By John Corrado
The 2026 Hot Docs Film Festival runs from April 23rd to May 3rd in Toronto
Kenny Loggins is the latest musical artist to get a career retrospective in the form of a documentary. Directed by Dori Berinstein, Kenny Loggins: Conviction of the Heart is a portrait of the musician, who scored massive hits in the 1980s on the Footloose and Top Gun soundtracks with the iconic songs “Footloose” and “Danger Zone.”
The documentary takes us through Loggins’ career, from getting his start performing with Jim Messina as one half of the duo Loggins and Messina, before becoming a solo act. We see how he has balanced crafting massive pop anthems with his more esoteric songwriter mode, including songs like “House at Pooh Corner” and his more spiritual, environmentally-themed “Conviction of the Heart,” which gives the film its title.
The other big theme here is how Loggins has balanced a career on the road with his personal life, then and now. Berinstein follows Loggins as he collaborates with songwriter Richard Marx, and prepares for his final concert tour. But it’s the intimate access that the filmmaker gains to his family and adult children, who open up about what it was like growing up with their dad in the spotlight, where Conviction of the Heart really shines and is at its most emotional.
Loggins opens up about his divorces and the healing journey he has gone on, including accepting the transition of his youngest child, which he talks about in a refreshingly honest way. It lends an emotional weight to this polished music documentary that is quite poignant to watch.
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