THE STORY – Willis, songwriter of the “Friends” theme and Earth Wind & Fire’s hit “September,” began filming her life as a kid in 1950s Detroit and never stopped.
THE CAST – Pamela Adlon, Stephen Bray, Julie Brown, Mark Cuban, Paul Feig, Prudence Fenton, Patti LaBelle, Cyndi Lauper & Lily Tomlin
THE TEAM – Alexis Spraic (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 97 Minutes
Not many people know that “September” by Earth, Wind, and Fire, “I’ll Be There for You” by The Rembrandts, also known as the theme song from the hit comedy “Friends,” and the Broadway musical adaption of “The Color Purple” were all written by the same person: Allee Willis. In fact, Allee Willis wrote many other hits throughout her life that climbed the charts and have become some of the best and most memorable songs of the century. By the first frame of Alexis Spraic’s documentary about the songwriter and artist, which consists of her friends walking through her baby pink Los Angeles home that has bowling balls cemented in the ground, neon lights, thousands of collectibles, every single draft she’s written (including lyrics on napkins), – reminiscent of a 1950s fever dream, it is evident that Allee Willis was a one of a kind person and an immensely creative soul.
Premiering earlier this year at SXSW, “The World According to Allee Willis” takes an intimate look at Willis’ life and career, starting in 1950s Detroit with a young Jewish girl in love with Motown moving all the way to Los Angeles to make it big as a performer. While biographical documentaries tend to be repetitive in structure, the subject and director make up for this notion. Unlike most directors of these types of documentaries, Spraic isn’t just interested in Willis’ career but her process as a creative. Sure, the film tackles traditional landmarks like the subject’s climb to fame, personal struggles, and the valley-and-trough experience that comes with a career in the music industry. However, with a subject like Willis, boredom is an impossible notion.
Before she died in 2019, Willis was recording her entire life, collecting artifacts, and creating art piece after art piece after art piece. This allows Willis’ voice to be as present as possible throughout the film, not relying on talking heads or footage from public interviews. Most of the footage that Spraic uses is of Willis’ personal recordings. This showcases Willis’ impressionable stamp on 70s and 80s music and culture. Her uneven haircut, glittery mismatched suits, and baby pink house are all wonderfully 80s. Willis has a hippie-pinkness; she’s free and colorful in her music but also unafraid to try unorthodox approaches, which is evident in her art.
Through the film, it is clear that what was most important to Willis was her art. In addition to being a songwriter, Willis was also a painter, art director, extravagant theme party host, and social media designer (way before the launch of MySpace and Facebook). She was indeed a multimedia artist long before the term was coined due to the fact that she had so much to say and constantly needed an avenue to express herself. She would choose her art over anything and everything, but she also longed to be loved, which was difficult due to the fact that she was queer in the 1980s. Therefore, she had to hide her sexuality in order to be taken seriously as a songwriter since it was already an uphill battle to be taken seriously as a female songwriter. But even though she was loud and proud in her artwork, she was never comfortable to publicly come out, much like many queer individuals of her generation (but there also may be something beautiful about Willis writing the lyrics “I’m beautiful. And I’m here” for its queer protagonist’s song in “The Color Purple“). Even if she wasn’t out in her public (and personal) life, it is evident that she was still a champion for queerness and queer art in her own way.
Allee Willis may be the most well-known person you’ve ever heard of. Not many know her name, but one can guarantee that you know – and love– her work. “The World According to Allee Willis” is a fascinating look at a fascinating human being who poured her entire life into creation – probably due to her inert need to create. Much like the immense supernova talents Robin Williams, David Bowie, and John Lennon, Allee Willis was one of those immensely creative people who embraced life at every possible opportunity. She knew who she was and was celebrated for her unique outlook on the world around her. Spraic’s documentary is not only a celebration of Willis but a celebration of art and creation; we should all be grateful for her contribution to modern music, film, television, and art, as her music will continue to make us dance and smile for the rest of our days.
