Liza Minnelli Documentary Director Bruce David Klein on How She Became the ‘It Girl of the 1970s’

When Judy Garland died in London on June 22, 1969, Liza Minnelli reacted with disbelief. “My mother? She’s never going to pass. And I believed it,” Liza recalls. “I started to cry and didn’t stop for about eight days.”

A new documentary, Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story, shares how Liza rebounded from her mother’s untimely death and forged her own path in the entertainment industry.

“For Liza to become Liza, she had to let go of Judy,” the film’s director, Bruce David Klein, explains exclusively to Closer. In addition to interviews with Liza and many of her famous friends — including Ben Vereen, Mia Farrow (a pal since preschool!) and Michael Feinstein — the film also shares never-before-seen footage of the performer.

“It captures how Liza became the It girl of the 1970s and the biggest star in the world,” says Klein about the documentary. The film opens January 24 in New York, January 31 in Los Angeles with a national rollout to follow via Zeitgeist Films in association with Kino Lorber.

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Of course, Liza, 78, inherited talent. Judy’s daughter also got her drive and ambition from her mother and a perfectionist streak from her acclaimed film director father, Vincente Minnelli. “The expectations were so high,” notes Klein. “People were always comparing Liza to her mother. In many ways, that made it harder for her to become her own person.”

At 3, Liza made her big-screen debut in Judy’s 1949 musical In the Good Old Summertime. She aspired to be a dancer as a teen — even though scoliosis, a curvature of the spine, left her self-conscious that one of her legs was shorter than the other. When Liza was a student at New York’s High School of Performing Arts, her mother started bringing her onstage to sing with her.

Liza won her first Tony at age 19 for her lead role in Flora the Red Menace, but Judy’s shadow still loomed large.

“In the 1960s, a lot of Liza’s performances, however brilliant, were more traditional,” explains Klein. “I think after her mother’s death, she was able to spread her wings more. She felt freer.”

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In the documentary, Liza gives credit to the many mentors who came into her life after Judy’s death and helped her reinvent herself. They include Funny Face star Kay Thompson, who became a surrogate mother. French crooner Charles Aznavour helped Liza develop her singing style. Bob Fosse directed her to an Oscar in Cabaret, while designer Halston made Liza a fashion trendsetter. “What I was really good at is picking the people to be around,” says Liza. “I had a really good eye.”

Her willingness to share credit came as a surprise to Klein. “This really wasn’t just some BS,” he confides. “She really believes that these mentors ‘invented’ her and helped her find her voice.”

Klein’s film points out that despite her lifelong fame and many accomplishments, this EGOT winner remains as warm, openhearted and genuine as ever. At the end of one long day of filming, Liza requested a favor of the director. “She took my hand, petted it and looked up at me with those eyes and said, ‘Bruce, please, don’t put anything phony in the movie,’” recalls Klein, who was utterly charmed. “You get the feeling when she meets you, that she wants you to be her friend very badly. She wants you to love her.”

More to Come From Liza Minnelli

Liza’s strong friendships not only helped her create her legend, they have also sustained her through troubled times. To her eternal sorrow, the four-time divorced star was unable to have children. She’s also suffered addiction, a bad back and several health crises.

“She definitely has mobility issues,” a friend confides of Liza’s health today. “She’s had hips and knees replaced, she suffered from a hiatal hernia, a rare autoimmune disorder, a spinal cord injury — you name it, she’s gone through it. Physically speaking, she has her good days and her bad days, but her brain is just fine.”

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In fact, Liza likes to joke about it. “I have one piece of advice: Take care of your body ’cause you might live longer than you expect to,” she says with a laugh. “I just keep replacing parts and moving forward. You just deal with it and be happy.”

She still frequently hosts friends at her home in West Hollywood, where giant portraits of herself and her famous parents welcome guests. “Liza is one of the most positive people I have ever met in my life,” Klein says. “Any challenges she’s gotten through made her stronger. She has an incredibly positive view of herself, her friends, her life.”

She also has a number of new projects in the works. Liza’s recording with her close friend Michael Feinstein and working with the jeweler Tiffany & Co. on a collaboration. She has also announced that her memoir will be published in 2026. “I think that she is at her best and happiest when she is working,” Klein says.

Liza agrees. “I love performing,” she said last summer. “I still take dance lessons, and when I sing to people in the theater, I’m not giving a performance — I’m sharing my love with each individual person. I’m asking, ‘This is how I feel. How ’bout you?’ My work is real.”