Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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Every legendary artist has that moment, show, or performance which summarizes all they were and the epitome of who and what they are. For Beyoncé it was Beychella.
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| Director(s) | Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Ed Burke | |
| Written By | Beyoncé Knowles-Carter | |
| Date Released | 4/17/2019 | |
| Genre(s) | Musical, Documentary | |
| Good If You Like | Beyoncé
Black Excellence Hearing Music Which, At Minimum, Will Make You Bob Your Head Watching Legendary Performances |
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| Isn’t For You If You | More So Wanted A “Making Of” Beychella Than To Watch It All Over Again | |
| Noted Cast | ||
| Herself | Beyoncé Knowles-Carter | |
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Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé Plot Summary
Largely, Homecoming is just a master of the first and second-weekend performance of legendary music artist Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. However, pieced in there, every 15 or so minutes, is a behind the scenes look so you can understand the obstacles to the performance. Primarily Beyoncé having just given birth to Sir and Rumi, weighing 218 pounds, having to have an emergency C-section since one of the babies heartbeats weren’t regular, on top of her having Toxemia and so much more.
So, needless to say, turning things around with 4 months of rehearsals, going on a fruit and vegetable diet, and burning nearly 2,000 calories a day – Mrs. Knowles-Carter was pushing herself. But, when you are the first anything, when you recognize your people are looking to you, like many in other fields before her, Beyoncé had to make sacrifices. For to showcase her people, the legacy of HBCUs, the pride of Black culture, she had to push herself beyond what she thought was possible. Otherwise, it wouldn’t meet her criteria nor be what her people, fans or not, deserve.
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Highlights
It Makes You Wish Netflix Would Release New Things In The Daytime
Let it be noted, I’m not a member of the Beyhive and would not go in debt or battling people for tickets or merchandise. I’m a fan, not a stan. However, I recognize that for my generation, as much as Britney Spears, P!nk, Usher, Justin Timberlake, etc. have pedestals, Beyoncé is on another level.
What Homecoming pushes you to do, be it with Beyoncé’s solo records, records with Destiny’s Child, or covers like “Life Every Voice and Sing” is get into it. Be it singing along, doing the moves you know how, bop a bit, or something similar. For, plain and simple, you will get into the rhythm since that drum line, the band – period – will get you together. To the point, if you are way past high school, didn’t go to an HBCU, you might be tempted to head on south to experience this live.
You Barely Feel The 2 Hours
I’m not going to lie, I saw two hours and was rolling my eyes since there is barely anything I can sit through for two hours. Especially if it is something I’m watching at home and not stuck in a theater watching. However, even with this being an HD rehash of the performance manuy already saw, seeing it again forces you to realize it is timeless. That it has replay value, and with the mixing or documentary footage, it gives Homecoming more than enough life to not lull you into a 3 or 4 o’clock nap.
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On The Fence
Honestly, It’ll Make You Wish There Was More Behind The Scenes Footage
With that said, I honestly would have liked more background footage. Don’t get me wrong, hearing about her post-birth struggles gave weight to how difficult this must have been. Add in her going from rehearsals to breastfeeding, checking on Blue, making sure Jay doesn’t feel neglected, alongside keeping her staff on point, you see a lot. However, like anything with Beyoncé’s name attached, what you get is as curated as an Instagram feed. So even though the very private legend is letting you in, you still feel this distance.
Making not even getting to know individual dancers that much kind of sucky. Not to imply we don’t understand how much the opportunity and performance means to them, one dancer, a new mom, notes how her son will one day see the performance and be brimming with pride. Also, Blue Ivy clearly, at age 6, recognizes the importance. It’s just so curated that the extra footage only has value since Beyoncé and her team keeps things so tightly wrapped. Making it’s value drop like a new car once it is off the lot.
Overall: Positive (Worth Seeing)
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I could go another year, two, three, or more before watching this again. Yet, like Michael Jackson performing at Motown 25, Whitney Houston singing the national anthem, and many other occasions in music history, I know either the whole show or specific moments will be revisited in my lifetime. There is just this feeling of precedence, maybe even something which won’t or can’t be repeated about Homecoming.
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Hence the positive label. While there is still a certain distance from the subject, what is revealed from her pregnancy complications to the stress of putting on a show, you find yourself appreciating what you can get. Since, in the social media age, Beyoncé reminds you that you don’t own her, she is not a product. As she says, she is just a country girl who did it. Which, with her making it, her being able and willing to bring up others in the process, so comes the question of whether you are waiting for an opportunities or what opportunities are you providing for those who are coming next? For not all legends reach this level but that doesn’t mean those who helped paved the way are forgotten. They live on in the brilliance of others who find them inspiring and hope to do them proud.
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