Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Docu seeks revelations; nudity, abuse, drugs, language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
ANNA NICOLE SMITH: YOU DON'T KNOW ME pieces together the life story of the celebrity model and actress through archive footage, interviews she gave while alive, and interviews with people close to her. One of the main sources is her former best friend and lover, who met her when they were strippers together in Houston. That was when Smith had just left her small town of Mexia, Texas, young son in tow, to try to make it big. From there, she was discovered and put on the cover of Playboy, and her career took off. The film delves into some of the different versions of events she and others -- including family members, employees, and friends -- have about her life, and considers the circumstances surrounding her death.
Is It Any Good?
This documentary feels more sensationalistic than other recent celebrity docs, like Pamela: A Love Story or Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields. That may be because the subject of Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me isn't here to tell her own story, so the film has to rely on the varying stories of the people who knew her. But there's also a sense that director Ursula Macfarlane is digging for something new to reveal about her subject. The editing together of interviews and ominous music suggests an investigation. Whether the revelation is her lesbian lover, lecherous father, enabling handlers, or something else depends on how much you know going in. Frankly, it's probably only going to be those who already know and care a lot about Smith who will be interested enough to sit through this two-hour documentary.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how a documentary like Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me pieces together a full picture of a person's life through footage and interviews with others. Were there voices or perspectives missing in this film, in your opinion?
Some of the interviewees question Smith's own telling of events when she was alive. What effect does this have on the viewer? Who do you believe, and why?
Was Smith a victim? How so or not, and by whom?
According to the film, Smith's painkiller addiction seems to have begun after surgery and only got worse over the course of her adult life. How do people deal with addiction? Do you think the people around her contributed to her problem? Why or why not?
Smith's friend Missy describes the feeling of "empowerment" she and Smith, as women from less-than-privileged backgrounds, felt as strippers. Why?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : May 16, 2023
- Cast : Anna Nicole Smith
- Director : Ursula Macfarlane
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Documentary
- Topics : Friendship , History
- Run time : 117 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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