S Poddar
In this deeply personal new documentary, Sir Elton John bares all to the realities of aging and what he thinks about mortality. The legendary singer is now 77 years old and acknowledges that his age happens to worry his two very young sons, Zachary who is 13 years old and Elijah 11 years old, whom he shares with his husband David Furnish.
Elton John: Never Too Late, a film, will premiere at the London Film Festival (LFF), special screening at the Royal Festival Hall, directed by American filmmaker RJ Cutler and David Furnish, offering an intimate look at John’s extraordinary life and career from never-before-seen footage to heartfelt moments with key figures in his journey, Bernie Taupin, Dua Lipa, the late John Lennon.
In the film, Elton ponders over his life and leaving behind. “I wonder what will happen to all of this when I finish?” he says in a voiceover. “This is the latter time of my life. I don’t know how much time I have left. And you think about that more when you get to my age. You think about life and death. You think: Well, I just want to be where I want to be now.”
Having retired from touring following the end of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour last year, it is not until now that Elton has been able to come up with a better vision for his future and what he cares about most. While he plans on continuing working on ventures such as producing records and radio shows, demanding extensive travel requirements have now become quite exhausting. “It is very tiring. I am used to it and I am a veteran at it. but this is where you start to think about mortality.”
Elton’s children would naturally be worried about him. He has made several declarations of aging and various problems he has faced, such as knee and hip replacements, prostate cancer, and recently declared he can only see out of one eye due to a serious infection. As he appears in the documentary, he speaks to how his sons are “conscious” of his age: “They worry about my mortality because they know how old I am. Not so much David, but me—they love their Daddy, so they want me to be around forever.”
As to Elton, he himself confesses he would want himself to be with them for the longest time possible. “I would love to be around forever. I want to see them have children and get married, but I don’t think I am going to be around for that. Who knows? You never know. So that’s why I want to make the best of my time while I am around. Time together is so wonderful and so precious.”
For instance, the movie also focuses on Elton’s historic last show in North America, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles-an iconic place where, nearly half a century ago, he had sold out two shows. Elton juxtaposes these two things and points to how much his life has improved since then. “I go offstage for the final time in America, and Dodger Stadium again, where I have the most wonderful life. No sadness, just happiness: family, children, husband, friends, sobriety. It was a hell of a difference.”
In retrospect Elton reflects on the chaos that defined the early part of his career, and indeed how ill-equipped he was to handle the massive success he was enjoying. “I wasn’t prepared for the success I had. I loved it, but the back end of it, or the bad side of it, was that all I had was music, and there was nothing else—no foundation whatsoever.” He praises the filmmakers for capturing this contrast between his past and present, saying, “They captured it brilliantly, and I really didn’t have much to do with it. I let them get on with it.”
As if all of the other super hits were not enough, Elton John: Never Too Late also encompasses some of the high points in his long career-from collaborations with Bernie Taupin to coming back in force into the limelight by starring in the 2019 biopic Rocketman, it can be said that Elton’s legacy is unmistakable. The film Rocketman, which starred Taron Egerton, was about Elton’s early life and rise to stardom in record-breaking performances, for which he won his second Oscar for Best Original Song.
In the last decade or so, Elton has been feted not only for his artistic contribution to music but also within the realms of art and culture. In 2021, he was appointed a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour, and this has come from recognition of his services to music and charity.
While the future may be uncertain, one thing is clear: Elton John’s been living life to the fullest by spending every moment he could on and off the screen with his family and ensuring that his spectacular legacy will live on.
Elton John: Never Too Late premieres December 13, only on Disney+.
