Whitney. Can I be me

My heart felt so heavy after watching this. As talented as she was people who were supposed to be closest to her did NOT love her unconditionally. I've always known that fame often marginalizes people's lives but never really came to a deeper understanding and a greater empathy for how isolated and alone someone famous can become. I grew up with Whitney playing on the radio, bought her albums and saw her live in the early 90s. She worked her voice like an olympic athlete and was all that on stage - unbeatable really. But to have such a diametrically opposite life off stage and to die so young is truly a tragedy. The fame was useless. I'm only left to say that this story teaches all of us very important things about love, life and success.

There is not much new that is revealed in this documentary. What is new is the fact its brought to our attention that Cissy Houston was a terrible mother!

Cissy, you & Whitney would perform at Gay Bars (When Whitney Was Young) and yet you despised gay people because "Against God". So is divorce yet you had one. Drx before marriage BINGO that's against God as well. What troll you are Miss Cissy. Gay dollars were fine but we "Are going against God". Your foolish belief cost you not only your daughter but your grand daughter. It also seems no matter who "Whitney Loved" you were always against it. I think you were mad every time Whitney sold another record.

Long before Whitney Married Bobby she was rumored to have a girlfriend and her new name is front and center in this documentary. Sad that Whitney felt forced to be straight because of her jealous mother made her life hell.

I said years ago "Stop Blaming Bobby". Whitney's problems started long before he came along.

Its just too to know what happened not only to Whitney but her daughter as well!

Nick Broomfield tends to make controversial documentaries. He usually turns up with a camera and a boom mike and ensures chaos unfolds.

Whitney: Can I Be Me is a departure from Broomfield's usual documentary style. Using archive footage as well as interviewing some people who worked or were close to Whitney we see a person who came up from gospel singing and crossed over to pop and made it big in the USA and around the world.

In 1992 when she got an acting role in The Bodyguard, her profile went to the stratosphere. The film was a commercial hit, the songs became best sellers. Whitney's cover of I Will Always Love You has become an enduring hit.

Yet in 1992 she also married singer Bobby Brown despite some years of rumours about her sexuality. Brown was riding high as a pop star at the time, the general consensus was this was a union that would not last.

The trouble was it led to Houston going on a destructive path. Keen to hide her sexuality, wanting a child, her conflict with her and her family's deep religious convictions. Houston increasingly found solace in drugs as Brown and Houston engaged in wild living, he was also having affairs and she also had her own special friend in Robyn Crawford.

Undoubtedly this is a sad documentary. A life wasted and cut short. We see footage of another documentary that was shot in 1999 which followed Whitney in her last major world tour. After that her recording output declined, so did her voice but her erratic behaviour increased.

I think Broomfield himself liked her, hence a rather respectful approach. As her long term bodyguard commented, Whitney could had been saved but those around her were not interested in keeping her off drugs.

The stage curtains open ...

I just finished watching and reviewing the other documentary on Whitney Houston simply titled "Whitney" (2018) - and felt compelled to watch this one as well. I think the aforementioned documentary was better made and more detailed. But what I really appreciated about this one was the concert footage, and the behind-the-scenes / backstage footage as well.

When Whitney came off stage and went to the make-up/hair booth to catch a breather, and I saw the tears in her eyes and the drain and toll it was all taking on her, my heart broke for her. She really did pour everything she had into her singing, emotionally, physically and spiritually. And then she managed, somehow, to get it together in time to go back out on stage and finish the show.

There is just so much that went wrong in Whitney's life. Some blame Bobby Brown, others her Mom, others her Dad, others Robyn, and still yet others the time she was living in and what was socially acceptable and not acceptable. I guess I'm one who believes it was a combination and culmination of all of the above. I am also one who believes that we are all better for having had her in our lives, in whatever respect that may be.

I enjoyed this documentary. It was honest, fair and presented in an unbiased way. It is worth watching, if only to remember the heart of gold that Whitney always had - even during her inner conflict and pain. She always had that.

We got the perfection with the bumps. I found this to be very respectful and I appreciated it greatly. What a fantastic talent who was a woman-- human. Gone too soon, like far too many others.