Celine Dion fans have praised her brave new documentary, which chronicles her battle with Stiff Person Syndrome, as “raw” and “honest” after the film debuted on Prime Video on Tuesday.
Viewers took to X to share their reactions to I Am: Celine Dion, with many describing how they shed tears watching Celine’s ordeal on screen.
“This Celine Dion documentary makes me sob,” one person declared with a crying emoji.
“I just watched I Am Celine Dion and it was so raw, honest and emotional,” another viewer wrote. “So sad and so difficult, but if anyone can find their voice again and get back on their feet, it’s @celinedion!! She is one determined lady!!! We can’t wait for her return!’
One shared video of Tamera Mowry-Housley tearing up The Real to describe their emotional state after the viewing. “Me after seeing Céline Dion’s documentary,” they wrote.
Celine Dion fans have praised her brave new documentary about her battle with Stiff Person Syndrome as ‘raw’ and ‘honest’ after the film debuted on Prime Video
‘I just watched #iamcelinedion. It was such a raw and emotional watch. The last part broke me. Her resilience is unparalleled. Céline, I love you with all my heart. Forever and ever,” another posted.
“Within a few minutes the documentary has already started and I’m already crying,” one person tweeted. “We love you, @celinedion.”
“I just watched @celinedion ‘I am Celine Dion’ omg my heart absolutely breaks for what you went through with SPS. As someone who has been a fan since I was a little girl, I want to thank you for all you have already given, but also for what is yet to come,” wrote another.
‘The way you guys think about Beyonce and Taylor is the way I think about Celine Dion… And this documentary has me in SHAMBLES. I love her so much. They just don’t make them as talented, kind, or wise anymore. #IAmCelineDion,” another posted.
Another called the film “inspiring” and a “true love letter” to Celine’s fanbase.
One wrote: ‘I had the privilege of seeing #IAmCelineDion last week. It is incredibly revealing, moving, difficult and ultimately inspiring. A real love letter to her fans. I can’t recommend it enough: stream it on @PrimeVideo!’
In 2022, Dion, 56, announced her diagnosis of Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare autoimmune neurological disorder that causes muscle stiffness and uncontrollable spasms.
Her struggles are documented in the new Amazon Prime release I Am: Céline Dion – a heartbreaking look at the superstar’s daily life since she made the decision to withdraw from the public eye while coming to terms with SPS and the debilitating effects.
Viewers took to X to share their reactions to I Am: Celine Dion, with many describing how they shed tears watching Celine’s ordeal on screen
Critics also praised the film’s candid look at Celine’s life in reviews published after the documentary’s theatrical release.
The Washington Post cited a particularly difficult scene in which Celine suffered a “medical emergency of spasms and a seizure” as particularly vulnerable.
‘The film reaches a climax and ends with Dion’s attempt to include the title track on the ‘Love Again’ soundtrack. After a failed attempt, she is able to capture some of that old magic. But the session proves to be a ‘battering ram’ for her nervous system, and a physiotherapy session quickly escalates into a medical emergency with spasms and a seizure, as Dion groans with a rictus grin. Taylor’s fearless camera captures the bracing scene, and Dion’s choice to leave the cameras on and include the incident shows a level of vulnerability that pop stars at her level rarely express.
TIME also cited that same scene as a “raw” expression of “vulnerability” for a celebrity like Celine.
Her struggles are documented in the new Amazon Prime release I Am: Céline Dion – a heartbreaking look at the superstar’s daily life since she made the decision to withdraw from the public eye while coming to terms with SPS and the debilitating effects
The Washington Post cited a particularly difficult scene in which Celine suffered a “medical emergency of spasms and a seizure” as particularly vulnerable.
‘This level of sheer vulnerability is unusual for stars of any level, let alone one as reliably pristine (and therefore consumer-friendly on a global scale) as Dion.
‘After the cramps have subsided, Dion talks about her shame. Her therapist suggests that overstimulation from playback may have sparked the episode. For someone so animated, someone who seems naturally excited and whose job it is to be that way, this poses a dilemma that the documentary leaves unresolved. How can Celine Dion be Celine Dion if she can’t get too excited?’
Deadline described the film as a film about resilience: “But this film is ultimately about resilience in the face of one of life’s cruelest tricks, which is taking away the engine that drives Dion’s existence.” “My voice was always the conductor of my entire life,” she says, and suddenly she found herself in crisis.
‘She talks about the need for pills to get through a performance, first one, then two, then five. Over the course of the film year, Dion ventured out of her Las Vegas mansion only three times.”