Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story

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Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story

Jan 2025

1h 44m

Documentary

Biography

Music

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

40 Reviews

94%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

This star-studded tribute brings into focus the dazzling, complex period of Liza Minnelli's life starting in the 1970s, just after the tragic death of her mother Judy Garland--as she confronts a range of personal and professional challenges on the way to becoming a bona fide legend. Over these years, Liza seeks out extraordinary mentors: Kay Thompson, Fred Ebb, Charles Aznavour, Halston, and Bob Fosse. With insightful participation from a coterie of colleagues such as Michael Feinstein, Mia Farrow, Ben Vereen, Joel Grey and the late Chita Rivera, along with the revelatory participation by the star herself, the film illuminates the contradiction of Liza Minnelli: her privilege and struggle, strength and vulnerability, unreal expectations and towering talent--the friction of which fueled her stunning rise, resilience and her enduring place as one of the greatest, most original performers in the history of entertainment.

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Critics Consensus

A doting recap of Liza Minnelli's accomplishments that unspools with an appropriately glitzy flair, this Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story is a worthy encapsulation of the icon's life and career.

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

To watch this indulgent but madly watchable documentary about the life and times of Liza Minnelli is like snorting a pound of uncut showbiz glitter through a rolled-up copy of Variety off Joel Grey’s naked back on the Studio 54 dancefloor.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 13, 2025

Full Review

Naveen Kumar

Washington Post

Klein eschews a chronological account of Minnelli’s life for a more expressionist account of her stardom, split into chapters by quotes (her own and others) that sparkle in appropriately kitschy PowerPoint-esque transitions.

Rated: 3/4

Apr 1, 2025

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Mick LaSalle

San Francisco Chronicle

“Liza” captures an attractive swath of show business history and reminds us of Minnelli’s accomplishments, which were significant.

Rated: 4/4

Feb 28, 2025

Full Review

Jennie Kermode

Eye for Film

If you don’t have a clear sense of who she is when you go in, you may come out feeling none the wiser.

Rated: 2.5/5

Jun 16, 2025

Full Review

Sarah Boslaugh

TheArtsStl

[Liza is] It’s organized by numbered topics rather than chronologically, each segment introduced by a quotation, which is an interesting choice that focuses as much on the person as on the performer.

Rated: 7/10

Apr 12, 2025

Full Review

Stephen Silver

The SS Ben Hecht

A generally straightforward examination of the life of Liza Minnelli, featuring lots of archival footage, testimonials from her friends and admirers, and a contemporary interview with Liza herself.

Apr 4, 2025

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Wendy W

If you are a true Liza devotee you will love this movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/12/25

Full Review

Francesca

Intimate, warm and moving. a class act like Liza., herself. An respectful look at an icon that is a bright spot in a dark time.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/06/25

Full Review

Juan A

There are a lot of good clips of her performing, but if you go hoping to get some new and meaningful insights into who she is as a person, what drives her to work so hard, how she FELT about living in the shadow of her famous Mom, youll be disappointed. Did she ever sing and deliver a song QUIETLY, without a lot of loud razzmatazz?

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/02/25

Full Review

RENAISSANCE

I love Liza and will support anything with her at the theater but the documentary does her a disservice. We see a lot of other people and not a lot of Liza. She is alive and living and yet we hear so much of people talking about her in the past tense. I would have loved to hear her in her own words.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/15/25

Full Review

Meggie

The Queen deserves her due, and this film gives it to Liza. and in turn, to us viewing this film. Insightful, beautifully organized, with tons of fascinating footage never before seen. You'll love this documentary if you already love Liza, but if you don't know enough about Liza to love her, get ready, because you're going to fall hard!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/13/25

Full Review

GCW

Id hoped for more of her history and more of Liza talking. A run time of nearly 2 hours felt much longer and also very repetitive.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/07/25

Full Review

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Bruce David Klein

Director

Liza Minnelli

Self

Michael Feinstein

Self

Mia Farrow

Self

Ben Vereen

Self

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Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

This star-studded tribute brings into focus the dazzling, complex period of Liza Minnelli's life starting in the 1970s, just after the tragic death of her mother Judy Garland--as she confronts a range of personal and professional challenges on the way to becoming a bona fide legend. Over these years, Liza seeks out extraordinary mentors: Kay Thompson, Fred Ebb, Charles Aznavour, Halston, and Bob Fosse. With insightful participation from a coterie of colleagues such as Michael Feinstein, Mia Farrow, Ben Vereen, Joel Grey and the late Chita Rivera, along with the revelatory participation by the star herself, the film illuminates the contradiction of Liza Minnelli: her privilege and struggle, strength and vulnerability, unreal expectations and towering talent--the friction of which fueled her stunning rise, resilience and her enduring place as one of the greatest, most original performers in the history of entertainment.

Director: Bruce David Klein
Producer: Bruce David Klein, Alexander J. Goldstein, Robert Rich
Screenwriter: Bruce David Klein
Distributor: Zeitgeist Films
Production Co: Atlas Media
Genre: Documentary, Biography, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 24, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 11, 2025
Box Office (Gross USA): $222.0K
Runtime: 1h 44m

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