Sundance Film Festival 2020 Day 1B - Miss Americana

Sundance, day by day, film by film…

I’m not a big fan of Taylor. I recognize her huge talent, and appreciate her stylishness (though less NOW), but… Pop music is just not my thing. So I was interested in this film about the phenom Taylor Swift… What’s the story?

Blurb: “Taylor Swift is a global icon who repeatedly tops the charts, fills stadium tours with rapturous fans, and continues to challenge herself both professionally and personally while remaining steadfast in her vision as an artist. Few have achieved as much as Swift, or have had their personal lives open to such public scrutiny, but in Miss Americana, she finds herself at a watershed moment in her career, using her platform not only as a singer-songwriter, but as a woman fearlessly harnessing the full power of her voice.”

The film is excellent. The story is Americana in spades. Talent. Ambition. Success. Drive. Success. Earned… Oh, wait. I did not win ALL the awards this year! I’m very disappointed, but the next album must be so so so much better!!!

Of course I read into it what I wanted. A tale of America where we are right now! Talent, drive, success, money, more talent, more drive, more success, more money. Stadiums full of cheering people! And all for…

If this film was made 3 years prior, it would have been a nothing burger. Because that cycle leads to a nothing burger. And Taylor smart as she was found herself in her late 20’s with a nothing burger. So she did the right thing. She withdrew from the public spotlight, and started to grow up.

That she could open up for such an intimate movie is one sign of that.

While the movie covers much of her career from a precocious kid singing the National Anthem to filling stadiums to thunderous applause, the movie is ABOUT her rather late launch into adulthood, something she has just started on. A brave film, for her to allow. And therefore worth making, worth watching.

A NETFLIX film. NOT a hagiography. You do not need to be a Taylor fan to enjoy this film, or know anything about her. This is an American story. This is a story about our times. about a fierce young woman who MIGHT end up being a force in the world, rather than just a successful pop star. We shall see. I look forward to that.

“Director Lana Wilson (After Tiller, 2013 Sundance Film Festival) offers a multifaceted window into Swift, her creative process, and her singular experience of being one of the brightest lights on the world’s global stage. Showcasing Swift’s trademark vulnerability and her fierce intelligence and wit, Wilson captures moments both tender and exhilarating as the superstar embarks on the latest chapter of her already extraordinary career.”