I’ve never been a big fan of Taylor Swift’s music; her songs don’t soar, like Florence’s, and her lyrics depict a world that has little to do with me. That said, I’ve seen her on TV in unscripted situations on several occasions, and she has always come across as being extremely bright, detail-oriented, and analytical. As a result, I thought “Miss Americana” would be worth watching. I was not disappointed.
What makes “Miss Americana” different from most such documentaries is the presence of a clear narrative that is created, not by the filmmaker, but by Ms. Swift herself. As she tells the story, she grew up believing that her role in life was to please other people, and that if she worked hard and did well, success was inevitable. All went well at first, but then a large segment of the population unaccountably turned against her, and she was left scarred and bewildered. The groping episode made her more aware of feminist issues, as well. In the end, she found her own voice and stopped worrying so much about the opinions of others, on the internet and otherwise. It is ultimately a story of hope and liberation, not a tiresome litany of complaints.
The narrative is a little too pat to be completely true; undoubtedly, the real story, to the extent that it can be ascertained, is murkier and more complex than that. It isn’t over, either. Virtually everything in the movie rings true, however, and it is well worth seeing.