Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind

2020

1 hr. 40 min.

Documentary

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74%

34 Reviews

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75%

50+ Ratings

Audience Score

Interviews, home movies, photographs and diaries offer insight into the remarkable life and career of actress Natalie Wood.

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Critics Consensus

Though it sheds little new light on the case, What Remains Behind paints a loving portrait of a starlet and mother gone too soon.

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Jeff M

I am not terribly familiar with the filmography of Natalie Wood. In fact, as I sit here and contemplate, I don't know if I've seen a movie of hers besides MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET. I remember my late mother talking about her when I was growing up - she remarked that she was the most beautiful actress ever. On the plus side, this documentary does make me want to look into some of her movies. On the negative, the majority of this movie is a basic documentary without a whole lot of originality - friends and colleagues talk about her legacy, family members recall a difficult childhood and overbearing mother, etc etc etc... What saves the film in its last quarter is a revealing interview with her widower Robert Wagner detailing events of the night she tragically and mysteriously died while on a boat with Wagner and actor Christopher Walken. I've not seen him discuss this before, and his discussion is riveting and heartbreaking. Wood's sister Lana seems to believe there was foul play involved, and not much screen time is devoted to her. I would have liked to hear more about her thoughts, but it's understandable that the rest of the family probably wanted to avoid this pain as much as possible. It's worth a watch if you're a fan - otherwise, you might think you're watching a 20/20 special.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/11/24

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kevin c

Documentary chronicling the life and career of Natalie Wood as we watch home movie footage and recount stories from her daughters and husband Robert Wagner. Really fascinating and makes you wonder what more she would have accomplished had she not tragically died. Riveting and heartbreaking as Wagner tells the story of her accident and how it affected him and the family. Really interesting and worth a look.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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andy h

It drags by the end, but it's still an interesting look into a Hollywood trade guy explored by her own family.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

Lol the asked others on the boat but no one but Christopher Walken came... even though her husband and walken did nothing but fight... this documentary plays this down but RJ knows walken was his wife's lover! I really think RJ probably pushed her into this dark water ...but no one really knows except those involved.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

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Audience Member

What a wonderful documentary about an American icon. It's really sad seeing how tragic her death was and how it impacted people around her, but it's also incredible to see all the footage of a very successful female Hollywood star and business woman. She was a powerhouse - full of so much life. And my God, she was just flawlessly beautiful at all ages. Her family lost their mama and had to deal with an onslaught of media garbage, and yet they handled it all with great character. It's a really moving story and worth watching. And it's important for families to take back the narrative from low-life media sensationalism. Bravo!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

Full Review

Gary S

Loved it. Big fan of Natalie Wood. Beautiful woman who was intelligent and a good mother. Happily it didn't concentrate on the conspiracy theories of her death. Daughter and husband seemed very sincere in their recollection of her. Well done

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/03/20

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Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind: Clip - Natalie vs The Studio System

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Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind: Clip - Mother Natalie

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Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind: Trailer 1

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Claudia Puig

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

Solid and intermittently intriguing, but ultimately disappointing because it left a lot of stones unturned.

May 12, 2020

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Peter Rainer

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

It's an interesting film because it is a sort of personal memoir by her daughter... It's very much a kind of "authorized film," but it's touching that way.

May 12, 2020

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Richard Roeper

Chicago Sun-Times

The most touching sequences feature Natasha and her stepfather Robert Wagner...

Rated: 3/4

May 9, 2020

Full Review

Greg Carlson

Vague Visages

Trying to free Wood from the enormous shadow cast by her death is no small feat. Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind doesn't quite manage the task…

Feb 7, 2024

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

The documentary's stated ambition to focus on who she was as a person rather than how she died rings false.

Rated: 2/4

Feb 20, 2022

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Carla Hay

Culture Mix

If you take the documentary for what it is -- a family tribute to Natalie Wood, not a tell-all chronicle to expose the family's dirty laundry -- then Natalie Wood: What Reminds Behind will fulfill those expectations.

Jul 18, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

Interviews, home movies, photographs and diaries offer insight into the remarkable life and career of actress Natalie Wood.

Director: Laurent Bouzereau
Executive Producer: Lisa Heller, Nancy Abraham
Production Co: Amblin Television, HBO Documentary Films
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): May 6, 2020

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