I loved the movie. It was one of those movies I could watch again and again. The performance rocked. The actors were great and the story was non-stop fun. However, as a bio-epic, well, the movie just wasn't cricket (as one reviewer from ROLLING STONE described the movie in 1978).
For starters, the Baptist preacher did not make any indirect blasts from the pulpit at Buddy Holly nor were his parents ashamed of their wayward rock and roll rebel boy, as depicted in the movie. In fact, the pastor considered Buddy to be a talented musician and was not as hard core anti-rock and roll as many Baptist preachers tended to be.
Buddy Holly's mother was musically inclined and even contributed her song writing skills to Buddy Holly's music. (She wrote "Buddy's Song" which was featured on the Fletwood Mac album KILN HOUSE).
There were mountains in Lubbock, but no sign of Norman Petty.
While the part where that mad DJ was playing that Buddy Holly record non-stop on a radio station in Buffalo, New York, didn't really happen, that part was based on an event that allegedly did take place in that city.
In 1955, a DJ announced that he would play "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley and his Comets, non-stop if listeners would beep their horns. So teenagers drove down to Lafeyette Square and started beeping their horns. This caused a traffic jam and more drivers stuck in the jam, also started beeping their horns and this publicity stunt caused a traffic jam that extended miles out in every direction until the police and fire department finally got to break down the door to the radio station.
As a bio-epic, the movie falls very short of its mark. But as a rock and roll movie, this movie delivers. It was so much fun to watch that immediately afterwords, I raced over to the record store and bought the soundtrack.
For starters, the Baptist preacher did not make any indirect blasts from the pulpit at Buddy Holly nor were his parents ashamed of their wayward rock and roll rebel boy, as depicted in the movie. In fact, the pastor considered Buddy to be a talented musician and was not as hard core anti-rock and roll as many Baptist preachers tended to be.
Buddy Holly's mother was musically inclined and even contributed her song writing skills to Buddy Holly's music. (She wrote "Buddy's Song" which was featured on the Fletwood Mac album KILN HOUSE).
There were mountains in Lubbock, but no sign of Norman Petty.
While the part where that mad DJ was playing that Buddy Holly record non-stop on a radio station in Buffalo, New York, didn't really happen, that part was based on an event that allegedly did take place in that city.
In 1955, a DJ announced that he would play "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley and his Comets, non-stop if listeners would beep their horns. So teenagers drove down to Lafeyette Square and started beeping their horns. This caused a traffic jam and more drivers stuck in the jam, also started beeping their horns and this publicity stunt caused a traffic jam that extended miles out in every direction until the police and fire department finally got to break down the door to the radio station.
As a bio-epic, the movie falls very short of its mark. But as a rock and roll movie, this movie delivers. It was so much fun to watch that immediately afterwords, I raced over to the record store and bought the soundtrack.