Howard (film) explained

Howard
Director:Don Hahn
Producer:Lori Korngiebel
Jonathan Polenz
Editing:Stephen Yao
Studio:Stone Circle Pictures
Distributor:Disney+
Runtime:92 minutes
Country:United States
Language:English

Howard is a 2018 American documentary film written and directed by Don Hahn about the life of songwriter Howard Ashman.[1] It received positive reviews from critics.

Summary

The film documents the life of songwriter Howard Ashman, who wrote the lyrics for the songs in the Disney animated films The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, as well as the stage musical, Little Shop of Horrors, and died from his HIV/AIDS positive diagnosis in 1991.[2]

The film uses the same interview presentation as Hahn's previous documentary, Waking Sleeping Beauty, where rather than "talking heads", audio interviews are used with "speech bubbles" indicating who is speaking.[3]

Music

Alan Menken composed the score for the film, while Chris Bacon adapted it.[2] Menken, who worked with Ashman on several projects until the latter's passing, first became involved with the project during the 2017–18 Christmas season; when Hahn showed a reel of the movie to Menken, he told Hahn that "[he has] to score this movie".[4] Hahn originally opposed, as the budget wouldn't allow him to pay Menken, but agreed once Menken told Hahn that he saw the project as his opportunity to create a musical homage to Ashman.[5] According to Hahn, Menken composed the score during the holiday season, and describe his score as "one of the most personal and touching scores that [he had heard] from him".[2] Menken said that he wanted to "find a motif that simply expressed [his] feelings about Howard".[5] Menken also said that the score has "a childlike quality to it, certainly, a simplicity to it. There's a certain shimmering and anticipation of a door opening and what happens just before it's revealed - this thing [Hahn has] created".[5]

Release

Howard premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival and was nominated for the Best Documentary Award at the 2018 Heartland Film Festival.[6] It had a limited theatrical run beginning on December 18, 2018.

Home media

Howard was released on Disney+ on August 7, 2020.[7] On May 18, 2023, it was announced that Disney+ would be removing nearly 60 original films and series from the platform on May 26 to "cut costs," with this film being one of them.[8] The news sparked widespread backlash from both Disney fans and the LGBTQ+ community, especially with the move coming on the eve of Pride Month and the release of the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid on the same day as its intended removal. Disney+ announced the following day that the film will remain on the service.[9]

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 94% based on 47 reviews, with an average rating of . The critical consensus reads, "Howard serves as a bittersweet tribute to the life and legacy of a brilliant artist whose timeless songs served as the soundtrack for a generation of Disney fans."[10] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 76 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[11]

Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter stated the documentary provides an insightful commentary, with a large and fascinating amount of archival footage, and called Howard a tribute to Howard Ashman, writing, "It succeeds beautifully in inducing both joy and sorrow: joy at the remarkable work Ashman produced, and sorrow that he left us so early and deprived us of the talent that still had so much to give."[12] Melissa Leon of The Daily Beast found the documentary touching, and said it manages to highlight Ashman's personal life and his work, stating, "The film is riddled with gems from the production of now-iconic films [...] and insight into the life and legacy of a man whose lyrics everyone knows, yet whose premature death fewer are familiar with."[13]

Peter Travers of Rolling Stone rated the documentary 4 out of 5 stars, found the film to be a moving tribute to Ashman, writing, "Such blunt honesty and rare introspection sets Howard apart from the usual cut-and-paste trips down memory lane."[14] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian called the documentary exciting and emotional, saying the film immerses its audience in the life of a creative artist, stating, "Ashman set a standard of flair, invention and Broadway-style showmanship in Disney lyrics that continues to this day."[15] Jennifer Green of Common Sense Media rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, praised the depiction of positive messages and role models, citing creativity and solidarity, saying, "Howard is a moving documentary that offers both a behind-the-scenes look at the making of some modern-classic Disney animated films and the poignant life story of an exceptionally talented man."[16]

Accolades

! Year! Award! Category! Recipients! Result!
2018Heartland International Film FestivalDocumentary FeatureHoward[17] [18]
2020Critics' Choice Documentary AwardsBest Historical/Biographical Documentary[19] [20]
2021Annie AwardsSpecial Achievement in AnimationDon Hahn[21]
GLAAD Media AwardsOutstanding DocumentaryHowardHoward[22]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Howard Ashman Movie D23 Premiere Trailer. Don. Hahn. July 11, 2017. Vimeo. May 23, 2020. August 11, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210811062742/https://vimeo.com/225148647. live.
  2. Web site: Howard: Press Notes. Howardmovie.com. 2020-05-14. 2021-08-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20210811071043/http://www.howardmovie.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/howard-press-notes.pdf. live.
  3. Web site: Howard Director Don Hahn on Telling Howard Ashman's Story . Collider . Taylor . Drew . August 7, 2020 . January 13, 2021 . August 11, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210811062744/https://collider.com/howard-director-don-hahn-interview/ . live .
  4. Web site: Don Hahn on Telling Lyricist Howard Ashman's 'Brilliant, Too Short' Story in New Documentary . variety.com . Tangcay . Jazz . August 7, 2020 . January 13, 2021 . August 11, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210811062737/https://variety.com/2020/music/news/howard-ashman-documentary-don-hahn-1234727250/ . live .
  5. Web site: A New Documentary Shines A Spotlight On The Lyricist Behind The Disney Renaissance . Grieving . Tim . npr.org . August 6, 2020 . January 13, 2021 . May 9, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220509102515/https://www.npr.org/2020/08/06/899642706/a-new-documentary-shines-a-spotlight-on-the-lyricist-behind-the-disney-renaissan . live .
  6. Web site: The Heartland International Film Festival announces selections for 27th edition - Heartland Film. 2020-09-01. 2021-04-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20210411174701/https://heartlandfilm.org/the-heartland-international-film-festival-announces-selections-for-27th-edition/. live.
  7. News: Low. Elaine. Disney Plus Fleshes Out Nonfiction Slate, Including 'Howard,' 'Science Fair,' Mickey Mouse Docu. October 18, 2019. Variety. May 15, 2020. December 8, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191208215951/https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/disney-plus-fleshes-out-nonfiction-slate-including-howard-science-fair-mickey-mouse-docu-1203375802/. live.
  8. Web site: Disney will remove over 50 shows from Disney Plus and Hulu this month . The Verge . Jess . Weatherbed . May 19, 2023 . May 19, 2023 . May 19, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230519101944/https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/19/23729642/disney-plus-hulu-remove-pull-shows-willow-streaming-bob-iger . live .
  9. Web site: 'Howard' Documentary Will Remain On Disney+; List Of Disney Streaming Removals Still Being Finalized – Update. Denise. Petski. Nellie. Andreeva. Deadline Hollywood. May 19, 2023. May 19, 2023. May 19, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230519173042/https://deadline.com/2023/05/disney-backlash-removal-howard-documentary-little-mermaid-lgbtq-1235373329/. live.
  10. Web site: Howard (2018). Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. . 2021-08-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20210811063834/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/howard_2020. live.
  11. Web site: Howard Reviews. CBS Interactive. Metacritic. August 7, 2020. October 29, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201029233751/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/howard. live.
  12. News: Sheck. Frank. 'Howard': Film Review – Tribeca 2018. The Hollywood Reporter. April 24, 2018. May 23, 2020. February 12, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210212000949/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/howard-1105359. live.
  13. Web site: Leon. Melissa. How AIDS Shaped 'Beauty and the Beast': Remembering Disney Songwriting Genius Howard Ashman. The Daily Beast. April 30, 2018. May 23, 2020. August 11, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210811062746/https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-aids-shaped-beauty-and-the-beast-the-tragedy-of-disney-songwriting-genius-howard-ashman?ref=wrap. live.
  14. Travers . Peter . 2020-08-04 . 'Howard' Review: Meet the Lyricist Behind Your Favorite Disney Tunes . 2022-07-06 . Rolling Stone . en-US.
  15. Web site: 2020-08-03 . Howard review – the lyricist who made Disney's hits soar . 2022-07-06 . the Guardian . en . 2022-07-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220706195843/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/aug/03/howard-review-howard-ashman-disney-documentary . live .
  16. Web site: 2020-08-02. Howard - Movie Review. 2020-11-24. www.commonsensemedia.org. en. 2020-09-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20200927114956/https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/howard. live.
  17. Web site: 2018-09-17. The Heartland International Film Festival announces selections for 27th edition. 2020-11-24. Heartland Film. 2021-04-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20210411174701/https://heartlandfilm.org/the-heartland-international-film-festival-announces-selections-for-27th-edition/. live.
  18. Web site: Heartland International Film Festival (2018). 2020-11-24. IMDb. 2021-04-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20210421193552/https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000317/2018/1/. live.
  19. Web site: Critics Choice Documentary Awards Critics Choice Awards. 2020-11-24. en-US. 2019-07-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20190702112523/https://www.criticschoice.com/critics-choice-documentary-awards/. live.
  20. Web site: Critics' Choice Documentary Awards (2020). 2020-11-24. IMDb. 2021-08-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20210811191733/https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0004059/2020/1/. live.
  21. Web site: Pedersen . Erik . 2021-04-17 . 'Soul' Edges 'Wolfwalkers' For Most Trophies At Annie Awards; Three For TV's 'Hilda' Leads Field – Winners List . 2022-03-16 . Deadline . en-US . 2021-04-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210417020003/https://deadline.com/2021/04/annie-awards-2021-winners-list-livestream-animation-1234734559/ . live .
  22. Web site: January 28, 2021 . The Nominees for the 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards . GLAAD . February 2, 2021 . March 22, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210322145320/https://www.glaad.org/mediaawards/32/nominees . live .

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