Still Bill

2009
Directed By Damani Baker, Alex Vlack


SYNOPSIS

The documentary profiles singer-songwriter Bill Withers, who after several hits in the late 1960s and 70s walked away from the music business in the 80s to focus on his family.

MY THOUGHTS

I knew the songs well, but didn't know about the man who made them.

Still Bill quickly uses clips of his 4 most famous songs (Ain't No Sunshine, Lean On Me, Use Me, Just The Two Of Us) to establish his talent and gets them out of the way so we know we'll focus more on the present-day Bill (and some lesser-known music.)

Bill Withers was a late-bloomer, first recording in his early 30s, so his success didn't go to his head like it would with a much younger guy... though he was never comfortable with fame. He comes across as an unassuming, humble man that you would never assume to be so talented.

Still Bill follows Withers around and films his daily interactions with his wife and 2 grown kids, along with sit-down interviews. Withers also meets with Dr. Cornel West and Tavis Smiley for a genial conversation... and we follow Bill as he heads back to West Virginia for a high school reunion, which coincidentally takes place on his 70th birthday.
Though he doesn't play professionally anymore, Bill still writes and records music for his own pleasure and we do get a taste of that as well.

The film doesn't contain any "Behind The Music"-style tragedies/drug problems/arrests. Withers has kept his life clean, so there's not much tension or conflict. You could say that hurts the film, but it just shows how different Withers was from his peers.

The film clocks in at less than 80 minutes which is short, but it covers the man so well it feels thorough. You really feel you know and understand him by film's end.