December 2, 2023
FILM: THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SHERE HITE
DIRECTED BY: NICOLE NEWNHAM
STARRING: DAKOTA JOHNSON, SHERE HITE
RATING: 3 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
There is a melancholy turn near the end of The Disappearance of Shere Hite when more than one interviewee notes that most young people don’t know who Shere Hite is or was. When first seeing the title of the film I honestly didn’t associate the name with the famous book, The Hite Report, which I’d heard about at various points throughout my life. So, perhaps I’m just as guilty of not passing down the story of Hite as the rest of our culture is. But then, as I watched the film, I realized I knew nothing about her. This documentary, which is executive produced and narrated by Dakota Johnson, aims to preserve Hite in our cultural history and, assuming people seek out the film, it will hopefully happen.
The Hite Report was a best-selling book (Newsweek had listed it as the 30th best-seller of all time) which presented a research study Shere Hite conducted about women and their thoughts on men, their own bodies, and sex. During the 1970s, the work opened up discussions among women about vaginas, orgasms, masturbation, and other topics that had not been publicly reflected upon before. Later Hite would write a book focusing on research she conducted with men about many of the same topics. While that book did not sell as well it kept the conversation flowing, although not always in a positive light.
Nichole Newnham’s film explores, with meticulous detail, who Hite was, what the response was to her work, and how she eventually renounced her American citizenship. However, it should be noted here that Newnham spends very little time on this last part. As such, the title of the film is a bit of a misnomer, unless you consider her disappearance as one reflecting people’s current knowledge about Hite and her research. Regardless, this is a very enlightening film exploring Hite’s history as a model, doctoral student, researcher, and media celebrity.
Newnham includes archival interviews with Hite, news reports on her work, and especially her appearances on television with Oprah Winfrey, Maury Povich, and Larry King. There are also interviews with people who knew and worked with her such as publishers and photographers. At one point, even Gene Simmons of KISS is interviewed as he lived in the same building as her in New York City. Because of all of this fine documentation and footage, viewers are given a solid and revealing portrait of Hite and how people perceived her.
There are also plenty of controversies and details explored such as the questionable methodology she used to conduct her research, her image as an eccentric beauty, and her arguments with attacking interviewers and panelists on live television.
This is not only a portrait of Hite but also of America and its shifting values. Occurring at the same time as Hite’s notoriety, Newnham addresses the rise of the moral majority and Anita Bryant who felt threatened by any social progress that was being made in relation to women’s reproductive rights, feminism, and LGBT rights. Hite was a part of all of those struggles, their triumphs and failures.
Ultimately though, the film presents a detailed look at a woman whose work did in fact open up many dialogues about these topics that have kept us talking today, even though many people don’t know who Shere Hite was. Newnham’s film definitely makes a case for why we should know her.
The Disappearance of Shere Hite is currently playing in limited theatrical release.
FILM: THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SHERE HITE
DIRECTED BY: NICOLE NEWNHAM
STARRING: DAKOTA JOHNSON, SHERE HITE
RATING: 3 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
There is a melancholy turn near the end of The Disappearance of Shere Hite when more than one interviewee notes that most young people don’t know who Shere Hite is or was. When first seeing the title of the film I honestly didn’t associate the name with the famous book, The Hite Report, which I’d heard about at various points throughout my life. So, perhaps I’m just as guilty of not passing down the story of Hite as the rest of our culture is. But then, as I watched the film, I realized I knew nothing about her. This documentary, which is executive produced and narrated by Dakota Johnson, aims to preserve Hite in our cultural history and, assuming people seek out the film, it will hopefully happen.
The Hite Report was a best-selling book (Newsweek had listed it as the 30th best-seller of all time) which presented a research study Shere Hite conducted about women and their thoughts on men, their own bodies, and sex. During the 1970s, the work opened up discussions among women about vaginas, orgasms, masturbation, and other topics that had not been publicly reflected upon before. Later Hite would write a book focusing on research she conducted with men about many of the same topics. While that book did not sell as well it kept the conversation flowing, although not always in a positive light.
Nichole Newnham’s film explores, with meticulous detail, who Hite was, what the response was to her work, and how she eventually renounced her American citizenship. However, it should be noted here that Newnham spends very little time on this last part. As such, the title of the film is a bit of a misnomer, unless you consider her disappearance as one reflecting people’s current knowledge about Hite and her research. Regardless, this is a very enlightening film exploring Hite’s history as a model, doctoral student, researcher, and media celebrity.
Newnham includes archival interviews with Hite, news reports on her work, and especially her appearances on television with Oprah Winfrey, Maury Povich, and Larry King. There are also interviews with people who knew and worked with her such as publishers and photographers. At one point, even Gene Simmons of KISS is interviewed as he lived in the same building as her in New York City. Because of all of this fine documentation and footage, viewers are given a solid and revealing portrait of Hite and how people perceived her.
There are also plenty of controversies and details explored such as the questionable methodology she used to conduct her research, her image as an eccentric beauty, and her arguments with attacking interviewers and panelists on live television.
This is not only a portrait of Hite but also of America and its shifting values. Occurring at the same time as Hite’s notoriety, Newnham addresses the rise of the moral majority and Anita Bryant who felt threatened by any social progress that was being made in relation to women’s reproductive rights, feminism, and LGBT rights. Hite was a part of all of those struggles, their triumphs and failures.
Ultimately though, the film presents a detailed look at a woman whose work did in fact open up many dialogues about these topics that have kept us talking today, even though many people don’t know who Shere Hite was. Newnham’s film definitely makes a case for why we should know her.
The Disappearance of Shere Hite is currently playing in limited theatrical release.