Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.
“You ain’t supposed to hide nothing—you’ve got it. God gave it, show it to the world!”
These are the words of Little Richard, the flamboyant father of rock ‘n’ roll. Many men have claimed that title over the years—the “father” part, not the “flamboyant.” But Lisa Cortés’ documentary, “Little Richard: I Am Everything,” makes one hell of an argument in his favor. And not only that, but it gives us a glimpse at the tumultuous relationship that he had, not with music or drugs or sex, but with God and himself.
The film takes us through Little Richard’s life decade by decade, from the 1930s when he was a little boy in Macon, Ga., aspiring to be a minister, all the way to his death in 2020. We learn about Sister Rosetta Tharpe inviting him onto the stage for the first time ever. We learn about his drag persona, Princess Lavonne. We learn about the cleaned-up lyrics of “Tutti Frutti.”
Audiences Black and white flocked to him—at a time when it was dangerous for Black and queer people to have that sort of affection publicly projected towards them. He projected sex in a non-threatening way, but was still overshadowed by white musicians who copied his music and were the “safer” choice for white audiences.
The film continuously comes back to Little Richard’s faith. As a queer Black man in the era that he lived, it was unfortunately inescapable that he would find conflict, not only from the public eye, but within himself.
Cortés shows the constant back-and-forth that Little Richard had with the desire to be who he was and who his God wanted him to be. The documentary shows outright renouncement of his queerness. At other times, he admits to the struggle he has, and yet at other times, as quoted in the film, “It’s hard to tell how much is running towards God versus running away from himself.”
The film is an incredible insight into who Little Richard was, with plenty of celebrity surprises and a killer soundtrack to boot. The magic that he brought to his music and to the stage is given physical attribute via visual effects—a move that at first seems like it comes from nowhere, but feels like a good fit by the end of the film. In several scenes, we “see” the music in gusts of glitter, practically brandishing a god-like tone around the legend of Little Richard as his story plays out. This extra shading by Cortés makes his struggle with his faith even more fascinating.
If nothing else (and that is overlooking a lot), the film gives us an insightful, 360-degree view of who Little Richard really was: the father of rock ‘n’ roll—the king—the god himself—and everything else he worked so hard to be.
“Little Richard: I Am Everything” will play at Midtown Cinema in April.
Midtown Cinema is located at 250 Reily St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.midtowncinema.com.
April Events At Midtown Cinema
National Theatre Live presents
“The Seagull”
Starring Emilia Clarke
Sunday, April 2 at 5 p.m.
“Little Richard: I Am Everything”
Documentary Screening
Tuesday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Down in Front! comedy riffing presents
“Killer Fish” (1979)
Friday, April 14 at 9:30ish
“Miss Congeniality”
Describe your perfect date.
Tuesday, April 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Studio Ghibli Festival
April 21 to 27
Friday, April 21
“Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind,” 7 p.m.
“Spirited Away,” 9: 30 p.m.
Saturday, April 22
“Ponyo,” 2 p.m.
“Spirited Away,” 5 p.m.
“Howl’s Moving Castle,” 8 p.m.
Sunday, April 23
“Howl’s Moving Castle,” 2 p.m.
“Spirited Away: Live on Stage,” 4 p.m.
“Ponyo,” 5 p.m.
“Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind,” 8 p.m.
Thursday, April 27
“Spirited Away: Live on Stage,” 7 p.m.
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