February 2, 2020 · Watch the official trailer
Taylor Swift is tired of simply being a “good girl.”
A new documentary that debuted last month at the Sundance Film Festival, “Miss Americana,” seeks to bring audiences into the music icon’s inner circle as Swift’s evolving celebrity and relationship with the public drives her toward activism.
To a large extent, “Miss Americana” feels like an 85-minute explanation of why she’s shied away from controversy for most of her public life and a call to arms for her newfound political voice.
The film covers most of Swift’s life in traditional biographical style, from her pre-stardom days writing songs in diaries through her debut in country music to years of large stadium tours.
“Miss Americana” is made in patchwork, often feeling like a series of smaller behind-the-scenes and biographical videos made for a YouTube channel that are stitched together for a larger narrative.
It’s a strange combination of the substantive and the superficial as candid moments of a pensive Swift philosophizing on stardom and equality are cross cut with sugary-sweet clips heavily influenced by the pop star’s public relations team.
To be sure, the fact that a documentary about Swift exists at all is a calculation, a clearly defined act of public relations intended to sway opinion towards a woman who admittedly has sought self-worth based on the applause of strangers.
“Miss Americana” seems to provide unprecedented access to Swift and director Lana Wilson uses Swift’s inner monologue to essentially narrate the film as the lone voice telling her own story. But even this backstage, at home, on the road footage feels curated, almost rehearsed in a way, letting audiences in to the moments that Swift and her management team want viewers to see.
This gives “Miss Americana” an authentically inauthentic feel from start to finish and makes the documentary unlikely to convert those who aren’t in love with Swift’s music to her side.
Since Swift is the only person interviewed for the documentary, segments of “Miss Americana” come across as cold, lonely diatribe from an individual still struggling to understand the spotlight her increasing fame has given her.
The back half of “Miss Americana” slowly morphs into Swift’s personal evolution as a political influencer, using her instant access to millions of Americans via social media to rally youth participation in the election process as well as endorse Democratic candidates in her home state of Tennessee.
Swift describes her choice to stay out of the political arena for much of her career as “being a good girl,” opting to remain silent on issues of the day and just “sing break-up songs.”
The most impactful scene of this period of the film – a sit-down between Swift, her father and other middle-aged men in her inner circle debating the release of her first political statement on Instagram – feels slightly disingenuous. This isn’t to say that the meeting was faked or rehearsed, but simply that there’s not enough substance or time in the documentary given to these discussions to not make the scene come across as superficial.
The film’s best moments come in the studio, or occasionally at home, when Swift works on developing the hooks, lyrics and sounds that turn into her 2017 album “Reputation” and 2019’s “Lover.” It’s genuinely entertaining to see an incredibly talented songwriter develop lyrics on the fly, blending chords and mixing tracks in a matter of moments that turn into hit records on the radio.
And yet, even these sessions are somewhat marred by the indulgent choice to capture the development of the political anthem that plays over the end credits, “Only The Young,” a rallying cry to her younger fans.
While good-intentioned, the almost circular nature of filming the creation of a song written for the film comes across as calculated and pre-determined, rendering an ungenuine feeling to the entire project.
Netflix is a tailor-made partner for this kind of documentary, offering instant, wide-spread accessibility to a casual viewing audience who will treat “Miss Americana” more as a free add-on to their existing subscription rather than a film they’re spending money to see.
The easy viewing, 85-minute run time gives “Miss Americana” almost universal appeal as background noise at home while doing other activities. Only hardcore fans of Swift will truly remain engaged for the entire duration and yet most audiences will enjoy their time with the pop icon.
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