“A
wonderful and poignant tribute to
a talented superstar with unique footage
and live performances, Whitney charts
the life and accomplishments of the late
Whitney Houston and offers a compelling
glimpse of both her successful public
and her troubled private life...”
SUPERSTAR WHITNEY HOUSTON was found dead in her bath at the Hilton Hotel
in Beverly Hills on 11 February 2012 at the tragically early age of 48, leaving
behind her an astonishing legacy of music that ensures she will not be forgotten.
The American singer and actress was renowned for her remarkable voice and exceptional
talent and the film Whitney looks at her personal and public life from
her birth in Newark, New Jersey in 1963 to her successful bid for stardom, her
descent into drug addiction and the circumstances surrounding her untimely death.
“Whitney
is a superb legacy
of the talented superstar
with the magical
voice...”
Born
to gospel and soul singer Cissy Houston and her husband John, a civil servant,
Whitney's childhood was loving but Whitney spent a lot of time in the care of
relatives. It was at that time, according to family members, that Whitney suffered
abuse, although this could not be substantiated
Whatever happened in her early life that may at some time have turned the tide
of events, Whitney was haunted by demons. She always admitted being "brought
up in the ghetto", although her father worked hard to bring his family to a
safer neighbourhood where his children would get a better education. Whitney
wanted to be a singer from an early age. When she was fourteen, Cissy and John
divorced.
A close family friend known to the children as Aunt Bae, offers some insight
into Whitney's childhood and events leading up to her death. Others who share
their memories of Whitney include Whitney's brothers, her former sister-in-law
Donna Houston, her original manager Danny Gittelman, founder of Arista Records
Clive Davis, Creative Director and close friend Robyn Crawford and Publicist
Lynne Volkman.
Whitney possessed an amazing talent that was nurtured by her mother and by the
age of twenty-one Whitney was "blazing her own trail" towards producing the
most successful debut album in history. Her days of singing at the New Hope
Baptist Church, which she thought of as her second family, had led her on her
path to stardom.
John Houston managed both his wife Cissy's singing career and later his daughter's
career, when her brothers were given roles as part of her entourage. Whitney's
brothers, Gary Garland Houston, Michael Houston and John Houston III, talk of
their memories growing up with their sister and her astounding rise to fame.
Whitney Houston's estate offered their help and support in making this film,
and unique access was granted to rare archive footage and previously unreleased
recordings to produce an intimate and revealing documentary of the late star's
life. Live performances recorded at various stages of her life, original studio
recordings and acapellas of some of the Whitney's greatest hits are included
along with home movie footage that has never been seen.
Her greatest songs include Saving All My Love For You; The Greatest Love
Of All; I Wanna Dance With Somebody and the fabulous I Will Always Love
You — from the film The Bodyguard, starring Whitney and Kevin
Costner.
Whitney talks of "having feelings" for Eddie Murphy and Robert De Niro was an
admirer, but it seemed that marriage to fellow singer Bobby Brown made her deliriously
happy. However, it was not to last. When daughter Bobbi Kristina was fourteen-years-old
the then dysfunctional marriage broke up amid the star's accusations of Bobby's
abusive behaviour.
Sadly, Whitney had already begun the drug addiction she saw as a "bad habit"
and became lethargic and disinterested. It took its toll on the beautiful, talented
star who seemed to have everything. Her career suffered and she was beginning
to realise she needed to get back on track. Tragically she drowned in her bath
but was also found to have coronary disease and to have taken cocaine; both
contributory factors to her death.
Further tragedy for the family was to follow when, in 2015, Whitney and Bobby
Brown's daughter Bobbi Kristina was also found face down in the bath. Her partner
Nick Gordon discovered her in a coma and she died in a hospice some months later
of pneumonia. She was only 22 years old.
Whitney is a superb legacy of the talented superstar with the magical
voice; the unvarnished and authentic story of the late icon's life in a film
that examines both the meteoric highs and devastating lows of her remarkable
and unforgettable career.
Original Music by Adam Wiltzie; Director of Photography is Nelson Hume; Producers
are: Academy Award-wining Producer Simon Chinn (Man On Wire; Searching For
Sugarman), Simon's Lightbox co-founder Emmy Award-winning Producer Jonathan
Chinn (LA 92; Fantastic Lies) and multi Emmy Award-nominated and Happy
Street Entertainment co-founder Lisa Erspamer (Running From Crazy); Executive
Producers are: Patricia Houston, Nicole David, Zanne Devine, Rosanne Korenberg,
Joe Patrick and Altitude Film Entertainment's Will Clarke, Andy Mayson and Mike
Runagail; Written and Directed by Academy Award-winner Kevin Macdonald (Marley;
Touching The Void; One Day In September; The Last King of Scotland).
* Attitude Film Distribution announces Kevin
Macdonald's intimate, definitive account of Whitney Houston's life. Whitney
is released in the UK on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital Download on 29 October 2018.
Certificate: 15 | Running Time: 119 Minutes. Extra Features: Audio Commentary
with Kevin Macdonald and Simon Chinn. Filmed Soundtracking Podcast with Edith
Bowman and Kevin Macdonald.
"Whitney is a superb legacy of the talented superstar with the magical
voice" ****
— Maggie Woods, MotorBar
"Compelling" ****
— HeyUGuys
*****
— Total Film
****
— The Sunday Times
"Spine-Tingling" ****
— The Times
"A powerhouse piece of storytelling" ****
— Time Out
“A
wonderful and poignant tribute to