Nowadays, celebrities are revered in an almost cult-like obsession. We follow movie stars and their every move. We obsess over them. And when they seem to not be in a great spot, we feel sympathy for them. However, old Hollywood was not kind to actors and actresses who could not fulfill what studios wanted from them. Talent was not human back then – if you could not act anymore, then you were not paid attention to. And you were almost forgotten by the general society who moved on to the next Hollywood star that the studios decided to drive into the ground.

Valerie Perrine

One actress is Valerie Perrine. This is an actress I had never heard of and even after asking my mother, who would have been around during the 70s when Valerie seemed to be the “IT” girl; she didn’t seem to know who she was. However, Perrine has a great resume. Not only has she won a BAFTA and the Cannes Film Festival, but she was also nominated for an Oscar. Perrine has been in projects like Lenny, Superman, and Superman II. However, after one flop and an unexpected illness, Hollywood did to Perrine what it does to so many people. Forgets about them.

‘Valerie’ is a documentary short directed by Stacey Souther. It’s a 36-minute documentary that talks about the career and life of Valerie Perrine – a showgirl turned actress who won hearts back in the day. The documentary sets up for an appropriate background of the actress, as well as testimonies from well-known actors such as Jeff Bridges. While the modern-day general public may not know her, she touched enough lives in the industry that they still speak highly of her to this day.

Where is Valerie Now?

The documentary has clips of Valerie from her younger days and she exudes a fun and positive personality. Which, makes the state of her these days all the sadder. Valerie Perrine has developed Parkinson’s Disease. She lives in a one-bedroom apartment and needs a constant caregiver. Despite that, Valerie still seems to keep her positive and cheery attitude. Still, I really was saddened by what had become of Valerie and how this once vivacious starlet was seemingly forgotten by all.

Which, is why I really enjoyed this short documentary. The film did an excellent job in showcasing Valerie. It gave us a spotlight on her upbringing, her personality, her roles, and where she is now. The short accomplished a lot in only 36 minutes – more than what other documentaries do in two hours. It’s a documentary that touched by heart and as a superhero fan, I feel like we need to know about this Superman actress. She’s a part of our nerdy culture and in general, seems like a wonderful human being.

Jon Lee Brody, the Executive Producer of the documentary; expressed in regards to Valerie and the documentary:

“Anyone who knows me know how much I love Superman. My first vivid memory was watching the 1978 Superman movie. Since then, Superman and the love of cinema were always a part of me. To now be in a place where I got to help put together a film about Valerie Perrine is truly surreal and an honor. And to also have the late great Richard Donner, the man who jumpstarted my love for filmmaking, as a part of it also makes it even more special.
Some of the viewers of the doc will be longtime fans of Valerie. For them this documentary will be a great insight into who Valerie is as a person, as opposed to the image of Valerie the movie star. For some, this may be the first time they’ve ever heard the name Valerie Perrine at all. But all viewers will walk away knowing that Valerie was a true original. Someone who was keeping it real before keeping it real was even a thing. I’ll always be thankful to have my name forever linked with Valerie’s. And I’m thankful people out there will get to see just how incredible she is.”

Rating: 4.5/5

I really enjoyed this documentary and am thankful for the story that it told. We’ll be releasing an interview with the director Stacey Souther soon. This is a documentary that you need to watch, even if you aren’t aware of who Perrine is.

Check out Tia’s exclusive interview with director Stacey Souther here

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