Michelle Obama's 'Becoming' Documentary Trailer Is A Sneak Peek At Your Next Happy Cry
Since she left the White House more than three years ago, former first lady Michelle Obama has written a best-selling memoir, been on a speaking tour, and now, is the subject of a documentary based on that memoir and tour, Becoming. But if you still need some more M. Obama in your life, I have good news: Michelle Obama's Becoming documentary trailer was released on May 4, and it's a delightful preview of the inspirational happy cry coming at you. Get ready for those emotions!
The documentary itself, directed by Nadia Hallgren, was something of a surprise. Obama announced the doc via her social media channels on April 27, a little more than a month and a half into the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, and less than two weeks before it will be available to stream on Netflix, starting May 6. Obama hinted that the social upheaval and uncertainty wrought by the pandemic were part of what was behind the quick release of the doc, which will feature the stories of people Obama met during her Becoming memoir tour. "During this difficult time, I hope you’ll find some inspiration and joy in this film," she wrote on Twitter.
A week later, on May 4, Obama and Netflix dropped the full trailer, just to get everyone extra hyped. The trailer featured clips of Obama talking about her story and sharing her inspiration with the young women and girls she met on her tour, set to Alicia Keys' "Girl on Fire." Come for the soundtrack, stay to sob when you see the little girl gasp after Obama surprises her classroom.
Since departing the White House, Obama has worked on a number of prominent social causes, often jointly with her husband, Barack Obama, through their Obama Foundation. Besides penning the best-selling memoir that was the inspiration for the documentary — Becoming sold over 11.5 million copies in the first year of its publication — Obama has frequently championed girls' education, voting activism, and community leadership. In recent weeks and months, she's also taken action to support communities during the coronavirus pandemic, starting a weekly afternoon story hour for children (and, uh, everyone), hosting virtual voter registration parties, and sharing her support for frontline workers.
She already has a Grammy for the audiobook version of Becoming. Perhaps next up, an Oscar for the documentary about the tour? Anything is possible in 2020.
