Be Here to Love Me
Encyclopedia
Be Here To Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt is a 2004 documentary film
directed by Margaret Brown which chronicles the often turbulent life of American singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt
. The film includes interviews of Van Zandt's immediate family and contemporaries such as Willie Nelson
, Kris Kristofferson
, Emmylou Harris
, Lyle Lovett
, Steve Earle
and Guy Clark
along with "... home movies, old TV performances and, especially, early Seventies footage originally filmed by James Szalapski for his outlaw country documentary Heartworn Highways
."
was a well regarded and influential musician and songwriter. The film follows his life as an artist, and documents the impressions he made on other musicians, his commitment to a mental facility, involvement in music, drugs and alcohol, departure from his family, several of his live performances, and general life on the road.
The film covers some of Van Zandt's time spent in Houston, Texas, where he began his musical development, though according to the film's DVD commentary, much was excluded from the early years, when he met many of his early influences and life long friends (Lightnin' Hopkins
, Guy Clarke, Steve Earle, Micky Newbury, etc.), and developed his musical skills in the city's folk and country scene in the late 60s and early 70s.
at the Wisconsin Film Festival
, then to a limited run of theaters in 2005. The film was released on DVD
by Palm Pictures
on 2006.
. The New York Times
said, "Margaret Brown has directed a tender, impressionistic film biography about the Texan singer-songwriter," and The Village Voice
called it "loving but frank."
Be Here To Love Me was listed at #7 in a list of "50 Greatest Music Films Ever" in TimeOut Magazine
View the film online.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
directed by Margaret Brown which chronicles the often turbulent life of American singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt
Townes Van Zandt
John Townes Van Zandt , best known as Townes Van Zandt, was an American Texas Country-folk music singer-songwriter, performer, and poet...
. The film includes interviews of Van Zandt's immediate family and contemporaries such as Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
, Kris Kristofferson
Kris Kristofferson
Kristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American musician, actor, and writer. He is known for hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night"...
, Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
, Lyle Lovett
Lyle Lovett
Lyle Pearce Lovett is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Active since 1980, he has recorded thirteen albums and released 21 singles to date, including his highest entry, the number 10 chart hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, "Cowboy Man"...
, Steve Earle
Steve Earle
Stephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
and Guy Clark
Guy Clark
Guy Clark is an American Texas Country artist. In his career, he has released more than twenty albums, primarily on major labels. He has also written singles for other artists, including Ricky Skaggs, Steve Wariner and Rodney Crowell....
along with "... home movies, old TV performances and, especially, early Seventies footage originally filmed by James Szalapski for his outlaw country documentary Heartworn Highways
Heartworn Highways
Heartworn Highways is documentary film by James Szalapski whose vision captured some of the founders of the Outlaw Country movement in Texas and Tennessee in the last weeks of 1975 and the first weeks of 1976...
."
Synopsis
Townes Van ZandtTownes Van Zandt
John Townes Van Zandt , best known as Townes Van Zandt, was an American Texas Country-folk music singer-songwriter, performer, and poet...
was a well regarded and influential musician and songwriter. The film follows his life as an artist, and documents the impressions he made on other musicians, his commitment to a mental facility, involvement in music, drugs and alcohol, departure from his family, several of his live performances, and general life on the road.
The film covers some of Van Zandt's time spent in Houston, Texas, where he began his musical development, though according to the film's DVD commentary, much was excluded from the early years, when he met many of his early influences and life long friends (Lightnin' Hopkins
Lightnin' Hopkins
Sam John Hopkins better known as Lightnin’ Hopkins, was an American country blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional pianist, from Houston, Texas...
, Guy Clarke, Steve Earle, Micky Newbury, etc.), and developed his musical skills in the city's folk and country scene in the late 60s and early 70s.
Release
Be Here to Love Me was first premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in Toronto, Canada in 2004. It first showed in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
at the Wisconsin Film Festival
Wisconsin Film Festival
The Wisconsin Film Festival is an annual film festival, founded in 1999. The five-day long festival is held every April in Madison, Wisconsin.The Festival presents a broad range of independent American and world cinema , restorations and revivals, and locally made pictures from Wisconsin filmmakers...
, then to a limited run of theaters in 2005. The film was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
by Palm Pictures
Palm Pictures
Palm Pictures is a US-based entertainment company owned and run by Chris Blackwell. Palm Pictures produces, acquires and distributes innovative music and film projects with a particular focus on the DVD format...
on 2006.
Reviews
The film maintains a 93% rating on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
said, "Margaret Brown has directed a tender, impressionistic film biography about the Texan singer-songwriter," and The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
called it "loving but frank."
Be Here To Love Me was listed at #7 in a list of "50 Greatest Music Films Ever" in TimeOut Magazine
External links
, Palm PicturesView the film online.