TMS Discussion: Why Is It So Hard for Hollywood to Properly Portray the Music Industry?

(Amazon / Warner Bros / DreamWorks)

Time and time again, I wonder why it appears to be so hard for the film and television mediums to properly portray the music community. Like a lot of people lately, I’ve been watching Amazon’s new mini-series “Daisy Jones & the Six,” based on Taylor Jenkins Reid’s 2019 best selling novel with the same title. Right away you’ll notice the creators took a lot of inspiration from Fleetwood Mac for their own pop/rock band. There are also references to Jefferson Airplane, the Mamas & the Papas, Big Brother & the Holding Company and the like. Real groups such as the Byrds and the Doors make fictionalized blink-and-you’ll-miss-them cameos as well, since the series starts in the mid-1960s and ends in the late 1970s. As a longtime classic rock fan and well read on the history of the era, I do sort of go into these type of releases with high standards. I began “Daisy Jones” mildly interested since I dig the setting and am a casual fan of lead actress Riley Keough [fittingly Elvis Presley’s real granddaughter]. Riley as Daisy, as well as co-star Camila Morrone as photographer-turned-housewife Camila Alvarez Dunne, are good. Most of the male casting is questionable though, particularly Sam Claflin, whom I have the hardest time buying as sexy rockstar with attitude, Billy Dunne. The original music is fine, but not as good as the real famous songs mixed into the soundtrack. [And why is Patti Smith’s ‘Dancing Barefoot’ the theme song instead of one of the fictional band’s tunes?] The costumes and art/production design are decent, as is Smashed (2012) and The Spectacular Now (2013) director James Ponsoldt’s efforts with each episode. It’s soap opera city with each storyline, but there’s already plenty of that off stage if you’ve ever watched an episode of VH1’s “Behind the Music” or E!’s “True Hollywood Story.”

(Amazon Studios / Hello Sunshine)

Yet, something is holding “Daisy Jones” back from feeling genuine. With the first six episodes, I ultimately feel like I could have just revisited any Fleetwood Mac or Mamas & Papas documentary, listened to their records and left with the same impression. I like how right off the bat, Daisy sees that it’s better to be a fan or a music artist rather than a groupie; and Morrone as Billy’s wife and mother of his child has some agency and standards for her life and marriage. But Billy and the other male bandmates are pretty stereotypical with the drug use and promiscuity in between concerts and parties, and Suki Waterhouse gives us a half-assed interpretation of Christine McVie with her character Karen Sirko. By the end of the show, I have a feeling “DJ&6” will be in the same vein as ‘mindless entertainment’ and ‘background noise’ than anything groundbreaking. And that’s okay, for the most part. We all have guilty pleasures and sometimes that’s just what you want to watch.

(Niko Tavernise / HBO)

But the thing is, this isn’t the first time we’ve gotten a disappointing historical drama or comedy on the music scene. Remember HBO’s “Vinyl” (2016)? Showtime’s “Roadies” (2016)? Netflix’s “The Get Down” (2016-17)? All cancelled after one season, even with veteran filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, Baz Luhrmann and especially Cameron Crowe involved with the developments. What about Adam Collis’ Sunset Strip (2000), Stephen Herek’s Rock Star (2001) and Bob Dolman’s The Banger Sisters (2002)? Does anyone recall Peter Cattaneo’s The Rocker (2008) with Rainn Wilson? *crickets* Granted, not every rock themed movie can be as naturally charming and clever as Richard Linklater’s The School of Rock (2003), but there has to be some potential out there for fans of both music and movies/shows.

(20th Century Studios)

For my money, the only major films to successfully capture the essence of the record industry are Robert Altman’s Nashville (1975), Rob Reiner’s This is Spinal Tap (1984), Tom Hanks’ That Thing You Do! (1996) and Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous (2000). Cameron previously gave us the appropriate grunge era romcom Singles (1992), that also feels authentic, since the writer-director started his career as a music journalist. [Making it even more curious “Roadies” didn’t work seven years ago.] I used to include the Coen Bros’ Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) in this group of good historical music based films, and it’s still one of my favorites. But over the years I’ve discovered a lot of the real musicians who were a part of the Greenwich Village folkie movement in the early 1960s, really, REALLY don’t like Llewyn Davis; and feel the brothers failed at recreating the atmosphere of the moment in time. I personally think some of these legends are looking back on their roots with rose-colored glasses a bit, but I digress. Whereas I regularly see British Invasion era stars praise That Thing You Do! for nailing the mid-’60s pop stardom zeitgeist; as do ‘70s rock musicians with Almost Famous and ‘80s metal stars with Spinal Tap.

(Peter Lindbergh / MGM Pictures)

Whenever we get fictional bands and artists, the makers are accused of ‘playing it safe’ with cliches and sugarcoating for general audiences, and not fully embracing the hedonism and sleaze of the community. Smashing TV sets, getting wasted, partying all night, hooking up with groupies, getting banned from hotels, jealous bandmates, suspicious wives, seedy record labels and managers. That whole thing. The wholesome tone of Singles and Almost Famous work because that’s just how Cameron himself is, and it’s what he brings to his movies along with his past experiences and knowledge of rock music. Tom Hanks, a lifelong fan of ‘60s pop-rock, has said he was inspired to make That Thing You Do! after reading about Jimmy Nicol’s week long stint as drummer for the Beatles on their 1964 tour while Ringo Starr had to visit the hospital. The creators of This is Spinal Tap are some of the funniest people in entertainment who are also music fans and made ridiculous scenarios relatable to real performers, which is how the mockumentary works. Robert Altman and screenwriter Joan Tewkesbury clearly did their homework on the country music industry for Nashville, along with hiring real music artists, Ronee Blakley and Keith Carradine, as part of the epic cast. My favorite interpretation of A Star is Born is Bradley Cooper’s version from 2018, where Bradley plays a veteran rockstar, Jackson Maine and Lady Gaga as up-and-coming popstar Ally. While I think the romantic musical-drama works as a good commentary on the price of fame [as do all the ASIB movies], I found it a little ridiculous we’re supposed to believe Jackson feels zero temptation to cheat while on the road, even just to deny the temptation. That was the one thing I appreciated the acknowledgment of in Frank Pierson’s 1976 ASIB input [though, unfortunately, that’s the only thing this version has going for it].

A big criticism “Daisy Jones & the Six” is getting is that everything feels too ‘clean’ and made-up. We see weed and coke casually enjoyed on occasion, with Billy’s main addiction struggle being liquor. Alcoholism is just as big a problem as drug addiction within the rock world, so that isn’t really a stretch. As for the sex, we’ve so far only received kissing and one bedroom scene between Daisy and a lover, without graphic nudity. I personally don’t mind Hollywood dialing back on gratuitous sex in more recent years, but I also think people find the lack of graphic content with subgenres like this kind of tame because they usually take place in a decade when people were cool with streaking. But then when the projects do embrace the trashiness, like Rock Star and “Vinyl” did, the viewers are also turned off because most of the general public naturally find these things unpleasant. Who wants to be reminded of petty fights, overdosing and underage groupies?

My main consensus is that “Daisy Jones,” and other rock themed pictures, slightly miss the mark because the people involved don’t come across as true, dedicated fans of the era and music influencing their show/movie. So things are more shallow and dependent on stereotypes. I think “DJ&6” had more potential it could have lived up to instead of giving us the usual melodrama with actors attired in ‘70s cosplay. But, I’ll probably also keep watching the series since I’m a sucker for classic rock music and romance drama. Maybe we’ll see some Blondie and Heart inspo by the end while they’re at it.