Lifetime's new biopic about the final two years in the life of pop superstar Michael Jackson tells a sad and reflective story about a man who may have regretted achieving the extreme heights to which he had risen. Based on a memoir by Bill Whitfield and Javon Beard, who were Jackson's bodyguards for most of those final two years, "Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland" premieres on Lifetime on May 29 at 8 p.m.
As the film begins, we see Jackson (Navi) returning to the United States after his self-imposed exile in Bahrain, where he had gone to escape the harsh lights of the paparazzi following his 2005 acquittal of child molestation charges. Though found not guilty by the courts, the King of Pop was hung in the court of public opinion.
The Jackson who returns to the USA in Lifetime's film is a sad, weary man who has grown to despise the spotlight. He's a single dad, and his three kids love him �" those children are Jackson's only source of joy. The singer had abandoned Neverland Ranch, his beloved private playground where his life unraveled. Now he has but one dream: to perform a final series of concerts that will give him the financial capital he needs to buy a hideaway where he can live in peace with his children and disappear from the public eye.
Much has written about Jackson, both during his lifetime and since his shocking and unexpected passing. Even while acknowledging his incredible talent as a singer and dancer, the press and others have derided the star for his "mental illness" and his "perversions." These statements were made by people who never knew Jackson. With "Michael Jackson: Waiting for Neverland," Lifetime offers a peak inside Jackson's life from two men who were actually there.
So much of the film induces tears. In one particularly memorable scene, Jackson allows youngest child Blanket (Michael Mourra) to play in the park with his bodyguards. Jackson watches jealously from behind a closed window, unable to join Blanket because of the commotion his presence would cause.
Character actress Starletta DuPois shines in her two scenes as Katherine Jackson, the pop icon's mom. Mrs. Jackson reaches out to her son and tries to save him from himself, but it's too late. The damage has been done. Chad L. Coleman and Sam Adegoke also offer fine work as the bodyguards who become Jackson's only real friends as his life draws to a close.
But it's the single-named Navi, a newcomer to acting, who commands the screen. Navi looks and sounds amazingly like Jackson, yet his portrayal never denigrates into caricature. Navi beautifully captures the enormous tragedy of a man who was given a glorious talent that ultimately destroyed him.
It may be time for those who have judged Jackson to rethink their views regarding his life.