"What if life's like a LEGO set and you can put them together any way you want?"
If your head hasn't already melted with pre-Christmas requests for that toy of choice, well, it will be after watching Piece by Piece.
That said, this biopic of music trailblazer Pharrell Williams (My Life in LEGO, if you will) has something for all the family - sweet, inspiring, and with a block-rocking soundtrack to boot.
Directed by Morgan Neville, the maker of the Oscar-winning 20 Feet from Stardom, it charts how a kid who saw (and heard) the world differently ended up becoming the Sonic Wonka of all those hits.
As a raps-to-riches movie, it doesn't have the rise and fall we've come to expect from documentaries and life stories, but what Piece by Piece lacks in drama it makes up for in its gorgeous visual representation of lessons learned and wisdom gained - with a reminder for parents watching that academic success isn't the only way for the next generation to find their place in the world. And yes, it's more than likely that Williams's anthem Happy will get an airing on the way home.
"I do not know where life is going to lead me, but I'm just going to go for it," he tells the viewer by way of a mission statement. Words to live by whatever your age.
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