Chely Wright: Wish Me Away
Chely Wright: Wish Me Away
| 29 May 2012 (USA)
Chely Wright: Wish Me Away Trailers

After a lifetime of hiding, Chely Wright becomes the first commercial country music singer to come out as gay, shattering cultural stereotypes within Nashville, per conservative heartland family and, most importantly, within herself. With unprecedented access over a two-year period, including her private video diaries, the film layers Chely's rise to fame while hiding in the late 90's with the execution of her coming out plan, culminating in the exciting moment when she steps into the media glare to reveal she is gay. The film shows both the devastation of internalized homophobia and the transformational power of living an authentic life. The film also documents the conflicting responses from Nashville, the heartland and the LGBT community as Chely Wright prepares for an unknown future.

Reviews
Develiker

terrible... so disappointed.

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Grimossfer

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

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Plustown

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

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Alistair Olson

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

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fairytales911

This documentary was very personal and powerful. I support Chely so much and it is inspiring that she chose to come out. It is extremely difficult to come out in general but to be such a public figure and a country artist is remarkable. When she said she did it for the small town kids who feel alone, that hit me in the heart. Suicide is the leading cause of death among LGBT youth and it is great that Chely is giving them a role model and someone to look up to. Over all great film and congrats again to Chely for making the world a better place. You will probably cry even if you are not a LGBT member. Maybe because you can relate to parental conflict or being true to yourself when society wants you be someone you're not. It's also very real to see the countdown to her coming out. It's the raw Chely and it's powerful to see. Definitely worth the watch and I will watch it again.

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Susan Goulet

This film is so worth seeing. Chely Wright's story is told honestly and openly in a format that remains interesting throughout. The countdown to her coming out allows this documentary to have a sense of drama and urgency. The production values are top notch. I rented it on iTunes, but I'm looking forward to seeing it at the theatre so I can experience not only her singing in a larger venue, but the shared emotions of a large audience. One of the most interesting aspects of this journey is to see how a celebrity goes about coming out. There is a right way to do it so that the celebrity aspect can be used for good and Chely Wright shows how this is done.

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riccitenn

When my partner and I had the opportunity to watch this film last year at Memphis Outflix movie festival, I vaguely knew who Chely Wright is. I have never been a country music fan, but her story certainly intrigued me. Her story of her internal struggle is common among the gay community. But not only did she have to deal with coming out to family and friends, she was in the spotlight of the intensely homophobic world of country music. I found her journey to be often very sad, but in the end extremely inspiring. I even bought her last CD, which compared to her earlier work seems so much more heartfelt and personal. So, even if you're not a country music aficionado or not sure who she is....this story is well worth watching.

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teesaucla

Chely lets the audience into her personal journey of publicly acknowledging that she is a lesbian. It's a story of doubt, anguish, rejection, courage, acceptance, and joy ... a beautiful story that draws you into this emotional coming out story of a celebrity who knows that this decision will exact a price on her singing/professional career. Unknown to Chely during this process is the magnificent affect her courage will have on those hundreds and thousands of youth who will find strength in her story. This is a must see especially if you have a friend or loved one who is part of the LGBT community. For those who have already experienced their own coming out journey, this story will make your heart soar with pride as you watch her story unfold.

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