Siren: The Voices of Shelley Beattie is a new documentary on HBO Max, and it is worth your time. The film, directed by Peabody Award-winner Irene Taylor, uses archival footage, animation, and personal journal entries to tell the story of Shelley Beattie, the late deaf bodybuilder who appeared on American Gladiators. Marlee Matlin, an Academy Award-winning actress and advocate, narrates and lends her own story to the project.
The documentary covers Beattie’s life from her troubled youth in rural Oregon through her career as a bodybuilder and her time on American Gladiators. She died in 2008 at the age of 40. The film draws together memories from her three younger siblings, her parents, former lovers, and friends at Western Oregon University, weaving them with old footage and artwork.
The Life of Shelley Beattie
Beattie’s family saw her as a fierce idol. Her parents found her incomprehensible at times. Her friends at Western Oregon University described her as a tenacious, dedicated spitfire who embraced bodybuilding, dance, and mastering American Sign Language. Her former lovers noted her sensitive spirit, struggles with self-destructive behavior, and her desire to feel understood.
Bodybuilding competitors and journalists remarked on her inherent potential, her fluid posing routines, and her unshakable focus. The film also notes that Beattie was labeled both a victim and a perpetrator of sexual assault. To those closest to her, she was the beloved, fearless “Siren” on American Gladiators and a trailblazer to the deaf community, but they also saw the pain and sickness behind the muscles she wore like armor.
The Directors and the Approach
Irene Taylor is the director. She is a Peabody Award-winner who has made other documentaries about deafness, resilience, and personal challenges, including Hear and Now, Moonlight Sonata: Deafness in Three Movements, and I Am: Celine Dion. Marlee Matlin narrates the film. She is an Academy Award-winner and advocate who brings her own story of navigating deafness in an often isolating hearing world into the narrative.
The film handles difficult subjects with compassion and care. It patches together a picture of Beattie by weaving the memories, emotions, and thoughts of those who knew her best with old reflections, artwork, and videos from Beattie herself. Matlin’s narration ties her own experiences into Beattie’s, culminating in a final crossover that is both satisfying and heart-wrenching.
A Move to Tears
Maddy Casale, the Chicago-based writer and comedian who covered the film, says she came in knowing nothing about Beattie and left moved to tears by her story. The documentary pulls viewers in from the start with a respectful and tenderly crafted presentation of an exceptional yet complicated woman.
Some moments may leave you wondering what else occurred or wishing you could hear additional perspectives. The film ultimately reminds viewers to reach across barriers of things that mystify, elude, or confound us in the pursuit of greater connection and comprehension.
The Final Word
Siren: The Voices of Shelley Beattie is a compassionate, detailed look at a complicated life. It handles difficult subjects with care, and it paints a vivid picture of a woman whose story deserves to be told. The film is available to stream on HBO Max.
KEY FACTS BOX
– Title: Siren: The Voices of Shelley Beattie
– Platform: HBO Max
– Director: Irene Taylor (Peabody Award-winner)
– Narrator: Marlee Matlin (Academy Award-winner)
– Subject died: Shelley Beattie, 2008, aged 40
– Topics covered: Deafness, resilience, mental health, bodybuilding, American Gladiators
Casale’s verdict: STREAM IT.
See the video the story is built around at Decider.
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