Betty White, nicknamed “national treasure”, shook the country with her passing on the final day of 2021, at 99 years young. In December 2021, producers Steve Boettcher and Mike Trinklein announced a documentary to celebrate White’s 100th birthday. Due to her passing, it celebrates White and intends to put more of a focus on her life.

Released on her birthday of January 17, 2022, “Betty White: a celebration”, pays homage to the late actress in a documentary-style film. The film talks about her life and career from one of her earliest sitcoms “Living with Elizabeth” to her last appearance, a special message recorded for her fans ten days before her death.

 The film uses scenes and clips from the 2018 documentary “Betty White: First Lady of Television” and shows much of what the 2018 film covered. It explores the content and topics talked about in the previous documentary but adds more modern parts that stand out by acknowledging White in her final days and showing tribute to the actress.

The film looks at her classic moments on “The Golden Girls”, “Saturday Night Live”, and other TV shows and movies she was featured in throughout her career. The movie shows White in different settings when hanging out with friends or spending time at home. It shows why she stood as a beloved figure through unforgettable moments.

Featuring interviews from friends and colleagues such as Ryan Renolds, Carol Burnett, Valerie Bettinelli, and others, the celebration narrates and guides viewers through White’s life while also sharing favorite memories with her. White answered questions alongside them describing how she lived her life since her first acting job in the “Carol Burnett Show” in 1975. The movie ends with a heartwarming message from White speaking from the heart straight to the fans.

“Betty lived a great life, and she lived a life that she chose. She was happy. Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever. We became really good friends and we always laughed no matter what we did. She was always positive and she always saw the bright side. She promised me she would live to 100, and she almost did,” White’s agent Jeff Witjas said.

The documentary sparked a movement in social media called “the Betty White Challenge”. Fans celebrate her legacy by donating to an animal shelter of their choice after the documentary shows how much White cared for animals.

Every generation had reason to raise White to the status of a national treasure as her career never lost traction. “Betty White: a Celebration” not only serves as a documentary about her life but also as a way to understand what mattered most to her while allowing America to say goodbye.