Paul Williams Still Alive

PG-13

Released Jun 1, 2012

1h 24m

Documentary

Biography

Comedy

Musical

List

97%

32 Reviews

Tomatometer

77%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Filmmaker and longtime fan Stephen Kessler's portrait of the award-winning 1970s singer-songwriter-actor, who disappeared for much of the 1980s and '90s, but still performs today.

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Robert C

In the UK, Paul Williams wasn't such a major star so this documentary does not provoke the same memories of the 70's and 80's that it will in the USA. It's also starts to feel like it is more about the film maker than the subject. As a result, I've noticed this has got mixed reviews from the public, But, I dunno, over 10 years after this was made, we are now buried under a pile of 'reality' shows, so this strikes me as being much more honest.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

11/02/23

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Audience Member

The movie isn't great, and it wasn't Paul Williams' fault. The film maker was way too involved in the movie himself and should have focused more on his subject.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

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Audience Member

Bad film waste of money trash and garbage

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

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Audience Member

This is a well constructed, entertaining, view of the life of a 70's icon. Through this movie you will get a good picture of who Paul Williams was and who he is now. Although it shows a typical celebrity arc-- rags to riches to drugs to life after--it does so in a way that many of the reviewers of this film find offensive: the movie maker is part of the movie—sort of a documentary and a "making of" the documentary, combined. Early in the film, when Steve first comes up with the idea of making a movie about Paul, he says, "I could make a PBS documentary...", and the following segment looks just like that. I think that if Steve made the whole movie in that style, most of the critics of it would be happy. But if you look at the footage beginning at 21:20, you can see that Paul is the one who suggests that Steve be PART of the filming—the "Paulie and Steve show" (Paul's words). Paul states that it would be "really authentic" if he were filmed with Steve, instead of trying to ignore that there's a camera following him. So the rest of the film is shot that way, and it allows Steve to add the material at the beginning about his motivation for making the movie, etc. And--in my opinion--it's the connection that Steve and Paul make by filming this way that allows Paul to feel comfortable enough and "natural" enough to relate many of the genuine feelings that make this such a great story. So Steve Kessler made the kind of movie Paul wanted him to make, and the film turned out so much better because of it. It says a lot about the type of man that Paul Williams is today: the former game show and talk show gadfly of the 70's that spent countless hours trying to make himself the center of attention, would rather be a co-star in a film about him, because he thinks it would be "more authentic"! I believe he was right.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Review of Paul Williams Biopic Though perceived as a musical lightweight, whose glib persona on the talk show circuit was perceived as a disappointing "Yes" to Peggy Lee's "Is That All There is?", Williams comes across in this highly watchable character study as a man possessed of considerable gravitas and perhaps too much self awareness. In particular, he loathes his talk show performances, which he believes portray a shallow and self-indulgent opportunist. Honor is due to the relentless pursuit of his subject by writer-director Steven Kessler, who wins Williams's cooperation by refusing to be rebuffed. Once he wins Williams's trust, the film portrays a slice of Williams's life, which is mostly mundane but is nevertheless compelling, in large part due to Williams's considerable charisma. He wears the mantle of the has-been with dignity, and goes about the business of touring and playing B-joints with the dedication of a professional. The film's high point is an unlikely venue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he wows a sold-out audience of devoted fans and is moved to tears by their abiding love for his still-beautiful songs, and his softly rendered delivery of them. Also notable is his long-suffering musical director and his endlessly supportive wife. Yet while it becomes obvious that Williams is indeed a survivor, there is an underlying melancholy. He perceives himself as an artist who wasted his best years in the pursuit of TV fame and the willingness to descend to self-parody to achieve it. In other words, he feels he sold himself out. Ironically, this film makes a strong case for Williams's integrity. And ultimately, we come away with the satisfaction of spending some quality time with a man who is far more complex and interesting than we expected going in. While fame may not return in his later career, his legacy will be his songwriting - some of his hits have become standards - and his quiet determination to make a good life for his family. He could have been so much less. Highly recommended.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Paul Williams is an interesting character, but Still Alive is a documentary explaining why it isn't a very good documentary.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

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Stephen Kessler

Director

Paul Williams

Actor

Colin Reboy

Actor

Stephen Kessler

Writer

Robert Cohen

Executive Producer

Lesa Lakin Richardson

Executive Producer

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Richard Brody

New Yorker

The insightful, rueful, intensely self-critical and self-aware Williams delivers a harsh look at his own accomplishments, as well as at Kessler's process.

Jan 21, 2013

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Linda Holmes

NPR

What makes Paul Williams Still Alive successful is the relationship between Kessler and Williams.

Oct 23, 2012

Full Review

Bill Goodykoontz

Arizona Republic

For all of Kessler's annoying traits, he did get results. Perhaps a different approach wouldn't have yielded a film as satisfying as "Paul Williams Still Alive."

Rated: 4/5

Jul 26, 2012

Full Review

Jordan M. Smith

IONCINEMA.com

In spite of its ramshackle, touch and go structure, Paul Williams Still Alive manages to paint a vivid picture of Mr. Williams by deconstructing his past and understanding his present with equal sensitivity.

Feb 9, 2020

Full Review

Stephen Saito

Moveable Fest

It's the type of showmanship that earned the devotion of fans like Kessler in the first place and it's only natural that the director has made a film that will pass it along to new audiences.

Jan 8, 2019

Full Review

Mike McGranaghan

Aisle Seat

Always intriguing and often quite funny, Paul Williams Still Alive is exactly the documentary this celebrity deserves. It's respectful of his extraordinary accomplishments while giving us an accurate portrait of who Williams is today.

Rated: 3.5/4

Oct 16, 2012

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Synopsis

Filmmaker and longtime fan Stephen Kessler's portrait of the award-winning 1970s singer-songwriter-actor, who disappeared for much of the 1980s and '90s, but still performs today.

Director: Stephen Kessler
Producer: Robert Cohen, Lesa Lakin Richardson
Screenwriter: Stephen Kessler
Distributor: Abramorama
Production Co: TDB
Rating: PG-13 (Brief Strong Language|Drug References)
Genre: Documentary, Biography, Comedy, Musical
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 1, 2012, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 22, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $37.6K
Runtime: 1h 24m

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