Review of Chely Wright: Wish Me Away (2012) by Jim H — 11 May 2013

Chely Wright is the first American country music star to come out as gay.

I'm not a fan of country music, and I had never heard of Chely Wright until I saw this film. What emerges from the film is a portrait of Wright that is inspiring and positive. She seems like a genuine person and a good role model of GLBT youngsters.

However, when she begins working with image coaches and turning her coming out into a media event, I found myself less sympathetic to her struggles. I understand her counter-argument -- that coordinating a media spectacle allows her to do the most good for others in her situation -- but I nevertheless wasn't pleased that what I was seeing was such a carefully designed product.

Overall, I found the film well-made, and by the end I liked Wright, but that's about all the film asked of me.