'I Am: Celine Dion' Delivers Heartbreak and Hope
In this house, we are forever #TeamCelineDion, and based on the response to her documentary I Am: Celine Dion, so is the rest of the internet. The film, available to stream on Prime Video, chronicles Dion's life and her perilous struggle with the incurable disease stiff-person syndrome.
"I have just finished watching I Am Celine Dion on Amazon," one viewer wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "I cannot express how raw, heartbreaking and, at times, distressing it is. This'll be with me for some time."
That's just one example of the outpouring of support for the Grammy-winning singer on social media. And you know what? I'm here to join them, because I watched and it's one of the best pop star documentaries I've ever seen.
What's compelling about it is how open Dion is in the film. I mean, you know you've seen performative documentaries about pop stars before, where they show how hard it was to do a certain album or performance or whatever. But rarely do we see a star as huge as Dion quite literally struggle to survive.
There's a moment in the film where we see Dion during an attack, and all she can do is cry, she can't move otherwise. Not only is it eye-opening about the rare disease she suffers from, but it's also heartbreaking to watch.
That said, the film is also hopeful, because Dion is determined to perform again. Despite having gone through some real tragedies in her life, she's always bounced back, and I just know she'll grace that stage again someday. I hate to do this, but it's oddly fitting here: we all know her heart will go on. (I had to, I'm sorry.)
Let's check out what else is going on in the world of pop culture...
- Are you going to watch the first presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump? I will be, and I'll be talking about it on the Parting Shot podcast this Friday. But before the debate I'll be watching two of my favorite TV debate moments: Martin Sheen as Jet Barlet on The West Wing ("Game On" S4E6) and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer on Veep ("Debate" S3E8).Go watch those episodes, because they are some of the best debate moments ever on TV.
- Martin Short is guest-hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live this week and it's kind of everything. Not only is he inviting his famous friends on like Steve Martin and Selena Gomez, but he also brought back his iconic character Jiminy Glick. Def worth checking out.
- Legendary actress Gena Rowlands is "in full dementia," her son, director Nick Cassavetes, told Entertainment Weekly. "I got my mom to play older Allie [in The Notebook], and we spent a lot of time talking about Alzheimer's and wanting to be authentic with it, and now, for the last five years, she's had Alzheimer's." This news is so sad. Rowlands, an Academy Award-nominated actor, is an incredible actress. Some films of hers you need to watch include A Woman Under the Influence, Gloria, Opening Night and my personal favorite, Hope Floats.
That's it for me today. I'll be back on Friday. Until then, keep scrolling for more entertainment news.