Professional Fangirl- Katelyn Benschoter

Get the limo out front, because Hannah Montana is back and better than ever. On March 24th, Disney+ dropped The Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special. The documentary is meant as a “love letter to the fans”, celebrating one of the most notable aspects of Miley Cyrus’ career. As a former young girl who loved Hannah Motana, it is crazy to think the show is twenty years old. Especially as someone who is the same age as the show, it feels surreal that the show is old enough to be able to have a reunion special. Naturally, when I saw the documentary, my younger self was very excited. I was hopeful that it would be the best of both worlds, just like I remembered.

Creating a Hannah Montana documentary is pure genius, as nostalgia is a great way to gain an audience, especially when it is nostalgia for something like a Disney show. The documentary plays heavily into the nostalgia factor; Cyrus is seen back with the blonde bangs performing some of her old hits, such as “The Best of Both Worlds” and “The Climb.” While the documentary is not in any way a play-by-play of the old Hannah Montana show or movies, it gives the audience Hannah. Additionally, superfan and podcaster Alex Cooper interviews Cyrus throughout the documentary. These questions once again play into the nostalgia factor. The questions Cooper asks feel reminiscent of a slumber party game of truth or dare. These were questions of her on set crushes or her favorite pieces of Hannah’s wardrobe. It was fun to include questions like this, as it felt like a behind-the-scenes look at the show. Superfans of anything love to feel like they are getting insider information, and this is exactly what that felt like. As a fan of the show, the interview was sweet and comforting. To be frank, I am the perfect audience for a documentary like this. I loved Hannah Montana, I still love pop culture, and I love hearing the insider information. That being said, the documentary did not dive too much deeper than these lighthearted questions. 

Another notable aspect of Cryus’s career was her Bangerz era. This album has the songs “Wrecking Ball” and “We Can’t Stop” to help paint a picture. This was notably when Cyrus broke away from her good girl, Disney Channel persona. She was deemed as scandalous and out of control. Fans have commented that they wished Cyrus had touched on what it was like to have her Disney persona used to put her current self down. I agree that it would have been interesting, as that is such a unique experience. Despite hopes, this era of Cyrus’ career was conveniently left out of the documentary. While I think that would have added depth to the story, I understand why this was not a focus.

Shifting back to the positives of the documentary, aside from the behind-the-scenes interviews with Cyrus, the documentary nicely highlighted the positive effect Hannah Montana had on Gen-Zers. Young and uprising popstars were spotlighted discussing the ways in which the character inspired them. These were well-known pop singers like Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, and Olivia Rodrigo. Spotlighting three of the biggest pop singers right now really highlighted the importance of shows like Hannah Montana and representation. Those little girls watched Hannah and knew that they could do it too, and hearing that was my personal favorite part of the documentary.

To conclude, The Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special is not the most jaw-dropping documentary you will ever watch, but it is a fun watch. Does it perhaps draw you in with the nostalgia effect? Well, yes. But if you grew up in the 2000’s and keep up with pop culture, it is a worthwhile watch to put on while studying or relaxing with friends. The world is crazy, and sometimes sitting back, reminiscing with friends is all we need.