“Whitney Houston in Focus” replaces the bright flash of the paparazzi mob in favor of soft lighting and a more candid photo op session between Whitney Houston and her trusted photographer Bette Marshall. Much of these early-stage photos highlight the late pop star’s life prior to her rise to fame, spanning various stages of her pursuit of a budding career as a singer.
Simultaneously, this Benjamin Alfonsi-directed film showcases photos that include a family portrait of the Houstons standing in a tidy backyard; Whitney in basic blue jeans like any happy-go-lucky teen, giggling into the receiver of her ‘princess phone’; or lying down on the living room carpet as she watches her favorite television show. These, and the film as a whole, emphasize a young Houston’s personal life best.
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Life, Presented in Photographs
We often hear the saying, “Every picture tells a story.” And in “Whitney Houston in Focus,” it’s Marshall’s pictures that do the job. Here, the focus lies less on the star and more on the young girl with stars in her eyes. However, photos will never be able to fully do justice to Whitney’s majestic and iconic high pitch as well as exemplary control of her vocal range. In fact, a pastor who witnessed her live performance once described her voice as “powerful enough to even shake the marble foundations of a church.”
Nonetheless, there’s one particular photo that Bette proudly treasures as her best and singles out among her favorite. Taken during an early recording session, the image featured the very moment that young Whitney belted out her signature high notes; promptly leading to expressions of astonishment, pride, and even petrified glances from her mother, gospel singer Cissy Houston, as well as the back-up vocalists. These reactions conveyed their sheer amazement at the tremendous, overwhelming talent of a teenager who was just starting out as a backup singer but would eventually launch a successful solo career.
“Whitney Houston in Focus” also focuses on the relationship between photographer and her trusting client; as the transition from a formal ‘Mrs. Marshall’ to simply ‘Bette’ occurs almost instantaneously. To the kindhearted Bette, young Whitney—or ‘Nippy’, as everyone at home called her—is neither a client nor a ‘muse’. Instead, she’s a family friend who trusted Bette enough to get up close and personal, even if only through photographs.
Transitioning to Superstardom
Likewise, Bette afforded the young woman all the agency to pick her own favorite spots or positions during the photo shoots. Through this experience, Bette cherishes the journey of photographing Whitney from small venues to the the most iconic moments from her discography, which culminated in her serving as set photographer on Houston’s music video for “The Greatest Love of All.” The transition, Bette recalls, affected the dynamic between the two. From being able to be alone in a room together, they would now be on a set full of people. Candid shots from before are now replaced by scripted larger-than-life situations filmed to perfection on a big budget.
During her work on the music video, Bette also remembers feeling impressed by Houston’s onstage professionalism, changing into the glittery gowns and becoming the Whitney Houston whom concertgoers paid to watch, yet never leaving her usual bubbly personality and her humility at the coat check. The photographer chokes up as she recollects memories of the self-assured and photogenic young lady with unwavering gumption whom she had the privilege of working with before achieving mainstream popularity; whose ability to change the minds of harshest critics and melt hearts of the executives who were hard to please remained a constant. Through it all, Whitney never failed to light up the room with her sheer presence, natural beauty, and—most importantly—that stellar voice!
This, ironically, would prove to be their last gig together, a befitting final transition that cemented Whitney as a beloved pop music icon.
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A Sensitive Portrayal of Talented Women in the Spotlight
Fame is fickle and a slippery slope; and as regretful as Bette is to not have an inkling of the personal demons that her Nippy was battling, she expresses gratitude to have even captured through her lens a sliver of the person Houston would become; as well as to have participated in the making of a star in even the tiniest fashion. In fact, the best feature of “Whitney Houston in Focus” is that the documentary paints its subject with respectful, gentle, ethereal brush strokes and resists the temptation of focusing on Houston’s troubled lifestyle for views. This directorial choice reminds viewers of the human facet of celebrities who regularly undergo scrutiny for even microscopic slip-ups. With its subtle approach that avoids controversy, the film even resembles the grace, class, and polite wording in Britney Spears’ recently published memoir The Woman in Me.
Released with the blessings of the Whitney Houston Estate, “Whitney Houston in Focus” joins the ranks of tastefully made documentaries on talented women in the spotlight without dismissing or reducing their sheer ability to command the room. These include “Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection,” “Love, Gilda,” and “Frida.” Even when the film mentions Whitney’s untimely demise, it does so in a tasteful way. Instead, it parallels her lighting up the room for a congregation at a gospel event held at the New Hope Baptist Church in her hometown during the ’80s; cut to 30 years down the line when that very church became the location for a gloomy affair—her own funeral. In a way, it acts as a metaphor for Whitney’s return to her humble beginnings.
‘Whitney Houston in Focus’: A Celebration of Black Artistry
Last but not least, the documentary also excels as a record of Black voices, with Bette capturing the Houston family matriarch Cissy and her choir of Black backup singers all crooning their hearts out in unison at recording sessions, their faces brimming with joy. This, in turn, proved to be a key foundation for Whitney’s future in the music business once she went solo.
This is probably a historic moment in itself: a white Caucasian photographer welcomed by a woman of color with open arms into her place of work, and entrusted with creating memories that will last a lifetime. That in itself is a picture of harmony. It also celebrates other famous Black artistes and voices, many of whom Whitney herself adored; as Bette frames the young lady flashing a toothy grin at the camera as she sits up in her bed against the backdrop of a large photo of her mother that looms over her on an otherwise almost bare wall in her bedroom, alongside another poster of her cousin, Grammy winner Dionne Warwick.
Regardless if you are an ardent Whitney Houston fan who sings along to her songs or just someone who casually heard a bop or two in passing, “Whitney Houston in Focus” is a passionate work of art dedicated to an equally passionate artist. It’s a tribute to the brightest star in a dark sky whose voice not only continues to light up not only clubs and churches alike, but also the lives of listeners across the globe. It’s guaranteed to leave audiences shedding a tear or two.
“Whitey Houston in Focus” screened at this year’s HollyShorts Film Festival, held from August 8th-18th. Follow The Movie Buff for more film coverage.
