lostabos

Its a shame that this film has been negatively criticized the way it has been. This just demonstrates that some wish to close off their ears and not wish to hear the message behind the film. Its not the acting that should matter but the message itself. Its sad that in a world where there is so much hurting, some people do not wish to turn to prayer. It is perhaps the one thing that we need more than anything else.

This movie should not solely target Christians but more especially it should reach non-Christians. I think that was the main purpose behind making this film. Its terribly sad that the world nowadays no longer wants to turn their eyes to the maker. They just want to turn to things that will not help them spiritually. I know who I am in the eyes of my maker and I will not waste an opportunity criticizing this film. Of course, there may have been one or two things that were not perfect about it but should not mean that we should ignore the underlying message behind it. What the world needs now more than ever is to repent and turn their eyes towards Jesus. I pray that film should not simply be a tool for criticism but it should reach those that are lost and continuing to hurt out there. I wish to reiterate that its not acting that counts but the message itself.

My first introduction to the music of Bill Withers was the song "Lean On Me". I would not exactly say that it was my all time favorite song but the song in itself struck a chord with me. I had no idea who the mastermind behind the song until certain years later. I only first came to know of the name Bill Withers as a result of having become a hardcore soul fan since 2002. It was only through my soul music journey that I decided to buy his 1981 Greatest Hits CD over 10 years ago.I am proud to say that I still have the CD to this very day. It was then that I could perhaps say that I was formally introduced to the singer that sang and wrote songs such as "Ain't No Sunshine", "Lovely Day" and so forth.

Although the documentary may have come out eight years ago, I did not think much about it until recently. I am not certain as to what drove me to watch the documentary yesterday evening but it allowed me to gain a glimpse of who this man really was and how did not give into the system. I would not wish to say that Bill Withers is a pop star in the true sense of the word but he did not put fame above his principles. That is why I believe God has blessed this man with so many years. May God continue to bless him as his nearing 80. There are not many of his caliber that can actually stand up for what they believe in. I wish that the current crop of musicians can learn from this wonderful man.

If there is perhaps one thing that "Still Bill" has taught me is to be true to myself. I do not have to owe anyone any apology to the principles for which I stand. Of course, this is not to say that Mr. Withers was a perfect man in any sense of the term. He also did make mistakes along the way but this should not detract from the fact that the morale behind this 78-minute film is we need to know who we are, where we come from and what we stand for. Mr. Withers exemplified these virtues mentioned here. I specifically recommend it to anyone who may have not heard the name Bill Withers before. It gives you a perspective of the man behind the songs that we often sing in our showers, kitchens, cars, churches or even when we walk alone in the street. It is never a documentary you would simply want to watch once and forget about it. I am actually going to watch it again after this review. There is a lot we can learn from the one of the last living soul legends of the 20th century.