minutes
CountryUnited States
United Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
French

Plot

Using Whitney Houston's death on February 11, 2012 as a starting point, the documentary investigates Houston's history and her emotional connections with her family and friends. The film uses archive footage from Houston's 1999 World Tour mixed with testimonies from Houston's family, friends and musicians who worked with her.[1] The documentary gives special attention to her relationships with her mother, father, husband, and daughter and her onetime best friend Robyn Crawford. The film also addresses Houston's history of drug use, including allegations of an overdose in the 1990s.[2] The film touches upon Houston's beginnings as a gospel singer, her discovery by Arista Records's head Clive Davis, and key moments such as the releases of her debut album in 1985 and the film The Bodyguard in 1992.

Cast
  • Whitney Houston as Herself (archive footage)
  • Bobbi Kristina Brown as Herself (archive footage)
  • Bobby Brown as Himself (archive footage)
  • Robyn Crawford as Herself (archive footage)
  • John Russell Houston Jr. as Himself (archive footage)
  • Cissy Houston as Herself (archive footage)
  • David Roberts as Himself

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 87% based on 67 reviews, with an average rating of 6.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Whitney: Can I Be Me offers a sobering inside look at the tragic downfall of a brilliant performer, even as it leaves the audience yearning for deeper insight."[3] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 64 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[4]

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References
  1. McGovern, Joe (April 25, 2017). "Whitney Houston: Can I Be Me documentary directors open up about the film". Entertainment Weekly.
  2. Leight, Elias (August 25, 2017). "Whitney Houston Doc 'Can I Be Me': 8 Things We Learned". Rolling Stone.
  3. "WHITNEY: CAN I BE ME (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  4. "Whitney: Can I Be Me 2017". Metacritic. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
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