Last week, we not only lost Star Wars Princess Carrie Fisher, but just one day later her mother, Hollywood icon Debbie Reynolds, also passed away. Before their untimely death, HBO was planning to release a new documentary about the mother and daughter bond behind this Tinseltown power duo. Following the events of their passing last week, HBO decided to bump up the premiere date. And today, we have the first trailer for Bright Lights.
Instead of arriving this March, Bright Lights will now premiere on HBO this Saturday, January 7 at 7:00pm. This provocative documentary is an intimate portrait of Hollywood royalty, in all its eccentricity. At 83 years old, grand dame Debbie Reynolds (star of Singing in the Rain) still performs a Las Vegas act, dressed in gold lamé. But performing takes its toll, and Debbie’s health suffers. This devastates her daughter, Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher, whose response is both hilarious and heart-rending. Carrie is helpless in the face of her mother’s determination that “the show must go on.”
Through vintage family films, iconic old-world Hollywood history comes to life. Rich cinema verité also takes us to into the heart of Beverly Hills today, where Carrie and Debbie live together. This is a film about show business, and bittersweet family love.
Carrie Fisher suffered an unexpected heart attack during an international flight from London to Los Angeles last Friday, shortly before the plane landed. The actress was quickly rushed to the UCLA Medical Center where she was said to be in stable condition through the holiday weekend. It was later confirmed by the actress’ daughter, Billie Lourd, that Carrie Fisher passed away on the morning of December 27. Just one day later, on December 28, her mother, Debbie Reynolds, passed away at the age of 84.
Debbie Reynolds suffered a stroke on Wednesday, December 28, with her son Todd Fisher, Carrie Fisher’s brother, revealing that his mother complained about breathing problems before being rushed to the hospital, and that she “wanted to be with Carrie.”
It was announced earlier in the week that mother and daughter will be buried together following a joint funeral. Todd Fisher, son and brother to Debbie and Carrie, confirmed that the pair would be laid to rest at the Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills cemetery, which is also the resting place of such celebrities as Lucille Ball, Dick Van Patten, Liberace, Florence Henderson, David Carradine and Bette Davis. According to The Washington Post, no date for the funeral has been set. The ceremony will be a private affair. A public memorial is being contemplated. But the Reynolds-Fisher family is unsure if they want to do that just yet. No plans for fans who want to remember the two stars has been finalized.
You can take a look at the unique bond between mother and daughter in Bright Lights. The trailer arrives courtesy of HBO. It is very sweet, and serves as a loving tribute for two icons who have left the world, perhaps, a little too soon.