Last night, as I’m sure everyone on planet Earth is well aware, MTV aired an intimate documentary titled Britney Spears: For The Record that featured the young popstar openly discussing the hellacious year she suffered in 2007, leading up to her mental breakdown in January of 2008, as well as the aftermath and her recent attempts to get her life back in order. Filmed by the documentary filmmakers who made the heady Academy Award-winning doc Fog Of War, For The Record is an intense look at Britney Spears’s life from her perspective, in her own words. Here are a few screencaps from last night’s airing:

Britney Spears’ life has been filled with speculation and scrutiny over the last few years. In “For the Record,” a documentary that aired on MTV on Sunday night, the pop singer finally opened up about her life in the spotlight. “I have good days and I have bad days,” she said in the special. “Sometimes it’s too much. No subject was off limits, and Spears talked about being a mom, her public breakdown and her breakups with Justin Timberlake and Kevin Federline. “For the Record” also gave an all-access pass to her return to the pop scene as she worked on promotion for her album Circus, which included video shoots for “Womanizer” and the title track. Explaining her breakdown, Spears said that she had let the wrong people into her life. “[It was] a really bad time in my life. … I’m not gonna sugarcoat it and say I was OK,” she admitted. “Maybe I had traumatic stress. I just remember I did not want to be at home. When I was in my car, I was driving and I was going somewhere.” Despite the hard times, the singer said she tries not to let them get her down. “Normal is different for everybody,” she said, later adding, “It could be a lot worse. There are people out there who have it a lot worse than I do.” She also admitted that even though her life seems hectic, what with constantly being surrounded by assistants, handlers and the paparazzi, “I choose to be a happy person. If I have a bad day, I get angry with myself.” Britney’s dad, Jamie Spears, and her longtime manager, Larry Rudolph, were also featured in the documentary, as well the pop singer’s mentor, Madonna. “I admire her as an artist,” the Material Girl said, adding that she sees a lot of herself in the young singer. But Spears isn’t just a pop star, she’s also a mother to her two sons. And they are the people in her life that help her hold onto her faith. “I see my babies and say … you have to believe in God,” she said. “How can these two babies be here without there being a God?” At the end of the documentary, she said she hoped that people would understand that she’s just like anybody else. “I love what I do. I love my babies,” she said. “And I work really hard.” She added, “It’s weird. You can see the cruelest part of the world and then on the other side you see the most beautiful. … But they’re worth it. … I’ve been to both places.” In order to stay on that beautiful side, Spears said she’s avoiding the people and things that hurt her: “Now I try to avoid situations from the past that may threaten me. … I go through life like a Karate Kid.”

Many folks have commented that Britney looked sad thruout the documentary … to me, she appeared guarded and very reserved. I imagine that she is not used to baring her soul in such an open fashion. Despite her immense fame, she has never been afforded the opportunity to talk so openly about her life — the good and the bad — on such a grand scale. While there may have been tinges of sadness in the piece, I think the overwhelming tone was a guarded one (think of an injured bird that has had both of its wings broken and, in the course of the healing process, has to trust an outstretched hand that she is being helped and won’t be hurt again). I was very impressed with how much Britney opened up to the cameras … I found it wholly fascinating to see what her life is like on the inside. I must admit, it doesn’t look fun. But it appears to be all she’s ever known … she even talked a bit about how she isn’t complaining about how her life turned out, she’s just trying to deal with the realities as she deals with very strong personal issues at the same time. It’s a great sight to see her surrounded by her close friends and family members (Jamie Spears, Brett Miller, Larry Rudolph) — it’s a far cry from the days when she was running around with that lecherous trash that almost led her to her destruction last year (Lutfi, Sims, Ghalib). I’m sure some people will complain that there were many things she did not discuss in the doc but, for me, I was impressed that she even agreed to talk about her life at all. This doc totally feels like a Larry Rudolph idea. It is not meant for Britney’s very loyal fans … she will always have those people. This doc was made for the haters, detractors, critics and all around a-holes who take pleasure in ripping the poor girl apart. It’s basically a stripped down look at her as a real person … good or bad, this is who she is. Will it silence her critics? I doubt it. Will it change a few minds? I think so … but in the end, I suspect the act of being so open, so publicly is an integral component of Britney’s rehabilitation (if you will). She fell so far and has to recoup so much that, I think, she needed to (on some level) start over from scratch — baring so much on world-wide television prolly seemed like a good place to start. Again, I was very impressed with this film (and very surprised that Madonna agreed to sit down to be interviewed — that was a very well-kept secret). I just hope that her life continues to level off and that she is better equipped to handle the stresses that come along with being Britney Spears. I believe she can do it.

Britney Spears: For The Record will premiere in the UK on SKY1 tonight and will reair here in the US on MTV today, tomorrow and Wednesday (at least). I’m not sure if the film will be viewable online (at this point, it is not) but if it does become available, I’ll be sure to pass along the info.

UPDATE: Here is Part 1 of the doc:

Don’t forget that MTV will be airing Britney Spears: For The Record on their network tonight at 10PM with a 1-hour countdown special leading into the documentary’s airing and a 1-hour wrap-up special following:

At long last, we will finally be able to see and hear from Britney Spears in her own words, from her own perspective after months and months of watching her life from the outside. Tonight’s documentary is an absolute MUST-SEE for all Britney Spears fans and, I suspect, a great many critics and detractors will be tuning in as well. Folks in the UK will be able to watch the documentary when it airs on SKY1 tomorrow night but the doc world premieres on MTV here in the US tonight. It shant be long now, y’all. Make sure you leave your comments about the program after it airs right here on the blog. I’m anxious to see the documentary myself but I’m equally anxious to hear what y’all think of it yourselves.

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Yahoo! TV has posted a new, extended trailer for the upcoming MTV documentary Britney Spears: For The Record which offers a few extra scenes have have not yet been seen in the previous video trailers that we’ve been privy to up until this point. Yahoo! also posted a fairly extensive report on the doc itself, giving fans a pretty good feel for what’s in store when they tune in on November 30:

Two days before her latest album “Circus” drops, Britney Spears’ biggest fans and toughest critics will get a behind-the-scenes look into the life of the mega-star as she mounts what can only be described as a comeback of epic proportions. In the “Britney: For the Record,” an exclusive 90-minute documentary airing Sunday on MTV, the creators (a production house called @radical.media, known, quite interestingly, for heady historical works like the Oscar-winning documentary “The Fog of War”) were given unprecedented access to Britney for three months to document her day-to-day life. The film is beign billed as Britney’s opportunity to tell her side of her story in her own words. The filmmakers claim no topic was off-limits, so viewers will get a rare glimpse at what has actually been happening in the “Overprotected” pop princess’ life for the last several years and first-hand scoop about her aspirations for the future. Thing is, this television event sounds suspiciously similar to a few of the pop tart’s previous biographical projects, all of which depicted the superstar in the worst possible light. Can “Britney: For the Record” really set the record straight? Needless to say, we’re beyond skeptical. Previous attempts to show the world the real Brit leave us wondering whether or not this documentary truly marks her comeback. (Plus, wasn’t her “Blackout” album billed as a comeback in 2007?) Back in the summer of 2005, the now defunct UPN network aired the reality series “Britney & Kevin: Chaotic,” that chronicled the unlikely couple’s courtship and engagement leading up to their wedding. The show included personal video footage shot by Britney and K-Fed while on tour in Europe and as they lounged around “preparing” for their nuptials. The show was hard to watch as Kevin often struggled to put coherent sentences together and Britney was rambling about their sex life, going as far as to share the number of times they got busy during yet another lazy day. Coming out of “Chaotic,” Britney’s so-called “real-life” was nothing short of a narcissistic celebrity already bored with her fame. The following year brought a rapid sequence of negative publicity: Tabloids reported that Britney’s marriage was on the rocks and that she was a bad mother, she was caught speeding down LA’s Pacific Coast Highway with her son Sean Preston on her lap, and then she nearly dropped her baby in New York while holding the tot in one hand and a cocktail in the other. At the end of the PR nightmare, Britney was desperate for some damage control and sat down for a candid chat with “Today” show host Matt Lauer on “Dateline.” Despite her tears and her plea for the paparazzi to leave her alone, viewers were stunned and abhorred by her ragged and dishevelled physical appearance, which did nothing to improve her image. She chomped on gum throughout the entire interview, her makeup looked pitiful at best, her denim skirt was too short, her top was too low, and her hair looked over-bleached and in need of a good brushing. She was seeking the public’s empathy via one key message: She was just like any other ordinary woman. Unfortunately, all people felt for Britney after the interview was pity. Britney delivered her latest public debacle at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, where she butchered the opening routine. Her performance was lackluster and the entire presentation was atrocious, prompting fans to long for her heyday, when fabulous VMA numbers were second nature. It seems every time Britney tries to explain herself, she only makes things worse, so can you blame us for having our reservations about the special? Trust us, we’re not exactly Ms. Spears’ biggest fans, and we were certainly prepared to poke fun at what we thought would be another catastrophe courtesy of the former Mouseketeer, but when MTV and Britney’s longtime manager Larry Rudolph screened 30 minutes of footage from the documentary for the press Thursday night in Santa Monica, our eyes were glued to the screen in fascination as the jaded star finally admits that her rise from country girl to international celebrity came with a painful price tag she could have never imagined. As if to start with a clean slate and to mark the beginning of her latest comeback, the first day of filming for the documentary happened to coincide with the night Britney took home her first three VMA awards at the September 7th show. Before arriving at the VMAs, her father Jamie Spears (who has taken over management of her affairs following the infamous head-shaving fiasco of ‘07 and has since helped get his daughter’s life back on track) cooked her Velveeta cheese grits, every Southern girl’s favorite breakfast. We also get to tag along as Brit and her entourage (Rudolph, another manager, her father, her personal assistant, bodyguards, and various folks ranging from make-up artists to hair stylists) into the recording studio… to her favorite boutique… to dinner with friends… to a Broadway show in Manhattan… to her mansion in Malibu… and everywhere in between … Filled with candid interviews, laughter, and tears, this intimate (and oftentimes hilarious) backstage pass should indeed provide unrestricted access to the world’s most-gossiped-about girl and clearly solidifies her status as the pop culture icon of her generation. We were captivated with a mere sneak peek, so we’ll definitely be tuning in to see the rest of the documentary, which we’re betting will end up as one of the year’s top television moments.

This doc is not to be missed, period. Fans, haters, the devoutly loyal, the pesky nay-sayer — they will all be tuning in to watch this film … of that, I have no doubt. It shant be long now … this doc will air on MTV this coming Sunday — I can’t wait. After the jump, check out the extended trailer in full … (more…)

Britney Spears is featured in the new issue of OK! magazine in a new interview where she opens up about a various range of topics from her childhood, to her feelings on being a role model to … soccer and David Beckham. Here is a scan from this issue of OK! (courtesy of BreatheHeavy.com) and a partial transcription of the interview:

You landed your big break on The Mickey Mouse Club aged 11. Have you ever felt that you lost your childhood?

That I was just able to put a smile on people’s faces. That saw me in a movie and they left the movie theater feeling good, or they saw me dancing and it inspired them.

She sounds great … it’s really amazing having her back to this cognizant point again. I am really loving all this new stuff we’re getting from her directly. It’s a relief hearing her speak for herself again. BritneySpears.com has offered up a few screencaps from her new MTV documentary Britney Spears: For The Record as well as a new video clip where Britney talks, in her own words, about her upcoming new album Circus. After the jump, check out the screencaps from both … (more…)

MTV won’t premiere the new, very candid documentary film titled Britney Spears: For The Record until November 30 but today we are getting our first taste of what sort of information will be presented in that film. Talking very candidly about her recent troubles, Britney gives her perspective on the things that have transpired in her life and the ramifications of her actions. Likening her life to a “jail sentence”, Britney reveals — for the first time, in her own words — the pain that she has been dealing with over the past months and years:

Britney Spears says that since her breakdown, her life has been worse than a jail sentence – but that she’s slowly healing one day at a time. “I have really good days, and then I have bad days,” the singer, 26, admits in a new fly-on-the wall, 90-minute documentary, Britney: For The Record, to air in the U.S. Nov. 30 on MTV and in the U.K. Dec. 1 on Sky1. Struggling to gain control of her life again after her public meltdown earlier this year, she says candidly: “Even when you go to jail, y’know, there’s the time when you’re gonna get out. But in this situation, it’s never ending. It’s just like [the Bill Murray movie] Groundhog Day.” She adds, “I’m having to pay for it for a really long time.” Spears was hospitalized for mental evaluation in January, which resulted in her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, being granted sole custody of their sons, Preston and Jayden. Her father, Jamie Spears, also gained legal control over her affairs. “If I wasn’t under the restraints that I’m under right now, I’d feel so liberated,” she says in the film, which follows the singer as she records and promotes her new album Circus. “When I tell them the way I feel, it’s like they hear me, but they’re really not listening.” A camera crew followed the singer for three months as she moved to pull her life back on track. “I wanted to make this film because I started to feel like I wasn’t being seen in the light that I wanted to be seen in,” Spears said. “This is an opportunity to set the record straight and talk about what I’ve been through and where I’m headed.” Overall, she says, “I think I’ve learned my lesson now, and enough is enough.”

Wow. I can’t even begin to imagine what Britney Spears’s life is like, especially in the wake of her breakdown, but from the outside looking in … I can’t imagine that her life now is worse than it was when she was spiraling down in a tragic mess all last year long. When she was under the control of Sam Lutfi, Alli Sims and Adnan Ghalib she looked hopeless and lost. These days there is a sparkle in her eye and a sense of purpose. I realize that she may think she is still “paying for” her breakdown but, to me, it looked like she was in a deep, deep hole. You can’t just climb out of something like that and expect to be 100% free again. Again, I can’t profess to know what her life is like but I know that I am thankful that her parents stepped in to take control of her life and her affairs after her breakdown. Who knows what her life might be like if she were allowed to continue on her tragic course towards travesty.

Her life is far from tragic these days … with a new album about to drop and plans for a new world tour, she really does have something to keep her active … something to work towards. After the jump, check out a few dance rehearsal photos that have been recently added to BritneySpears.com as well as a photo that was snapped on the set of her new music video Circus … (more…)

MTV has *just* announced that it will produce and air a 90 minute documentary on Britney Spears, tentatively titled Britney Spears: For the Record. This new doc will air on MTV on November 30 and will feature our dear Britney reflecting on her last few years of hardship as well as all the progressive strides she has made in the past few amazing months:

Possibly more than anyone on Earth, Britney Spears’ life is constantly documented by the media, which voraciously reports on the singer’s every step and misstep. But what’s it like to be in her shoes? With her new album, Circus, set for release in just a few weeks, the singer is ready to show the world her side of the story. Britney has joined forces with MTV for a 90-minute documentary about her return to the pop-music spotlight. Tentatively titled “For the Record,” the special is set to air on November 30 at 10 p.m. on MTV, two days before Circus is released on December 2 (the singer’s 27th birthday). “So much has gone on over the last couple of years and there’s a lot that people don’t know about me that I want them to know,” Spears told MTV News in a statement about the special. “I wanted to make this film because I started to feel like I wasn’t being seen in the light that I wanted to be seen in. This is an opportunity to set the record straight and talk about what I’ve been through and where I’m headed.” The documentary combines personal stories with behind-the-scenes footage of her comeback. Cameras follow her to the recording studio, to rehearsals, to press tours, to the video shoot for her latest single, “Womanizer,” and even to her hometown in Louisiana. Backstage footage from her recent triumphant appearance at the Video Music Awards is also featured. Through it all, we hear Britney talking about the hardships that led up to this comeback. “I’ve been through a lot, and there’s a lot people don’t know,” she says in the film. “Sometimes it can get lonely ’cause you don’t open the gate. I’m stuck in this place, and I just cope every day.” Britney also owns up to the mistakes the world has watched her make, and offers some telling insight into how she feels about it all now. “I sit there and I look back,” she says, before asking rhetorically: “I’m a smart person, what the hell was I thinking?”

This sounds pretty freakin’ awesome! Y’all know I can’t wait to see this for myself. After the jump, check out a short preview video of this new documentary … (more…)