Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Though legendary lyricist Howard Ashman died far too young, his impact on Broadway, movies, and the culture at large were incalculable. Told entirely through rare archival footage and interviews with Ashman’s family, friends, associates, and longtime partner Bill Lauch, Howard is an intimate tribute to a once-in-a-generation talent and a rousing celebration of musical storytelling itself.
Howard is a warm and affectionate documentary portrait of Howard Ashman, the lyricist behind Little Shop of Horrors and the Disney Renaissance. Its greatest strength is the rare archival footage and intimate access from Ashman's partner and collaborators, which lends it genuine emotional authenticity. The narrative structure is conventional for a biographical documentary — cradle-to-grave with talking heads — and the cinematography is unremarkable, relying almost entirely on archival material rather than any distinctive visual approach. The acting category here applies to interview subjects, who are earnest but uneven in screen presence. The film's emotional climax around Ashman's AIDS-related death lands with genuine weight, and the ending carries real poignancy. Novelty is modest — it covers well-trodden documentary territory but the subject himself is singular enough to elevate it slightly above formula.