After some 40 years in the music business, Stevie Nicks is still going her own way.

"I don't like being told what to do," Nicks says in the new documentary about the making of "In Your Dreams," her first solo studio album since 2001.

Nicks is definitely presented as a rebel with a cause in the anything but impartial "In Your Dreams -- Stevie Nicks." Every single frame of this film shows the Fleetwood Mac singer in a flattering light, which might be exactly how many of her adoring fans want to see the famed "Gold Dust Woman." What else would you expect from a documentary about Nicks that was codirected and co-executive produced by the star herself?

While the film feels overly sanitized -- coming across like a self-portrait of a very guarded artist -- there are certainly other selling points. It's often interesting to see Nicks at work in the studio and gain some insight to her songwriting. Even better, however, is the chance to see her main collaborator on this album (and the co-director of the film), Dave Stewart, play guitar. "I'm watching greatness here," Nicks remarks after one of Stewarts' glistening leads. On that point, I'm in complete agreement.

"In Your Dreams" screens April 2 at the Embarcadero Center Cinema in S.F. and the Piedmont Theatre in Oakland (www.landmarktheatres.com).

Follow Jim Harrington at http://twitter.com/jimthecritic.