Bright Lights

source: Bright Lights

Even if you're not old enough to have known/seen Reynolds & or Fisher in film or media this story is honestly fascinating & instructive in so many ways. (a.) Aging gets to us all and there are ways to keep your wit and honesty about it all alive & kicking. (b.) Fanaticism (whether in sport, music, film, politics (think Trump - gawd)) has it's strange negatives, but also has some positives. (c.) Wealth isolates from reality, but subsistence poverty has it's own different reality (and fanaticism - think religion). (d.) Mental issues and/or addictions knows no boundaries. (e.) How one's life becomes perverted/distorted when everyone's your servant or wants to use you. Kudos to those who documented what appears to be an honest insight into those lives. A script like ending to their life stories. Would liked to have subtitles to fully capture all that was said. Interestingly as I write this the BBC news just released more information on Carrie (6/17/17).

I love this. I wish when they showed the day at the SAG Awards that they showed all the clips they showed from Debbie's movies. This movie answered a lot of questions for the public though. Debbie loved her daughter a lot I mean they were neighbors and they envied each other in certain aspects. I wish there was no Todd Fisher time. This should have been cut to show just Carrie and Debbie. Showing a quick flash line of both of their movie history or highlights for Debbie as they touched on. Should have more insight on things Debbie had to deal with. We are shown the things Carrie has to deal with but we have no clue as to how bad Carrie got and what Debbie put up with. Also there should have been a cut where a few select close celebrity friends say something about whomever they have worked with.

Bright Lights is an illuminating look inside the homes and lives of two legends. I love Carrie Fisher cooking a soufflé for her mother Debbie Reynolds and then walking out Carrie's backdoor across their shared backyard and into her Debbie's back door to share a meal with mom. They share more than that with us. It's like sitting on their living room couch and going thru the family album, warts and all. How were they able to live thru all their tribulations? Maybe that they learned to talk about it and deal with it instead of letting if fester and burst inside. And there was laughter, and stories about other celebrities and other heartaches. But what I liked most was their humanity towards each other and that unsinkable spirit that kept them going until all energy was gone from them. What I liked least about it was these two wonderful women should have know the damage drugs, alcohol and cigarettes would do and avoided them. I heard Carrie drank up to 16 Cokes a day and I wonder if the Coke connection with her father had something to do with her addiction to sodas. And Debbie could have had someone to stop her from performing until she was ready to drop. I know it was her choice but they both could have been saved from themselves by their friends. Thank you ladies for all that you gave and shared and God Bless Todd now alone

Why does no one mention this fine documentary of both Carrie Fisher and her mother, Debbie Reynolds, that played on HBO and AFI 2016. I found it so moving and informative about their very close relationship. I'm hoping the film will be distributed widely following Carrie's premature death. What's wrong with those obit writers who don't seem to be aware of this film? An important revelation to this viewer was the musical talent Carrie exhibited. Her singing voice reflected the gifts she inherited from both Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds. There may have been downsides to being the child of such celebrated parents, but she was certainly up to the task. In addition, her wry observations of herself and others was right on. Kitty A postscript following the death of Debbie Reynolds. Bright Lights gives an answer to why the symbiosis of this relationship could lead to the second death.

This documentary was released ahead of schedule after the deaths of Carrie Fisher and of her mother Debbie Reynolds, a day later. Bright Lights is an intimate portrait of two Hollywood legends. It is Reynolds who due to age and ill health was making a farewell as a performer. Her career spanned 70 years including Singin in the Rain. Whereas Carrie Fisher is seen in this documentary trying to get in shape for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, if only she can keep of the Coke, the drink that is. Debbie's son Todd Reynolds comes across as the most normal even though he managed to shoot himself in the leg as a kid. He talks about how for decades he and his mother wanted to get a museum going that would house all the Hollywood memorabilia that Debbie Reynolds collected. It included a chair once used by Elizabeth Taylor, a woman who married Eddie Fisher, the children's father. Bright Lights was meant to be a tribute to Debbie Reynolds, she is seen incoherent at times like when she goes to Hollywood to collect a lifetime achievement award. When she travels in a casino she needs a mobility scooter. However it also became a tribute to Carrie Fisher after her sudden death. She was always more open with the demons in her life, her bipolar and use of drugs. Her father's absenteeism from her life after he left the family for Elizabeth Taylor. Carrie Fisher also likens her appearances in Star Wars conventions to lap dancing. A quick photo and autograph for cash, it was lucrative. The documentary was a let down in its editing to show both of them slightly out of whack. Both mother and daughter lived nearby which meant Carrie Fisher would regularly visit to take care of her mother. However once scene was cunningly edited to imply Carrie was tasting her dog's food. It was also too scattered with footage spanning some years, so you see Carrie talking to her father who had died in 2010.

Terrific documentary detailing the lives of Debbie Reynolds and daughter Carrie Fisher. Their lives intertwining, they were inseparable as they went through life with hard times abounding. Debbie's collection of the costumes worn by the stars in films was a real revelation to see. She certainly was unsinkable as she was in her only Oscar nominated performance in "The Unsinkable Molly Brown." (1964). A real trouper as the documentary showed her deterioration, but her stamina and zest for living should serve as inspiration to all of us. In certain scenes, Carrie looked older with that throaty voice and demeanor. Brother Todd Fisher was also in it and clips of Eddie Fisher revealed that he was rarely around after his marriage to Liz Taylor.

Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds (2016) *** 1/2 (out of 4) It's funny how events that happen before a movie's release can change the way you view it. A great example is THE CROW where Brandon Lee was killed during the production and this left a rather morbid atmosphere over an already dark movie. When you view BRIGHT LIGHTS, the documentary about the relationship between Debbie Reynolds and her daughter Carrie Fisher, you can't help but know the tragic turn of events that happened before this aired on HBO. It's even more uncanny when one of the earliest moments in the film has Carrie asking her mom about her will. With that said, this is an extremely good and very entertaining documentary that traces both ladies rise in Hollywood. We learn about Reynolds career, how she got involved in Eddie Fisher, the birth of their two children and of course what followed. With Fisher we learn about her relationship with her parents, her rise in STAR WARS and of course the drug addiction and depression. From here we also get to meet Todd Fisher and get some wonderful moments with him and, in one of the film's highlights, his poster collection, which he uses to tell his life story. BRIGHT LIGHTS is certainly a film that fans of the there are going to enjoy as there are some terrific moments captured. There are some great stories told as well as quite a bit of archival footage showing Carrie and Todd when they were children. We also get to see inside the homes of the three, which is a great movie all by itself. Reynolds movie memorabilia collection is also looked at and discussed and we also get some footage of some of her final moments on a stage. With that said, there's no question that there's a lingering sadness that surrounds the film. There are some uncanny moments that will certainly make you think to the events that happened towards the end of Carrie and Debbie's lives. In a weird way, what happened to Debbie is a lot more understandable once you see this film and see how close the two of them were.

"Bright Lights: Starring Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher" (2016 release; 95 min.) is a documentary about the complicated relationship between (mother) Debbie Reynold and (daughter) Carrie Fisher, with Carrie's brother Todd chipping in as well, and their dad, Eddie Fisher, looming in the background. As the movie opens, we see 8mm footage of the Fisher family as Debbie and Carrie comment. We then learn that they live right next to each other in a large compound in LA, with Carrie coming over frequently to her mom's to take care of her. When Debbie is getting ready to do a performance in Connecticut, Carrie expresses her concerns. "Inside her head she's the same person, but her body isn't", Carrie worries... At this point we are 10 min. into the movie but to tell you more of the 'plot' would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out. Couple of comments: it is important to note that Todd Fisher produced this, and was the main driving force behind it. It is of course also the only reason why we are given this astounding all-access, giving us a clear picture what the daily lives of these people actually look like. The documentary of course also goes back in time, reminding us of the "Hollywood royalty" that were Debbie and Eddie. There is a bunch of never before seen footage (from Todd's archives, presumably). There is also an incredible clip of Carrie singing "Bridge Over Troubled Water" at one of Debbie's shows when Carrie was 15 (in 1971). The 2010 footage of Debbie with her dad Eddie (only months before his passing away) is sad and even uncomfortable. Let's be clear: the movie makers did not dodge the hard stuff, including Carrie's drug addiction (discussed in detail), and other family issues. The last 15-20 minutes of the documentary (which wrapped shooting in early 2015) are of course the most touching, and poignant, given that Debbie and Carrie would pass away at the tail end of 2016 within 24 hrs. of each other. I happened to stumble on this in the HBO on Demand library, and really didn't know what to expect. As it turns out, "Bright Lights" is a delight and candid look at these two legends of Hollywood. May they rest in peace.

My parents and myself watched this after a few weeks when both women died. It is just so sad that Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds died a day of one another. Some people say its creepy but it seems like the way it was. Carrie didn't look good at all, she looked as if she was Debbie Reynold's mother since Debbie Reynolds still looks like she was in her late 50's than being in her 80's. The drugs really did make her look old and I'm not saying this to criticize her because shes a legend, however I have to admit, you do see the side effects. She did look beautiful from when she was Princess Leia to the late 90s. It didn't help when her parents divorced and her father ran off with Elizabeth Taylor. Even worse, he became a druggie and left his children to try out his weed for themselves when they were teenagers. At least Debbie Reynolds really tried her best to support her kids and the fact they became a success like her, its wonderful! I was shocked during the documentary that she badly bruised her face from a fall. Poor thing, it was awful to hear about that! I am quite sad writing down this review because both women were part of my childhood and I thank them for entertaining all generations over the years. RIP Princess Leia and Kathy Selden <3