Intimate Portrait: Halle Berry

Born to a white mother and a black father, Halle Berry overcame prejudice and other obstacles to pursue her career as a model and eventually an actress. This program traces her early struggles to conquer her sense of isolation and prove herself, details her ultimate rise to stardom, and looks at her short-lived marriage to baseball player David Justice. Interviewees include fellow actor Kurt Russell, Berry's manager, a teacher who guided and inspired her, and Berry's mother, who talks about raising her daughters after her husband left the family, while Halle Berry herself discusses her past, her career, and her outlook for the future. While this documentary does not include recent headlines concerning the Golden Globe award winning actress--who seems rather young to be the subject of a biography--it does provide a fine, inspirational portrait of a determined artist (realizing she looked the same as other actresses at an audition, Berry cut her hair short and landed a role two weeks later). Recommended. Aud: P. (J. McDaniel)