Storyteller. Interviewer. Icon. These are only some of the words that describe the late Barbara Walters. And as someone who made a career out of getting up-close and personal with celebrities and political figures, for the first time ever the spotlight is placed solely on her in the new documentary Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything.
Directed by Jackie Jesko, the film features anecdotes and interviews from Walters’ lifelong friends, acquaintances and admirers, while capturing her rise from underdog to trusted journalist at the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) to her eventual transition and domination at the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). As if telling the story of a literal legend wasn’t hard enough, Jesko makes pulling the highlights of Walter’s life look effortless. As with any biopic or documentary about a person’s life, any single moment taken out of context can derail the entire thesis. There’s an argument that the balance is even more delicate here because the film primarily consists of clips from her interviews and Walters only ever asked provocative questions. But Jesko brilliantly uses one of the only interviews Walters did as a subject to guide the film. As a result, it feels as if we are hearing Walters impartially meditating on her own story, discussions and decisions.
The film does shine though when clips from past interviews are dropped to make a point about Walters’ fierce thirst for truth. For example, in its opening montage, we see her blatantly tell the Kardashians they have no talent – a moment that’s only made funnier by the fact that Disney has willingly assimilated the dynasty into its brand. One major highlight is how fearless she appeared while sitting down with dictator and war criminal Muammar Gaddafi. As it’s revealed, at the time, many criticized Walters for wearing a bright pink outfit that made her look like a Barbie. But as one of her colleagues clarifies in the doc, that was Walters’ own armor.
Similar to the hundreds of interviews Walters conducted in her lifetime, the film is so riveting that you won’t want it to end. It’s telling of how good Walters was at leveling with other human beings – and how fascinating of a subject she was herself. While that fascination certainly is the film’s biggest strength, it’s undercut by the overall pacing. Naturally, it’s impossible to fit all 93 of Walters’ life into the 95-minute runtime. As a result, some of the more meatier moments are left on the cutting room floor. There’s notably a whole section where a potential rivalry with Walter Cronkite and several other male ABC anchors is teased. But the mere allusion is sure to make audiences daydream about what kind of pettiness the parties participated in, and if Ryan Murphy might already be working on a season of Feud about it. The way the film winds down by talking about Walters’ creation and involvement of The View also felt deserving of a little more screentime. That was her public swan song after all.
Regardless of how balanced its coverage is, Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything is still a biographical documentary to behold. If not for the way it studies its subject, then for the way it celebrates the history she made all by herself. Towards the end of the film, there’s a pretty compelling argument made about how modern day media would not exist in its current form without Walters – that Billy Eicher would have never made it “on the street”, Joe Rogan would still be hosting Fear Factor and that Alex Cooper wouldn’t be “called” anything. Whether you know her name or not, in an age where courage, etiquette and literacy in the media are dying, it’s absolutely essential viewing for anyone with valid curiosity.
Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything is now streaming exclusively on Disney+ and Hulu!
