Flicking through an old book called 'THE WORLDS GREATEST ROCK AND ROLL SCANDALS.' I look for Jerry Lee Lewis or the 'killer' as he was known. Funnily enough he isn't in the book. That is exactly the reason I got this film out. I know nothing about the man. I am always curious about musicians, especially musicians who are supposedly from the 'golden' era of music. What fascinates me about the fifties is the dualism of that time period. You have elderly people who tell you how much better things were back then. How it was as sterile and perfect as the inside of a burger king fast food joint. Then you actually look into the history of that decade and you find...
...lots of nasty stuff. Racism, sexism and communist blacklisting. A period in history where no one could freely express themselves. Where African Americans could still be lynched. Yeah, what a great decade...
I find it funny that even the Beach Boys were really screwed up. Didn't Bryan Wilson have some massive psychological problems? I digress...
Jerry Lee Lewis grows up in the south with his cousin Jimmy. He learns to play the piano and is influenced by the blues and jazz. He later goes on to joins Elvis's record label and soon is on the way to stardom.
The film itself is total bubblegum. It is an attempted celebration of the 'killer' and a musical. It has no depth and does not explore the relationships of Lewis very well at all. However, I did not really mind this because as soon as I saw Dennis Quaid on the cover, I knew...
I knew that this was going to the cinematic equivalent of a double whopper. In fact it is hard to rate Quaids performance because was Lewis actually like that? Maybe the guy was bipolar? Normally, I would say that the performance is way over the top. A caricature, but then I have nothing to go on from the real person. I know absolutely nothing about the subject that the performance is based on.
What is also funny is that Wiona Ryder looks like she has wandered onto the wrong set. She keeps looking like 'what am I doing here?'
Another interesting factor about this film is just how dislikable the 'killer' actually is. Lewis comes off in this movie as an egotistical, self centered, sometimes cruel, petty, not to clever individual with a severe case of arrested development. It is funny because this is a film that is meant to be flattering. What if the director had not liked him? He could have made Lewis into an absolute monster! Marrying a 13 year old girl who was his second cousin? I thought this was a stereotype of the 'south.' Obviously, I have been proven wrong! He must have given up on trying to be an adult! He was actually surprised this helped to destroy his career? That is pedophilia! How dumb is this guy? In the film he actually states that you have to get them when they are young so they can serve you well. The 50's were hardly the time of female liberation. Myra leaves the house with a doll house as a suitcase. I found this all kind of creepy!
What is even stranger is that Lewis is related to Jimmy Swaggart. The famous televangelist was later caught with a prostitute by a private investigator hired by another televangelist. Marvin Gorman had been looking for revenge for Swaggart exposing him. Swaggart later admitted he was addicted to pornography. The woman he was caught with also stated in a penthouse interview that he wanted her to give consent to him having sex with her 9 year old daughter! This is obviously a really screwed up family! What the hell is going on in the south?
So despite the fact that this is meant to be flattering to all those that are involved. The really strange situations of the film allude to a much darker narrative. I suspect if this was made like a hardcore Chekhov drama that the film could have been extremely dark...
But really just see this film if you like Jerry Lee's music. The movie reminded me of that Buddy Holly musical that tours around now and then. The script and acting don't really matter. They are just window dressing for the actual music.
What I find amazing is that Lewis survived through the sixties and didn't join N.A.M.B.L.A! This is a strange movie! I'll give it 5 out of 10.
...lots of nasty stuff. Racism, sexism and communist blacklisting. A period in history where no one could freely express themselves. Where African Americans could still be lynched. Yeah, what a great decade...
I find it funny that even the Beach Boys were really screwed up. Didn't Bryan Wilson have some massive psychological problems? I digress...
Jerry Lee Lewis grows up in the south with his cousin Jimmy. He learns to play the piano and is influenced by the blues and jazz. He later goes on to joins Elvis's record label and soon is on the way to stardom.
The film itself is total bubblegum. It is an attempted celebration of the 'killer' and a musical. It has no depth and does not explore the relationships of Lewis very well at all. However, I did not really mind this because as soon as I saw Dennis Quaid on the cover, I knew...
I knew that this was going to the cinematic equivalent of a double whopper. In fact it is hard to rate Quaids performance because was Lewis actually like that? Maybe the guy was bipolar? Normally, I would say that the performance is way over the top. A caricature, but then I have nothing to go on from the real person. I know absolutely nothing about the subject that the performance is based on.
What is also funny is that Wiona Ryder looks like she has wandered onto the wrong set. She keeps looking like 'what am I doing here?'
Another interesting factor about this film is just how dislikable the 'killer' actually is. Lewis comes off in this movie as an egotistical, self centered, sometimes cruel, petty, not to clever individual with a severe case of arrested development. It is funny because this is a film that is meant to be flattering. What if the director had not liked him? He could have made Lewis into an absolute monster! Marrying a 13 year old girl who was his second cousin? I thought this was a stereotype of the 'south.' Obviously, I have been proven wrong! He must have given up on trying to be an adult! He was actually surprised this helped to destroy his career? That is pedophilia! How dumb is this guy? In the film he actually states that you have to get them when they are young so they can serve you well. The 50's were hardly the time of female liberation. Myra leaves the house with a doll house as a suitcase. I found this all kind of creepy!
What is even stranger is that Lewis is related to Jimmy Swaggart. The famous televangelist was later caught with a prostitute by a private investigator hired by another televangelist. Marvin Gorman had been looking for revenge for Swaggart exposing him. Swaggart later admitted he was addicted to pornography. The woman he was caught with also stated in a penthouse interview that he wanted her to give consent to him having sex with her 9 year old daughter! This is obviously a really screwed up family! What the hell is going on in the south?
So despite the fact that this is meant to be flattering to all those that are involved. The really strange situations of the film allude to a much darker narrative. I suspect if this was made like a hardcore Chekhov drama that the film could have been extremely dark...
But really just see this film if you like Jerry Lee's music. The movie reminded me of that Buddy Holly musical that tours around now and then. The script and acting don't really matter. They are just window dressing for the actual music.
What I find amazing is that Lewis survived through the sixties and didn't join N.A.M.B.L.A! This is a strange movie! I'll give it 5 out of 10.