Paul Williams: Still Alive

Oscar-winning songwriter Paul Williams surely boasts a few young fans, but for people of a certain age, Williams is an icon, and the reason is simple: he ruled the 1970s. His songs—including hits for the Carpenters ("Rainy Days and Mondays," among several others), Three Dog Night (“An Old Fashioned Love Song”), and Helen Reddy (“You and Me Against the World”), as well as compositions for films such as A Star Is Born (“Evergreen”) and The Muppet Movie (“The Rainbow Connection”)—saturated the airwaves, while his image dominated the small screen in guest spots on Baretta, Police Woman, and The Tonight Show (Johnny Carson was such a fan that he had Williams on 50 times), but as the '70s gave way to the '80s, the beloved entertainer's drug use got the best of him, and he simply disappeared. Fearing that Williams had died, director Stephen Kessler decided to find out what happened to his childhood hero, interweaving biographical material from Williams' past with present-day footage, ultimately traveling with the very much still alive Williams to engagements in Las Vegas, San Francisco, Winnipeg, and the Philippines. While no longer at the top of his game—his singing voice has taken a few hits—Williams is not at the bottom either. Veteran commercial director Kessler makes a few rookie mistakes here, like interrupting his subject, but allows Williams to upbraid him on camera. But even though the pair start out as antagonists, they end up as friends. It's actually rather sweet, although some may find Kessler's New York persona a little boorish. DVD extras include bonus concert footage. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)