A few weeks ago Alanis Morissette expressed her opinion about her documentary, Jagged, released on September 13th, 2021. Jagged follows Alanis’s life from the beginning of her career in her early 20s leading up to the release of her album, “Jagged Little Pill” in 1995. Alanis spoke up claiming that she is unhappy with the finished product of the film and will not support it, as said in HBO. She also mentioned that she, “agreed to participate in director Alison Klayman’s documentary under the guise that it would celebrate her iconic album release 25 years later. But in a statement issued by her publicist, Morissette said she was interviewed ‘during a very vulnerable time’ in the midst of her ‘third postpartum depression during lockdown.” This vulnerable time in Morissette’s life was something very personal, and not meant to be twisted in ways that did not show the truth. Morissette feels betrayed and is angry at Klayman for her “salacious agenda.” Now, Morissette feels, “the full impact of having trusted someone who did not warrant being trusted, not unlike many ‘stories’ and unauthorized biographies out there over the years, this one includes implications and facts that are simply not true. While there is beauty and some elements of accuracy in this/my story to be sure— I ultimately won’t be supporting someone else’s reductive take on a story much too nuanced for them to ever grasp or tell.” The lack of authenticity that this documentary has is concerning to Alanis, which is why she is explicitly expressing her disappointment to the world.
Jagged goes into depth about Morissette’s experiences surrounding sexual abuse and mental health. Alanis felt liberated by talking about these experiences, as the filmmakers felt she could open up. One of the experiences that Alanis never discussed in-depth to the public, is her experiences with sexual assault. Alanis is a victim of sexual assault, taking place as young as 15. Morissette’s comments in the film, “mark a new moment of frankness. The star has tended to speak in striking but impersonal terms about the issue of sexual misconduct. She told the Sunday Times last year, for instance, that “Almost every woman in the music industry has been assaulted, harassed, raped. It’s ubiquitous — more in music, even than film” as highlighted in The Washington Post. Not having the authenticity displayed during this time of hardship in her life felt demeaning to Morissette. Klayman saw the movie as a success, on the other hand, and claimed, “It was a privilege to make this film and I’m really proud of it,” she said. “Hopefully there will be other opportunities in the future for her to come to film events.” Klayman sees this film as creating a ripple effect provoking other stars to speak up about injustices they’ve also experienced in the entertainment industry. Morissette’s comments regarding this film may reverse or enhance this ripple effect, but her story speaks volumes to the rest of the world, highlighting her courageousness for speaking up.