The 2023 SXSW Film & TV Festival was a great year for documentaries highlighting the lives and careers of iconic superstars. These films offered audiences fascinating and insightful portraits of the people behind the symbols. I COULD NOT MISS THEIR STORIES since I grew up watching these artists/entertainers. Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, You Can Call Me Bill (a documentary about William Shatner), and Being Mary Tyler Moore were the films I had to watch. None of these beautiful and moving documentaries disappointed me.
Much like Michael J. Fox and William Shatner, Mary Tyler Moore was a big part of my childhood experience. Though I was not old enough to enjoy her beloved and acclaimed television programs, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, when they aired on prime time, I would watch these programs regularly through syndicated reruns. With her sweet and winning personality and her beauty to match, I adored the actress and the characters she portrayed. However, as these were fictional protagonists, there was much more to the accurate MTM.
Directed by James Adolphus, Being Mary Tyler Moore takes her fans down memory lane through the impactful moments in entertainment that the disarming and talented actress made throughout her career. Through loads of personal archival footage and candid interviews, the audience gets a deeper glimpse into the honest Mary and all of her struggles with which most people can relate. Moore had her relationship struggles, career obstacles, and health challenges, making it more difficult to maintain her sweet, perpetually smiling trademark facade. Through this intimate portrait of a life and career, fans and admirers can better appreciate what an incredible person she was.
Being Mary Tyler Moore will be available for viewing on HBO and streaming on Max beginning May 26, 2023. I highly recommend the film for her fans and young women who would enjoy discovering a fantastic new role model from the entertainment world. It is guaranteed to make anyone fall in love, Mary.