Out this week on Netflix is Pamela, a Love Story. This is a documentary told from Anderson’s perspective. The film is a fascinating look at the character of Anderson and her journey from her small town to Hollywood and beyond. It’s surprisingly tragic. There are several moments within Pamela, a Love Story that are gut-wrenching, if I’m being honest. From several emotional bombshells in her childhood to a devastating sexual assault in her early teens, Anderson is shown to be a survivor. The film goes in-depth with her whole life story. You learn many elements of Anderson’s life that shaped her as a human being.
The film is quite intimate, usually with Anderson speaking to the camera, speaking on how she felt during particular points in her life. She laughs and jokes with the offscreen team about her life. She reminiscences on the highs and lows in equal measure. Anderson clearly understands what has happened in her life and has come to terms with all of it. Even with all this joy coming from Anderson, there is a sense of melancholy due to Anderson deflecting and joking about all the tragedies in her life. She talks about loving love, even though it has clearly caused her a lot of pain. There is a nobility to her naivety.
I don’t know, maybe I’ll know next week
About halfway through the film, we meet Tommy Lee and the journey towards the moment that would colour Anderson’s career. It definitely shows that Anderson had a type and Tommy was perhaps the culmination of everything she desired. They clearly loved each other in their own unique way. Then came the incident and everything around Anderson came crashing down around her.
For literally years, Anderson was the butt of a joke. Even to this day, there is still a wry smile when she appears in anything. Thankfully though, Pamela, a Love Story touches on the Disney Plus series Pam & Tommy and much like Pamela, it says what needs to be said and then leaves it at that.
Pamela, a Love Story as a whole is a touching tribute to Anderson and her life. Getting to hear her story and understanding her more as a person is engaging and I was impressed with how unfiltered Anderson was. She is clearly a person who is doing her best.
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