Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story

Tropic Sprockets by Ian Brockway

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Liza Minnelli is a powerhouse who has overcome great obstacles under the shade of a Hollywood mother, and the struggle of scoliosis to become a living Pop Art icon. From director Bruce David Klein “Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story” is a documentary that traces the progression of this theatrical sprite from a nightshade harlequin in “Cabaret” to stoic sensation.

Liza Minnelli was born March 12,1946 to Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli. Her earliest memories feature her singing with her mother, as Garland behaves viscerally angry and jealous to her, yanking the microphone. The episode was a milestone.

Young Liza was obsessed with movement. She knew she wanted to dance. The musician Fred Ebb convinced her to believe in herself and then she met the innovator Bob Fosse who gave her confidence in her locomotion overcoming the stigma of scoliosis. She turned this hinderance into her own poetry.

Liza endured a personal blow with the death of her mother. The star wondered how she would continue and if it was worth it. Then she met the singer and vocal arranger Kay Thompson. The pair were soulmates, seldom apart. She also met Halston, who impressed upon her the visual impact of fashion.

Now Liza Minnelli was a single dramatic dynamo exclusive and separate from Judy Garland.

The film is a bit too rapid and breezy, but it does cover a lot of ground. One does get a vivid sense that the heavenly hellion known as Liza actually is a survivor.

Though one hungers for more gossip about Studio 54, Warhol, or the late vampire groom David Gest, who honestly mistreated and disrespected Liza, this is a lively and colorful documentary with lots of affectionate insights from Mia Farrow, Lorna Luft and Ben Vereen.

The best segments of the film feature Liza herself—fierce and fiery, a theatrical Cheshire Cat in black mascara, recounting her sequined path and plotting a secret.

Write Ian at ianfree11@yahoo.com