Two decades after the premiere that transformed children’s television, Miley Cyrus pays an emotional tribute to Hannah Montana in a documentary that embraces her Disney origins and seals a reconciliation with the alter ego that catapulted her to fame.
The pop superstar special, which lands this Tuesday on the Disney+ platform, opens the doors to an encounter with the ‘Hannah Montana’ phenomenon loaded with nostalgia for the generation that grew up under the sparkle of the blonde wig and the double life of a teenager torn between school anonymity and massive stardom.
“It was the effort, the loyalty, the support of the fans that made my life beyond show business possible, and for that I am so grateful to each and every one of you,” the American singer said at an event held last night in Los Angeles to mark the unveiling of the documentary.
In this one-hour special, Cyrus travels through the Disney archives to return to the iconic Stewart family home in Malibu, USA. The original set is transformed into an intimate room where, along with communicator Alex Cooper, the artist reviews the milestones of the series.
The documentary features a key appearance by his mother, Tish Cyrus, with whom he reflects on the impact of early fame as they reminisce about details of the character’s futuristic wardrobe.
The family reunion is completed with Billy Ray Cyrus, her progenitor both in reality and in fiction, in charge of breaking down anecdotes from the filming and the process of preparing together for the original auditions of the series.
The special adds testimonials from guest voices such as Selena Gomez, who retakes her link with the franchise after playing Mikayla, Hannah’s main musical competitor in the fiction.
Likewise, the artist Chappell Roan analyzes the figure of the protagonist as a reference of authenticity and determining influence in the new pop scene.
He also recaptures the essence of his alter ego with new renditions of ‘This Is the Life’, the first song he sings in the series; the ballad ‘The Climb’ and the iconic opening theme ‘The Best of Both Worlds’.
Miley says goodbye to the set in the same way she did in 2011: stopping in front of the glass of the Stewart’s house and looking lost in a gesture of sadness. If that original goodbye was marked by weariness towards a character that suffocated her, this time the gesture is born of a reconciliation after years of distance and rejection of her own legacy.
The closing is accompanied by a song dedicated to her younger self with a statement in which she warns: “Hannah Montana made me a star, but my fans gave me this life,” she says gratefully, reported Agencia EFE.
