BECOMING

Reviewed by Fr. Peter Malone, MSC

US, 2020, 89 minutes, Colour.

Directed by Nadia Hallgren.

After leaving the Oval Office and her eight years as First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama wrote a memoir, Becoming, and went on a national tour to promote her book. This is a record of the tour and her many meetings as well as talk shows, filling in a great deal of the background of her growing up, the presence of her mother and brother in her life and during the tour, memories of her dead father and his contribution to her life, a great number of photos.

This is a film which, obviously, will appeal to Michelle Obama fans. And, reading some of the hostile, even hateful, comments on blogs such as the IMDb, she has a number of people who are definitely not fans, of her, of President Obama. For outsiders United States, it may be very surprising to find such venomous comments.

Clearly, this is a film in favour of Michelle Obama. There are many mentions of her husband but he appears in comparatively few sequences, some photos of the past, courtship and marriage, parenthood, campaigning, his installation as president, and his appearing at some of the meetings (noting his courteous and urbane manner).

It appears that the media soon became hostile to Michelle Obama during the campaign, articles and the target of criticisms, especially on television reporting. On the other hand, she was welcomed by many who admired her.

This film is a collage, moving from meeting to meeting (in huge auditoriums with large crowds) to television studios and a range of talk show hosts including Stephen Colbert.

There is comment on her wardrobe, an interview with her stylist with explanations of decisions made, quite a range of dresses and outfits for the meetings and interviews – and her own comment about the campaign when people noted that she had made a speech but gave more attention to what she wore.

She is obviously supportive of her husband, relating well with her daughters, both in sequences from the past as well as at the end of the film with the daughters eight years older than they were at the time of the election.

She has little to say about American foreign policy or even economics but concentrates on meeting people, especially African-American people, and, more especially, the younger generation, engaging with them in conversation, getting them to tell their stories, articulate their hopes, affirming them in their stories. She is full attention to each person she meets, evident in the sequence of her book-signing, explaining that this is how communication should happen.

This is one of the main impacts that this film has, her positive outlook on life, self-confidence, and encouraging this in all her listeners.

For those against the Obamas, there will be little interest in this film. For those who admired the Obamas, especially Michelle Obama, there may not be anything new but there is much that will delight and encourage.

For more information, see BECOMING (wikipedia)