Whitney Houston was such a rare talent that many of those who experienced her career in real time can remember the exact moment they heard that angelic voice over radio airwaves – or in the then new medium of music video.
Its true power– with an instantly identifiable tone, range for days and vocal runs that were often imitated but never duplicated – cannot be fully expressed. She rightfully entered the music industry at the very top with record-smashing success and was proclaimed to be the voice of her era. Her influence still echoes in pop, R&B, soul, and gospel among the singers who followed her. Sadly, the turmoil of her final years overshadowed Houston’s phenomenal talent and generational impact on the music industry. By the time she tragically passed away at the far too early age of 48 in 2012, her life was reduced to a cautionary tale that details the dangers of substance abuse and lack of self-care.
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody – which opens in theaters nationwide on December 23 – makes a valiant attempt to give an honest depiction of the full spectrum of the life, legacy, and contributions of the singer/actor. Though the film never quite reaches its full potential, director Kasi Lemmons (who has St. Louis roots) and star Naomi Ackie deserve a nod for making the most of Anthony McCarten’s screenplay. He opted for a life moment checklist approach of bringing Houston’s story as opposed to crafting a story that compels emotional engagement.
Among the brief list of singer/actors who could effectively portray Houston, newcomer Ackie was nowhere near the radar. That coupled with the fact that she bears no physical resemblance to Houston whatsoever will give prospective audiences pause. But the British actor will quickly win viewers over as she embodies the essence of Houston. The bar she sets and holds for herself over the course of the film saves Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody from spiraling into Lifetime Movie biopic terrain. Most of the vocals in the film belong to Houston, but Ackie rises to the challenge when a scene requires her to lend her own voice.
Oddly bookended by one of Houston’s pinnacle live performance career highlights, Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody – takes the familiar biopic tumble in its attempt to capture an entire career in the span of a movie. And two-and-a-half hours is not enough time to take on the nearly 30 years that Houston spent in the public eye. The film addresses the controversies of Houston’s life early on. The pace the film maintains in order to leave no stone unturned leaves no room for the actors to establish emotional connections – or for the audience to fully celebrate the highs and wrench from the lows of Houston’s meteoric rise and tragic tumble. Creative liberties were taken to cram as much of the story as possible within the film.
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody is a story of love and dysfunction. The love catapulted her to unimaginable heights. The dysfunction put her on the path that led to a losing battle with her demons. The love – particularly that she shared with her mentor Clive Davis and her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown – is apparent. But the film is shallow in the sense that it does not provide context to the emotions Houston must have felt as she experienced the downswing in her career and personal life that oscillated from unfulfilled to shrouded in secrecy.
Except for the rift with her father John Houston, McCarten extends a measure of grace to those Houston held dear within his script. Even as she was tugged in different directions from opposing forces within her inner circle, most were portrayed as doing so for Houston’s best interest. The violence in her relationship and marriage to R&B singer Bobby Brown is downplayed. The rumored controlling nature of her mother Cissy Houston in her determination to see the star power her daughter possessed is minimized.
Outside of Ackie, Stanley Tucci’s striking portrayal of music mogul Clive Davis was the highlight of the performances in Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody. Veteran television actor Tamara Tunie gives a serviceable performance as Cissy Houston as does Clarke Peters in the role of John Houston and Nafessa Williams as Robyn Crawford. But a profound lack of chemistry between Ackie and Ashton Sanders detracts from his portrayal of Houston’s ex-husband Bobby Brown.
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody opens in theaters nationwide on December 23. The film is rated PG-13 with a running time of 146 minutes.
