PIECE BY PIECE

*CUT TO THE CHASE*

NOTE: This spoiler was submitted by Jeremy

*The film is a documentary animated in the style of Legos. Everybody involved plays themselves.

The film starts with Pharrell Williams talking to documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville. Pharrell explains that he wants to tell his story in Lego form, as his view of the world is like that of a Lego set, which is building something from another pre-existing material. Neville finds it unconventional but goes along with it.

Pharrell’s story begins in Virginia Beach, where he lived in the Atlantis housing projects with his parents, Pharaoh and Carolyn. He had synesthesia, which made him see colors in music. Pharrell was captivated by artists like Stevie Wonder, which sparked his passion for music. While he struggled in school academically, he befriended Chad Hugo and created music with him, along with future artists like Missy Elliott, Pusha T, and Timbaland (who is Pharrell’s cousin).

Pharrell, Chad, and Shay Haley ended up working together to form The Neptunes (which later became N.E.R.D.). They performed at their school’s talent show for famed record producer Teddy Riley. Impressed, Teddy signed the guys on. Pharrell helped come up with some work for Teddy, like writing his verse on the song “Rump Shaker” for Teddy’s group Wreckx-n-Effect, but working for Teddy meant Pharrell couldn’t work on his own music.

Later on, Pharrell and Chad would work with rapper N.O.R.E. on his hit single “Superthug”, before also working with Pusha T and fellow rapper Malice (with their duo Clipse) and later Mystikal on his song “Shake Ya Ass”. This caught the attention of other major artists like Jay-Z (“I Just Wanna Love U [Give It 2 Me]”), Busta Rhymes, Gwen Stefani (“Hella Good” and “Hollaback Girl”), and Justin Timberlake (“Like I Love You”). Jay-Z describes Pharrell as a “younger brother” that the other artists in the industry wanted to look out for since he was opening doors for a lot of them.

Pharrell and Chad are later called to work with Snoop Dogg, famously known for his gangsta rap image. After a session involving some “PG spray” (Lego substitute for weed), the guys come up with “Drop It Like It’s Hot”. Snoop notes that this was his first number one single, and that he felt Pharrell brought out a fun side of him.

Pharrell eventually tried to become a solo artist, starting with the single “Frontin” that he did with Jay-Z. One record producer notes that this should have propelled Pharrell to solo status. Pharrell persisted with trying to build his brand, expanding from music to other outlets, such as skateboarding or fashion. He created the Billionaire Boys Club brand and Ice Cream footwear. Others note that Pharrell was starting to spread himself too thin, taking away from the spark that usually drove him.

Pharrell’s wife Helen gives an interview discussing how they met. She went to one of his parties and noted that he was surrounded by other women, but he noticed her and went up to her, asking many questions until Helen said she had a boyfriend. Eventually, she broke up with that man and started dating Pharrell, but he was not as ready to settle down as she was. Eventually, Pharrell finally did pop the question, and the rest is history.

While stuck in a creative rut, Pharrell was tasked with writing music for the “Despicable Me” films. He spends time with his family, particularly his infant son, and he becomes inspired to create “Happy”. It becomes a smash hit all across the world, with people in various countries recreating the famous music video. Pharrell’s interview with Oprah where he begins crying is recreated.

Pharrell gets emotional talking to Neville about how his family and his friends have driven his success. However, he also discusses the political state of things, specifically in regards to police brutality against African Americans. Pharrell provided the hook for Kendrick Lamar’s song “Alright” (“Do you hear me? Do you feel me? We gon’ be alright!”), which became a popular phrase among groups like the Black Lives Matter movement.

As Pharrell and Neville come to the film’s conclusion, Pharrell once again shares his outlook on life, and how one can take things and build it up to be something better, much like Legos. Pharrell then concludes with a concert featuring him performing his new song “Piece By Piece”.

There is a disclaimer at the end stating that some events were exaggerated, such as Pharrell never having gone to outer space.

The film is a documentary about the life of multi-hyphenate artist Pharrell Williams, animated in the style of Legos, per his decision. From humble beginnings in Virginia Beach as a kid fascinated with music, he struggled in school but developed a friendship with fellow musician Chad Hugo. The two formed The Neptunes, which kickstarted Pharrell's music career. He would go on to work with artists like Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, Justin Timberlake, Busta Rhymes, and Kendrick Lamar (who all cameo as themselves). Pharell is also married to Helen and has several kids, whom he credits for being part of his inspirations, such as when creating hits like "Happy".