She Survived! Lifetime celebrates the life of disco diva Gloria Gaynor

  • by David-Elijah Nahmod
  • Tuesday February 4, 2025
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Joaquina Kalukango in 'I Will Survive: The Gloria Gaynor Story' (photo: Lifetime)
Joaquina Kalukango in 'I Will Survive: The Gloria Gaynor Story' (photo: Lifetime)

Gloria Gaynor soared to the top of the music charts in 1978 when she released the disco anthem "I Will Survive." The song is a testament to empowerment as the female protagonist discovers that she'll not only survive, but thrive after an initially devastating breakup.

The song went all the way to number one and quickly became a disco standard. "I Will Survive" particularly resonated with gay men who were facing a great deal of societal rejection at the time, and Gaynor became something of a gay icon.

On February 8, cable TV channel Lifetime will celebrate Gaynor's life and legacy with a world premiere double feature. The first is a scripted drama titled "Robin Roberts Presents: I Will Survive: The Gloria Gaynor Story" and the second is a documentary titled "Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive." Though the documentary is the better film of the two, both films are worth seeing in order to get a complete picture of who Gaynor is.

Joaquina Kalukango in 'I Will Survive: The Gloria Gaynor Story' (photo: Lifetime)  

Dramatized
"I Will Survive: The Gloria Gaynor Story" stars Joaquina Kalukango as Gaynor, who does a good job of capturing the singer's spirit. The storyline opens in New Jersey in 1968 with her mother telling the young Gaynor and her sister to "keep God in your life."

Mom dies soon after and the girls are devastated. Gaynor deals with her grief by pouring herself into her work, which at that point is singing with a little-known band titled City Life. They work well together, but when Gaynor lands a recording contract, the band is pushed into the background.

Gaynor scores a major hit with "Never Can Say Goodbye," not her first single but her first to achieve widespread acclaim and popularity. The film follows her life as she injures her back after falling off the stage during a performance. The injury temporarily paralyzes her, requiring her to undergo both surgery and extensive physical therapy in order to regain her mobility.

She also falls in love with a man (Lance Gross) who becomes both her husband and her manager. At first, they have a loving relationship, but things go south when he takes complete control of her life and begins "partying" with other women. He refers to this as "networking."


The marriage ends and Gaynor rediscovers her faith in God, hiring a new manager (Francesca Bianchi) who becomes a close friend. But things take a tragic turn when she is forced to face her sister's brutal murder.

The film recounts these pivotal events in Gaynor's life in a fairly straightforward manner. All of Gaynor's hits are heard on the soundtrack, but the film makes no mention of Gaynor's sizable gay fanbase. But the supporting cast offer memorable performances. Gross is particularly good as he gradually transforms from a sweet, caring spouse to a sleazeball who only cares about the big bucks that Gaynor makes on the concert circuit.

"Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts and Gaynor herself serve as co-executive producers. The film does a good job of recreating the most pivotal moments in Gaynor's life. It's an entertaining film, but for a more complete picture of who the singer is, the documentary is essential viewing.

Gloria Gaynor in the documentary 'Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive' (photo: Lifetime)  

Documentary
"Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive" covers much of the same ground as the drama, the marriage gone sour, the rediscovery of faith, the loss of Gaynor's sister and the fall which caused her decades of back pain. But the documentary also includes many anecdotes from Gaynor's life that were not included in the scripted drama.

Stories that are told in the doc include "I Will Survive" being archived by the Library of Congress, examples of how "I Will Survive" inspired people, and Gaynor's gay fan base. In one sequence Gaynor is at a public event during which two gay men are interviewed. One says that the song empowered him as a gay man and a person of color, while the other says that "I Will Survive" moves him as a person who survived 30 years of living with HIV.


Mainly, the documentary illustrates the challenges that Gaynor faced while trying to record a gospel album in her 70s. It was a project that no record label was interested in, yet Gaynor, over a period of several years, persevered. By the sheer force of her will power, she finishes the album which she calls "Testimony." It was released to rave reviews and won Gaynor her second Grammy.

"Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive" is a superb documentary that covers a lot of ground and keeps the viewer engaged. Gaynor is a decent woman who survived the many challenges in her life with grace and dignity. The documentary ensures that her story is told and preserved for all time.

Robin Roberts Presents: 'I Will Survive: The Gloria Gaynor Story,' premieres February 8, 8pm.

'Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive,' February 8, 10pm (and in select theaters Feb. 13 only); both on Lifetime. www.mylifetime.com
www.gloriagaynoriwillsurvivemovie.com




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