I was fortunate to grow up in the sixties and seventies. It
was a time when music changes and a love of music gave you the opportunity to
be exposed to so much of it at the time. Original music was being made and the
hits of the past were celebrated by the new musicians coming up. The Beatles
were playing Buddy Holly tunes. Sun Records was a destination musicians made to
pay respect for giving birth to Elvis Presley. Tunes past and present were
being used in films. All that is mostly gone now, replaced by pre-programmed
performers more inclined to seem like fabricated Vegas stars than actual
musicians. Auto tuned vocals have replaced talented singers. There may yet be
hope but not like there once was.
The seventies and eighties also provided us films that celebrated
the lives of those great rock and roll originals, the giants of the time. Gary
Busey was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal in THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY.
Lou Diamond Phillips brought Richie Valens alive. And Dennis Quaid took a turn
as well in this film as Jerry Lee Lewis.
The movie launches as Jerry and his cousin Jimmy Swaggart
are peering in the window and a local black speakeasy. Jerry is lured in by the
thumping beat of the piano as tunes are beat out of the black and white
keyboard. Fast forward to years later as Jerry (Quaid) has convinced his cousin
J.W. Brown (John Doe) to be in a band and get a recording contract with Sam
Phillips at Sun Records.
They record the records but are told that he won’t draw a
crowd because girls are more interested in guitar players who can move while
playing. A gig at a local redneck bar changes all that when the promoter sees
Jerry Lee seduce an entire crowd by leaping to his feet and kicking away his
bench while playing.
Their next concern is the content of the song he played
which Sam’s brother thinks will be a huge hit. They know the song “Whole Lotta
Shakin’ Goin’ On” is an innuendo for sex but take the risk. The station plays
it, kids flock to buy it and parents condemn the song as immoral. There is no
better form of promotion to a teen than a parent who says this is bad for you.
Lewis scores big, lands his contract and is on the road to success and fame.
While all of this is transpiring another momentous decision
looms. Lewis has been living with Brown and his family and J.W.’s daughter Myra
(Winona Ryder) is smitten with him. The feelings are reciprocated and the two
find themselves in love. The only problem is that Myra is only 13 years old.
Eventually Lewis and Myra drive to Mississippi where they can marry legally.
Needless to say this doesn’t go over well with J.W.
It has more serious repercussions when the word gets out to
the rest of the world. Lewis in about to take on a major tour of the UK where
he is set to rival Elvis as the king of rock and roll. He insists that Myra
accompany him on the trip. When the press gets word that she is his wife and
her age, the outrage expressed is monumental. Lewis becomes a pariah, his tour
is canceled and recovering from this decision will affect him from there
forward.
Most of this is well known to those who are aware of the
story of Jerry Lee Lewis and his ill-fated marriage to second cousin Myra. If
not this is a decent exposure to the story and one that’s an entertaining film
at the same time. But while entertaining it is a bit more of a fluff piece than
a deep digging expose of the story.
The film tends to gloss over the facts and is based on a
relatively short period of time. There is little or no depth to the depictions
on screen. It feels more like a Cliff’s Notes version of the story of Jerry Lee
Lewis. That’s not necessarily a bad thing but it leaves more questions open
than answered.
Quaid’s performance here is interesting if nothing else.
I’ve been a fan of his since his work in BREAKING AWAY. He’s an accomplished
actor and has played more roles and done better than here, as entertaining as
he is to watch. But the choice to give him the bright colored flopping mane of
Lewis along with the most caricature styled facial expressions makes him appear
cartoonish at times. It’s as if director here made the decision that Lewis
would be “on” at all times was the determining factor resulting in a Lewis that
never seems real and seems more non-stop performer. When you compare this
performance with that of the aforementioned Busey and Phillips it seems
unnatural.
The end result does offer an entertaining film that can be
enjoyed though. The music and the musical performances by Quaid lip synching
Lewis who did the vocals and piano playing are electric. Olive Films has
offered this title at an affordable price for a blu-ray and fans will now be
able to have a quality version to add to their collection. But if you decided
to do a tribute night of early rock and roll stars start with this one and end
with Buddy Holly.
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