How would you react realizing the songs the band was singing was his sons? Considering what he did and all I go both ways, how it could be right and wrong, just wondering other inputs, and the last song/ scene of the movie was just remarkbly touching great movie.
shareBefore the big reveal at Josh's grave I had no issue whatsoever with Sam playing his songs. I had a slight problem with him outright lying to the band about it (by saying the songs "just come to him") but I paasd that off as him not wanting to bring up his son (which also made more sense after the big reveal).
All that said I still didn't have a huge problem with him playing his son's music publically. The songs weren't about violence or anything bad, they were really beautiful songs. So in that sense I can kind of understand why he didn't mention his son and chose to take credit for the music. He didn't want something so negative to affect something so positive (the band).
Loved the movie btw. It was very real and inspiring with perfect acting. Absolutley amazing soundtrack too.
acdc363^
Agree.
"Shake your hair girl with your ponytail"
Exactly the point of how the movie ends. Music is pretty much an ice breaker and universal. If you put something in song (a decent one) it leaves you thinking. I would have done the same as the patrons at the bar did. Thanks.
There is nothing wrong in listening to music, which has no violent undertones, however if lead singer of Slayer for e.g was a serial killer, I am sure some audiences would still dig those tracks regardless.. Maybe even more so with regards to notoriety.
As for the reaction of Selena Gomez character and all other characters who disapproved I did not understand all the hate towards Crudup character (who's fantastic BTW). So he played those songs, he could have easily said they were his own that he wrote when he was a kid, trying to reinvent himself and his son decided to polish them with some emo tunes.
Gomez character is unrealistic, bitchy,insecure, blame prone, in a sense, parents and other people cannot be held responsible for another mature adult who made those choices, leave music out of it. Its up to her to move on, being a girlfriend not even a wife with kids of a college kid with hidden mental issues is not enough to get hung up on it no matter how hard it may be at first.
BMW and Hugo Boss made machinery and Nazi uniform yet its fashionable and normal for the 99%.Who are they to judge?
Music lives on after the person is gone and who knows why the person written it in the first place, expressing anger, bitterness, lonesome feelings etc. I ll say it again, music much like Billy's character is blameless and should be left out.
As for the reaction of Selena Gomez character and all other characters who disapproved I did not understand all the hate towards Crudup character (who's fantastic BTW).
Excellent question. I saw the movie last night and it still resonates with me today. It was an unexpectedly great movie. I don't know that there's any right or wrong way to feel about it. How you feel about it is how you feel about it. There are many levels to this, so bear with me as I attempt to answer it.
There are spoilers coming, just so you know.
I've never had a loved one taken away like that, but if I had I don't think I'd be too happy to hear that the father is celebrating his son's life (my son/daughter's killer) by playing his music for all to hear, and profiting from it. Even though the music has nothing to do with what he did, I wouldn't want to hear it on the radio or otherwise. It would be different if it really was the father's own music, but it belongs to the shooter and that's a whole other ballgame. But I understand his need to play it, I think. The shooter was his son after all, I'm sure he's just trying to understand his son and feel some connection to him, and maybe selfishly, maybe let other people hear that his son wasn't JUST a killer, he had this whole other side. Not that he intended for the whole world to hear this, I don't think he intended that at all. People in grief do weird things sometimes. From Quentin's point of view, I would have to end my association with Sam. It might be just music, but their whole relationship is based on a lie. His reaction is what I imagine most people's would be to hearing that Sam duped you into liking something. I like how the movie ended, but I do wish there could have been some kind of resolution between Sam and the victim's parents. Maybe start up a fund, a benefit for the survivors and those who died. I know this movie is just about Sam's journey to hell and back, but I feel it would have been a little more well rounded if they had included that. Plus, it would have done him a world of good.
At first I didn't like Selena's character especially when she kept popping up and derailed the band, but being away from it enough now, I can see why she did what she did, and why she changed her name. I didn't get that at first. She's going thru her own hell, not just with losing him, but realizing she didn't know him. I'm sure she wondered if their love was ever real, not to mention all the harassment she must have been getting from all sides. It would be horrific. Then to hear that the dad is capitalizing on his son's music, it would be a horrible reminder. I'm sure she never thought she'd hear those songs again. It would be traumatic for her if she wasn't ready for it. She most likely hates the kid at this point, so his songs (which would feel like a lie too) and his father are now disgusting to her. She's a victim too and her feelings are valid. Nothing good was ever going to come of this band and this music, Sam had to know that. Just chalk it to up to grief, I guess.
I've never really given too much thought about the murderer's family before. I mean, in real life, real life murderers/shooters, etc. Not really. So it was amazing to see it from their perspective, even if I didn't know that's what this movie was about until halfway in. It was still an amazing ride and everyone from the actors, the writers and William H Macy did an amazing job, the songwriting especially. It was all handled with such grace and such dignity. I'm really impressed...and it takes a lot to impress me.
"SO glad you don't like my opinion. It must mean I'm right, then." Stupid trollz...
Just to respond to a couple of your points. About ending the relationshp if you were Quentin because it was based on a lie: A.) Sam made it perfectly clear that he wanted nothing to do with it up front. Quentin essentially built a band around him without Sam's knowledge. He knew this guy was living on a boat, drinking too much, and hiding from the world. He just wanted that music. and B.) He lied to Sam as well. He said how he's just a caretaker for his landlord, which was a lie. You may say that's not as big a lie, but they were both hiding their past from each other. Sam's past just happens to be more intense.
And as far as resolution between Sam and the victim's parents, at the beginning of the film we see Sam in complete denial. He's about to ready to throw out all of Josh's stuff. We then see him obviously bring it on the boat, and start listening to the music everyday. We see him at Josh's grave site, which the mom says "I certainly wasn't expecting this" which makes us think that it wasn't something Sam did a lot or at all before this. It's here that the mom mentions she had breakfast with one of the victim's parents, and he should too. He instantly tightens up and leaves. But by the end of the film we see Sam visit the site where everything happened. So clearly he is moving down a path towards acceptance and redemption. And the mom clearly planted a seed that we can reasonably expect he might one day explore. To show it though, in my opinion, would have been a little too heavy-handed and unnecessary.
Sorry I'm late, but I loved your response, so thank you for taking the time. This movie is very thought-provoking. Came to it purely because I am a Billy Crudup fan but loved the movie for itself.
I am one who HAS thought in the past about what a killer's family must be feeling, so the movie was quite interesting in that regard.
I also bought the movie recently and know that there were scenes cut that showed more of Sam's growth toward making amends with people he had wronged. They seem to have left it pretty bare bones, but got the central messages across well. One scene I wish they had included (maybe during credits since the actual ending was beautiful) has Sam working on painting the music store, and then teaching a young boy to play guitar.
Good question, and good post, 32.
I thought this was a great movie. And like the 'think piece' in Almost Famous, this is the kind of movie that you like better the next day, because you're still thinking about it. I had the same reaction to Boyhood, that I watched last week.
And sometimes it helps to distance yourself from the darker parts, and see the light. The bad father-figures in Boyhood, all the drinking and loss in this movie.
At 19, my GF's husband came back to town. A small tourist town. He was a very nice guy. Slept on our couch a half dozen times. Then one day the cops came and took him away. He was a serial killer! None of our group could believe that! Eventually, we had to. Maybe 6 women? And who knows how many hitchhikers, when he was out in 60's California...
(he spent a year in a mental hospital, then went to prison, where someone strung him up. And did the world a favor.
And how was he caught? He was staying in a boarding house. 2 young school teachers came for the summer. He probably lured them to the woods, where he buried people. His 'mistake' was that he wrote out a bill of sale, and kept their car. At the end of the summer, one's BF got out of the service, and came looking for the women. No sign of them - but then he noticed her car... A few times, he said it was a nice day, and we should go for a walk in the dunes. I had no fear of him, but have no doubt it would have been a one way trip for me. And in the 60's, or with teens, it wasn't unusual for someone to just vanish for a while...)