Sophie B. Hawkins: The Cream Will Rise

While Sophie B. Hawkins no longer looms large on the pop landscape (her best-known song is the early '90s hit "Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover"), she still enjoys a devoted following who would best appreciate this 1997 documentary that begins as your standard issue life-on-the-road chronicle, but takes a harrowing detour when Hawkins is forced to confront repressed memories of childhood abuse (the abuser's name is masked by sound effects, but his identity is painfully obvious). For the uninitiated, Hawkins is a powerhouse performer in the Janis Joplin tradition, but--frustratingly--the music is given short shrift here (no song is performed in its entirety). Still, Hawkins' emotionally charged odyssey of self-discovery enlivened by her candor relieve the tedium of the backstage and rehearsal footage, making this a strong optional purchase. (K. Lee Benson)