Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds

[chabelisaywow]

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I agree that the Griffin Dunne scene was terrible and embarrassing. 

 

I actually liked the addition.  Griffin Dunne was an old friend that understood Carrie in a way that probably most didn't.  His father was a famous writer, actor, etc.  There are few people who have grown up in that environment.  The rest of us are Jane Doe/John Doe - our friends, family, etc know us as individuals.  Carrie was always "Debbie Reynolds' daughter" or "Princess Leia" - even for Todd, he didn't for whatever reason, have to always fight that distinction.  Doesn't Carrie say "he had it easier?" 

I really liked this "documentary" - it was free flowing and eclectic - sort of like Carrie's house. 

[CofCinci]

I also liked Griffin Dunne. It would have been interesting to hear how his sister's murdered affected their whole social circle. 

Carrie would have been an excellent podcast host. Did she ever do Kevin Smith's podcast? I stopped listening like a decade ago. 

[VCRTracking]

I like the Griffin Dunne scene too.  You knew when he yelled "Hey fuckface!" at the stairs and she responds "Coming!" the close level of friendship they've had for years.  Carrie was probably friends with a lot of other second generation Hollywood kids. I read somewhere when Carrie got the script for Star Wars to audition she read it with her friend Miguel Ferrer, son of Jose Ferrer and Rosemary Clooney and both Carrie and Miguel wanted to be Han Solo!

 

6 hours ago, CofCinci said:

Carrie would have been an excellent podcast host. Did she ever do Kevin Smith's podcast? I stopped listening like a decade ago. 

 

No but Kevin did in an hour long interview with her a few years ago.

Edited January 13, 2017 by VCRTracking

[BooBear]

I think the documentary itself was a failure.  It had no point and was floundering. Fisher Stevens (weird that his first name is the same Eddy Fisher's last -wonder if that is a fake name and where he got it)  don't quit your day job. I get the feeling it was commissioned to get Debbie Reynolds in a documentary before she passed.  I was sad to see her so spaced out but, I have no idea what drugs she was taking (legal ones) for 80s ... you kind of have to expect it. 

I was mostly taken aback at how genuinely they all seemed to love each other in a genuine way. Carrie, Todd and Debbie. Of all, I hope that is the lesson that gets put out to those who might be watching. Sure they are weird... aren't we all... but they were genuinely a loving team. 

Random thoughts

- Todd.. he went to the SAGs in a tux and a baseball hat? Todd.. I get that your laid back but we get it.. you don't have hair. Take off the hat or get a more stylish one. 

- Who was Carrie's assistant there? I felt like he was a major character and I have no idea who he was. 

- I was glad to see that Carrie embraced her Star War's status. But, you could see she didn't love it. Has to be a hard thing. 

- there were several times I was creeped out by Carrie because she was in bad shape. There are times she is shaking almost. I honestly think she might not have lasted too much longer.  I do hope that too is something that people will see and if they are young they take heed. 

- I think its sad they couldn't get funding for the museum. In this day and age of crowdfunding, I would have crowdfunded that !

[biakbiak]

3 hours ago, BooBear said:

I think the documentary itself was a failure.  It had no point and was floundering. Fisher Stevens (weird that his first name is the same Eddy Fisher's last -wonder if that is a fake name and where he got it)  don't quit your day job. 

His real name is Steven Fisher, no relation.

[Macbeth]

On 1/13/2017 at 2:09 AM, chabelisaywow said:

I really liked this "documentary" - it was free flowing and eclectic - sort of like Carrie's house. 

I liked it too.  It was never boring.  And those ugly children pictures - no way is the 2nd one Shia LaBeouf.  That child was a dead ringer of Paul Simon. 

[hypnotoad]

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I really liked this "documentary" - it was free flowing and eclectic - sort of like Carrie's house. 

I loved the movie too. And I have to say as odd as Carrie's house is/was, I loved it too! It fit her.

I liked all the stuff with Debbie and Carrie - mostly funny but some very touching. Especially when Carrie was crying at that practice for the AFI award. Yikes.

I also enjoyed seeing Carrie at the Star Wars fan thing. She looked like she was having fun.

I'll tell ya, Carrie was much nicer to her father than I would have been. What a selfish, horrible man. I'd heard about the Liz Taylor thing years ago but not in much detail. I got more from Wishful Drinking. Honestly while I get that Taylor was in mourning and had a little child, she was very selfish too. It's not like Debbie's kids were grown and out of the house!

I think Carrie had a really good singing voice - even in that clip when she 14 or 15. Sure her voice wasn't trained but she had pipes. She probably could have made a go of it as a singer if she had wanted to.

Why do balding dudes insist on wearing baseball caps? Todd just shave your head and get rid of the lame hat. We all know you are bald (ing).

[Bastet]

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and even though it was painful to watch, the scene Carrie has with her father.  She is still that little girl, happy to get whatever crumbs her father will throw her way.

That was the most memorable moment for me.  He was an absolute shithead as a father, and that's a hard thing to get over no matter how old you get or how much therapy you have.  For her to be clinging to whatever scraps of love and affection could be found in what were quite clearly his final months, combined with all the years she'd spent talking so openly - and amusingly - about what a shit he was -- it was really something. 

I'm a bit divided on whether or not I liked the jumbled focus.  On the one hand, no; filmmaking 101 dictates you do a better job of creating flow and tying storylines together.  But on the other, it kind of worked under the circumstances.

Debbie really got to me twice -- choking up with pride at Carrie's vocal talent (and wishing she had it herself) and, even moreso, tearing up again when talking about the effort it takes from all of them to shout over Carrie's disease and convince her she's loved, and how hard that is for her to see. 

I would have liked more on how the reconciliation process, but I liked it.  I might not have liked it as much had it not wound up being an "in memory of" production, but I liked it.

[Milburn Stone]

1 hour ago, hypnotoad said:

Todd just shave your head and get rid of the lame hat. We all know you are bald (ing).

And would it kill you to put on a shirt with a collar just once?

[Quilt Fairy]

5 hours ago, BooBear said:

Todd.. he went to the SAGs in a tux and a baseball hat? Todd.. I get that your laid back but we get it.. you don't have hair. Take off the hat or get a more stylish one. 

I liked the documentary a lot more than you did, but ITA on Todd and the damn baseball cap.  It looked like he was a pretty attractive guy when he was younger so maybe he's more sensitive about the hair loss, but jeez, either shave it all off and own it or get a wig or some plugs. I'm sure he could afford them.

[cpcathy]

I had seen Todd in a photo at the funeral, I think we wore a blazer and T shirt there too, but I was most struck by how much he looks like Paul Simon!

[VCRTracking]

On 1/15/2017 at 8:12 PM, Bastet said:

That was the most memorable moment for me.  He was an absolute shithead as a father, and that's a hard thing to get over no matter how old you get or how much therapy you have.  For her to be clinging to whatever scraps of love and affection could be found in what were quite clearly his final months, combined with all the years she'd spent talking so openly - and amusingly - about what a shit he was -- it was really something. 

It also struck me that he was known as the "Coca Cola Kid" and his TV show in the 50s was called "Coke time with Eddie Fisher" and Carrie constantly drank Coca Cola. I mean I like Coke too but damn.

I think the big reason Eddie's fame faded is he didn't have that great song. At least one that outlasted the 50s. They said he had more consecutive hits than the Beatles, but I honestly can't name one of them.  Eddie's most famous song is "Oh My Papa". It's not something modern movies will use in their soundtracks. Meanwhile I can name 10 Sinatra songs at the drop of a hat.

Edited January 17, 2017 by VCRTracking

[CouchTater]

I'm in my mid-40's and only really know Debbie Reynolds from "Singing in the Rain."  And before this doc, I'd seen Carrie in a couple of movies (not Star Wars) and interviews, and had watched Postcards from the Edge. 

Post-documentary, I had newfound respect for Debbie, and sadness and irritation for Carrie.  I understand that she had an illness, but man oh man was she annoying!   Yuck.  Like someone said earlier, she was exhausting.  Kudos to her mom for putting up with..... I mean for enjoying her.

Did anyone else see her sharing her spoon with her dog during the soufflé scene?  

Does anyone know the reasons behind their estrangement?  I wish the estrangement and reconciliation had been addressed in the movie.

[VCRTracking]

According to the People cover story
 

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Desperately seeking her own identity, Fisher became distanced from Reynolds. The two barely spoke for almost ten years. “We had a fairly volatile relationship earlier on in my 20s,” Fisher told Winfrey. “I didn’t want to be around her. I did not want to be Debbie Reynolds’ daughter.”

“It’s very hard when your child doesn’t want to talk to you and you want to talk to them, and you want to touch them, you want to hold them,” said Reynolds. “It was a total estrangement. She didn’t talk to me for probably 10 years. So that was the most difficult time of all. Very painful, very heartbreaking.”

 

Speaking as a child who can be annoyed at their parents even though they mean well and be loving, resentment can be more powerful than hate. You can still resent someone you love.

 

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Post-documentary, I had newfound respect for Debbie, and sadness and irritation for Carrie.  I understand that she had an illness, but man oh man was she annoying!   Yuck.  Like someone said earlier, she was exhausting.  Kudos to her mom for putting up with..... I mean for enjoying her.

It's probably my bias as a Star Wars fan but I thought Carrie off as way more cooler and fun to be around. Debbie's awesome too in her own way but she was trained at an early age to always put out this glamorous facade.  It's why I felt so moved when Carrie was crying before the SAG awards. If Carrie showed up accepting an award, kind out of it, she wouldn't care, she'd make a joke about it but she knew how important it was to her mother that she look and be her absolute best that night and it was breaking Carrie's heart that she might not be.

Edited January 17, 2017 by VCRTracking

[Bastet]

Carrie's palpable nervousness, standing behind Debbie on stage at the SAG Awards, was one of my favorite moments.  Any time Debbie would stumble over her words, you could just see the "Oh, please don't let this be bad" desperation.  And the relief when Debbie ended on the perfect, "And I ain't." 

[hypnotoad]

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but I thought Carrie off as way more cooler and fun to be around

Completely agree. I mean I've read her books and seen a lot of interviews and really liked her already, but this movie really cemented that feeling for me. I thought she was very funny (of course), I liked the singing and I was touched when she was so upset at the AFI rehearsal thing. Plus, the Star Wars appearance was pretty great - she was awesome with the fans. Shoot I even loved her house!

[formerlyfreedom]

Got two Emmy nominations!

Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking

Outstanding Directing for a Nonfiction Program

[JasminePhyllisia]

Late to this party but I think it deserved the Emmy nominations.  I was riveted throughout.  I went in knowing nothing about the two of them except that Carrie Fisher was Princess Leia and Debbie Reynolds was an amazing actress who stole the show in a movie called "Mother."  What a fascinating history and dynamic between the two of them.  I am definitely going to watch Postcards from the Edge.

So much sadness, especially in that scene with Carrie and her dying father, just desperately trying to have a bonding moment with him and he was so out of it.  

I was distracted by Carrie's exaggerated duck lip thing when posing for pictures. My impression was she had some plastic surgery to make her lips fuller and was making the most of it.

[chitowngirl]

Just watched this and immediately got a Grey Gardens vibe from it. Big Edie and Little Edie if they still had the money! I'm glad I'm not the only one who saw it!

If Debbie had passed away first, I wonder if Carrie would have been as lost without her mom as Debbie was about life without her daughter. Both seem exhausting to be around.

[Spartan Girl]

I recently watched this after reading Todd's memoir about Debbie and Carrie (great book, btw). Seeing Debbie slowly decline from being still relatively sharp to her state at the awards speech was hard to watch. 

Also hearbreaking was that clip of Carrie and her dad. Yes, I know he was an asshole, but he was still her dad, and as Tidd recounts in his book, Carrie was happy that they were finally able to have a relationship at the end of his life. Plus, the way he looked at the end...God. I know drugs will do that to you, but still...

[LegalParrot81]

My cable provider had a free HBO weekend this past weekend, so I finally got the opportunity to watch this documentary.  

Overall, I enjoyed it, but it made me sad. 

To see Debbie decline as the documentary went on.  Does anyone know how many months this covered?

Carrie made me nervous, she reminded me of a human ping-pong ball. and I'm not sure if it was all related to her medication.  She did say during her manicure that she was currently manic.  Her Coca-Cola addiction and the sugar rush probably didn't help calm her down or the cigarettes (or sharing her food with Gary off the same spoon - ick, yuck, with a little gag thrown in).

Sweet Gary.  I wonder if they are keeping Gary and Debbie's dog together? They seemed like good pals.

I had to laugh at the Knight Rider car and Catherine Hickland Fisher wanting it, considering her first husband was, David Hasselhoff.  Her therapy chicken also cracked me up.

Eddie Fisher, so sad to see him and even sadder to realize what he missed out on all those years with his children, but Carrie was there till the end, trying for the attention she craved so desperately from him. 

Todd and his hats.  

I also didn't like Debbie's mother.  What an awful woman.  Instead of being proud of her daughter and her accomplishments, she was all snarky.  Jealousy coming from a parent is not attractive.

Love me some Griffin Dunne.

Overall, I was glad to see Mother, Daughter and Son all supporting one another and the relationship Debbie and Carrie were able to carve out after their years of turmoil.

[biakbiak]

1 hour ago, LegalParrot81 said:

she reminded me of a human ping-pong ball. and I'm not sure if it was all related to her medication. 

Given she had cocaine, heroin, ectasy and alcohol in her system when she died its probable that she was high during filming.

[carrps]

On 7/19/2017 at 6:50 PM, JasminePhyllisia said:

Late to this party but I think it deserved the Emmy nominations.  I was riveted throughout.  I went in knowing nothing about the two of them except that Carrie Fisher was Princess Leia and Debbie Reynolds was an amazing actress who stole the show in a movie called "Mother."  What a fascinating history and dynamic between the two of them.  I am definitely going to watch Postcards from the Edge.

Just wanted to comment on the movie you mentioned. Great little film! I think it's my favorite Albert Brooks'. My younger sister and I just cracked up at how like our own mom Debbie's character was in the movie. I think it was when she was explaining to Albert's character that the icy frost on top of the ice cream in the carton was the "protective layer," we just lost it.

[JasminePhyllisia]

On 3/26/2019 at 1:46 PM, carrps said:

Just wanted to comment on the movie you mentioned. Great little film! I think it's my favorite Albert Brooks'. My younger sister and I just cracked up at how like our own mom Debbie's character was in the movie. I think it was when she was explaining to Albert's character that the icy frost on top of the ice cream in the carton was the "protective layer," we just lost it.

Yes it's one of those little-known gems, so worth watching if you can find it.  I never saw any other Albert Brooks movies but I almost got the sense he was stepping back and letting her be the star just because she was so darn good, hitting all the right notes. And the scenes with the whiny, competitive younger brother were priceless!

[SunnyBeBe]

I’m getting ready to watch this documentary. I see that someone posted that Debbie should have stopped performing earlier, but, I saw her speak about that in some interview and she said that her previous husbands had spent her money and she HAD to work to pay her bills. Is that covered in this film?

Also, how would drinking Coke (soda) cause Carrie to die? That’s mentioned upthread too.

[SunnyBeBe]

I actually enjoyed this film.  I loved seeing where and how they lived in Beverly Hills.  In many ways such regular people. It's so sad that Eddie Fisher ignored the children for so long. 

 One thing that caught my attention is that it appeared to me that Carrie was high on drugs or some kind of medication in every scene.  She seemed pretty active though.  She was on the elliptical, saying the job she was working on had her measured and keeping track on her.  It must not have included drug tests. 

I'm not not surprised that she died from sudden cardiac arrest.  I've known several women IRL who died that way due to heavy smoking.  I read about how common that is with women who smoke heavily long term. It's really scary.  

[heatherchandler]

On 6/3/2020 at 10:13 AM, SunnyBeBe said:

 

I'm not not surprised that she died from sudden cardiac arrest.  I've known several women IRL who died that way due to heavy smoking.  I read about how common that is with women who smoke heavily long term. It's really scary.  

I think it may have been more the coke, ecstacy, alcohol and opiates that ultimately led to the cardiac arrest.  Smoking doesn't help.

[SunnyBeBe]

Yeah, I recently watched a bunch of the Autopsy: The Final hours that details the way the celeb died. It is shocking, what a lot of famous people do to their bodies. I can't imagine living with that much abandon about your health.  Apparently, Debbie was pretty feisty though.  

I also watched a documentary on Jane Fonda.  Another woman who grew up in Beverly Hills.  What a life that has been!  I didn't see a thread for it yet. I might start one.  It was very enlightening. 

[Growsonwalls]

One thing I enjoyed about watching Debbie and also the Natalie Wood documentary was seeing these tiny but tough women of 1950s Hollywood. I know it was a hard business but you got the feeling these women didn't suffer fools gladly and took no crap and didn't hesitate to stand up for themselves.

[VCRTracking]

Debbie really should have been a touring raconteour in her later years like Cary Grant or Peter Ustinov. People would have loved to hear her memories about MGM's Golden Age. She would have sold out the same venues that were half full watching her perform old showtunes. It's sad her dream of a Hollywood museum didn't happen but honestly most people don't want to pay money to see the clothes the Rat Pack wore, they want to hear stories ABOUT the Rest Pack. She could have lectured at performance art schools. Since her death recently I've been watching videos of Diana Rigg being interviewed at Oxford, Cambridge and other UK colleges. Her experience and advice was still valuable to the younger generation. After DEAD POETS SOCIETY Ethan Hawke whose agent was then Carrie's husband met Debbie and she tried to give him some advice about fame. He was young and arrogant and and because Debbie was a musicals and he considered himself a "serious" actor he didn't take it which he now regrets 

ETA: And Carrie *sigh*  She was 60 but looked 10 years older. The drug use took it's toll. I was at least happy she still had a great singing voice and it hadn't changed like her speaking voice. One of the best moments was her watching and singing to FUNNY GIRL.

Edited September 18, 2020 by VCRTracking