Directed by Bruce David Klein, the documentary Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story focuses on the award-winning iconic performer Liza Minnelli’s life starting in the 1970s, just after the tragic death of her mother Judy Garland.
Featured in the film are Mia Farrow, Ben Vereen, Chita Rivera, John Kander and Lorna Luft, Joel Grey
Release Date
Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story world premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Festival and opens in theaters on January 24, 2025 in NYC, January 31, 2025 in Los Angeles, followed by a national rollout.
Synopsis
This star studded tribute brings into focus the dazzling, complex period of Liza Minnelli’s life starting in the 1970s, just after the tragic death of her mother Judy Garland— as she confronts a range of personal and professional challenges on the way to becoming a bona fide legend. Over these years, Liza seeks out extraordinary mentors: Kay Thompson, Fred Ebb, Charles Aznavour, Halston, and Bob Fosse. With insightful participation from a coterie of colleagues such as Michael Feinstein, Mia Farrow, Ben Vereen, Joel Grey and the late Chita Rivera, along with the revelatory participation by the star herself, the film illuminates the contradiction of Liza Minnelli: her privilege and struggle, strength and vulnerability, unreal expectations and towering talent – the friction of which fueled her stunning rise, retsilience and her enduring place as one of the greatest, most original performers in the history of entertainment.
Reviews
David Rooney in a Hollywood Reporter review praised the documentary, writing, “Anyone who’s ever seen Liza Minnelli perform knows that while the love she draws from the audience is her oxygen, the love she pours right back is just as essential to who she is. That symbiosis is the power source illuminating Bruce David Klein’s lovingly assembled docu-portrait, Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story, an apt title for a salute to a woman who never met a sentence she couldn’t punctuate with superlatives. The raucous cackle Minnelli lets loose at frequent intervals while reflecting on her life attests that her struggles and sorrows and physical frailty have not defeated her.”
Dan Bayer in a Next Best Picture review gave the documentary a score of 7/10, writing, “The beautiful thing about this “Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story” is how Klein manages to tell us about his subject while shining the spotlight on those around her. No person is an island; we’re all made by the people around us. The people Minnelli had around her deserve films of their own, but it’s beautiful that she turns a documentary about her into a documentary about them. And, according to everything on display in “LIZA,” there’s no way to better capture her spirit.”
Official Trailer
Watch the official trailer for Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.