TMS List: Analyzing Fictional Rock Girlfriends and Groupies in Film

“Behind every great man, there is a great woman,” as the famous phrase goes. The term ‘muse’ is divisive in modern history, but you can’t deny most male artists are very rarely single or independent while crafting their art. In music especially, there are women everywhere either inspiring songs or making their own records. A lot of the time when musicians are portrayed on screen, it’s not far off from the “Behind the Music” cliches. But whenever we get a male protagonist, there’s an obligatory love interest to aid in the character’s journey. Let’s take a look at some film interpretations of girlfriends and groupies in the rock and pop music settings.

(Dreamworks / Columbia Pictures)

Penny Lane, played by Kate Hudson, in Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous (2000)

Why don’t we start with the queen of fictional groupies herself—or as she prefers, ‘band-aid,’—Penny Lane in Almost Famous. We don’t know her real name, real age or where she lives, yet everyone in the movie’s universe instantly recognizes her face and reputation. Penny makes the cardinal sin of groupie-ism by falling in love with her favorite rockstar/lover, Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup), and it’s hard to imagine anyone other than Kate Hudson portraying her in such an endearing and sympathetic manner. In fact, Cameron Crowe originally wrote the role of Penny specifically for Sarah Polley, who ended up dropping out of the movie the first week of filming. Penny Lane as a character was primarily based on a real, mysterious groupie named Pennie Ann Trumbull from Oregon, who actually did go by the moniker Pennie Lane from 1971-74. Curiously, another famous groupie, Pamela Des Barres, made a big deal in 2020 claiming Cameron ‘stole her identity’ for Penny Lane; even though Pamela was never a road wife [as Pennie and Penny were] and has been a very public figure in southern California since 1968.

(Paramount Pictures)

LA Joan, played by Shelley Duvall, in Robert Altman’s Nashville (1975)

The fictional groupie I think might have been more influenced by Pamela Des Barres is LA Joan in Robert Altman’s ensemble epic Nashville. The second Joan steps into the country music capital, she wastes no time meeting and mingling with as many stars as possible. Her various makeovers are close to how Pamela appeared when she was a part of the groupie clique the GTOs; and Joan’s presence as a Californian surrounded by southerners would be similar to when Pamela was associated with country legends like Waylon Jennings and the Flying Burrito Bros in 1969-70. Interestingly, Shelley Duvall’s Nashville co-star Cristina Raines vaguely revealed in a 2014 interview with Hill Place Blog that Shelley wasn’t happy with how Joan was featured in the film. My theory is that in the official edit, the character is practically a mute with only a couple of lines in the whole film, despite appearing in many scenes. Joan neglecting a family emergency to party with famous people isn’t exactly flattering either.

(20th Century Studios)

Faye Dolan, played by Liv Tyler, in Tom Hanks’ That Thing You Do! (1996)

Probably the most wholesome and likable of movie rock girlfriends is Faye Dolan in the lighthearted musical-comedy That Thing You Do! Faye represents the obligatory first wife who is there at the beginning of her husband’s rise to stardom, and not there by the end. She has the essence of Cynthia Lennon, Phyllis Nesmith, Ianthe McGuinn, et al. Constantly supporting Johnathan Schaech’s aloof singer-songwriter Jimmy Mattingly, tagging along everywhere with him, and hopelessly hoping Jimmy will eventually want to settle down. Like some of her real-life counterparts, Faye is fortunately given a happy ending. The wonderful Liv Tyler is fittingly cast as the pretty girl-next-door with her own rock royalty as the daughter of Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler and model/groupie Bebe Buell.

(Embassy Pictures)

Jeanine Pettibone, played by June Chadwick, in Rob Reiner’s This is Spinal Tap (1984)

On the opposite end of Liv’s Faye, June Chadwick’s Jeanine Pettibone in the classic mockumentary This is Spinal Tap might be the most antagonistic on-screen portrayal of a musician’s significant other. Her whole role is to get right into the middle of Spinal Tap’s world; break up the bromance between her boyfriend, David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), and his bandmate Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest); and ruin everything for the band’s future. A lot of people assume Jeanine is based on the origin of Yoko Ono & John Lennon’s relationship in 1967-69. But I’ve also read in more recent years that there might be some inspiration from popular back-up vocalist Donna Washburn, who was allegedly the reason the brief, but influential folk-rock duo Dillard & Clark disbanded in 1969. Thankfully, most rock girlfriends in movies aren’t usually this villainous.

(Warner Bros. Pictures)

Emily Poule, played by Jennifer Aniston, in Stephen Herek’s Rock Star (2001)

City girl Emily Poule of Rock Star is like a mix of Faye and Jeanine. She has all the charming, attractive traits of Faye, but in the wild, hair metal rock music scene like Jeanine. Emily’s local musician boyfriend Chris Cole (Mark Wahlberg) gets a once in a lifetime chance to be the lead singer for his favorite band, and of course, longtime girlfriend Emily is along for the ride. This isn’t a good movie unfortunately, but it did prove Jen Aniston can rock any fashion sense. I also appreciate when a film set in the rock music community shows it’s possible good guys like Chris can feel temptation to sleep around; even if it doesn’t make sense when someone like Emily has all the qualities anyone could ask for in a girlfriend.

(Warner Bros. Pictures)

Janet Livermore, played by Bridget Fonda, in Cameron Crowe’s Singles (1992)

Singles’ Janet Livermore is a young Seattleite caught between being a groupie and a girlfriend in the grunge scene during the early 1990s. She’s a barista by day and swooning over rock frontman Cliff Poncier (Matt Dillon) by night. They’re only casually seeing each other, but she’s convinced it’s more than sex. Janet is secretly hoping for a real relationship, but Cliff’s mind is always on his band, Citizen Dick. Cameron personally wrote the role of Janet for actress Bridget Fonda, and it’s no surprise, since Bridget has her own history of dating music stars; plus her famous dad, actor Peter Fonda, was friends with a lot of the original classic rockers of the 1960s. Like Kate Hudson in Almost Famous and Liv Tyler in That Thing You Do!, Bridget is a natural at portraying what it’s like to be in love with both the artist and the music.

(Universal Pictures)

Ramona Flowers, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, in Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

If you love comics just as much as rock music, then Ramona Flowers is your dream girl. Produced at the height of the ‘manic pixie dream girl’ trope, Ramona received a polarizing reception from movie fans with some thinking she was a little too perfect. I haven’t read Bryan Lee O’Malley’s original graphic novels (2004-2010), but her presence in Edgar’s film is essentially the coolest girl you will ever meet. Michael Cera’s Scott spends most of the movie trying to win Ramona’s affection, dodging her ex-boyfriends, hiding from his own hysterical former girlfriend, and rehearsing with his popular Toronto band Sex Bob-omb to win a record deal competition. Ramona might not be the most realistic love interest in cinema, but she fits right in the live-action, cartoony universe of Scott Pilgrim.

(Universal Pictures)

‘Mystery Woman,’ played by Carrie Fisher, in John Landis’ The Blues Brothers (1980)

Like, Scott Pilgrim, the SNL spinoff and musical-comedy The Blues Brothers takes place in a very silly and over the top fictionalization of a real location, in this case Chicago. John Belushi’s Jake Blues is cursed with the craziest girlfriend imaginable, Carrie Fisher’s unnamed, vengeful mystery woman, who Jake left at the altar. Periodically throughout the fun romp, Jake and his brother/bandmate Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) are escaping from near death experiences instigated by a bitter Carrie. While not as manipulative or ill-intended as Jeanine in Spinal Tap, Carrie’s MW gets a funny send-off in her last scene. In real life, Carrie and Dan were even engaged for a couple of years after making the movie.

(Universal Pictures)

Jennifer Parker, played by Claudia Wells, in Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future (1985)

Sci-fi hero Marty McFly’s (Michael J. Fox) girlfriend, Jennifer Parker, ranges somewhere between a supporting character and a minor character. We only see her in the first act and the final scene of Back to the Future, but we all remember her. Jennifer’s pretty, kind, understanding, encouraging and means well while her boyfriend’s rock band try out for a music contest. It’s easy to see why Marty’s bummed he can’t spend the weekend out of town with her and why she’s one of his motivations to make sure his timeline isn’t completely altered. Elisabeth Shue played Jennifer in the two subsequent BTTF sequels after Claudia Wells opted out to help her mother dealing with health problems at the time. But Claudia’s Jennifer is the only iteration of the character who actually gets to see Marty and his band perform.

(20th Century Studios)

Tammy Franklin, played by Anna Friel, in Adam Collis’ Sunset Strip (2000)

Sunset Strip is a generally mediocre, forgotten classic rock set melodrama released the same season as Almost Famous. But to me, the one thing that makes the film stand out is that the female lead—Tammy—is based on a real woman who dated and inspired multiple musicians in the late 1960s: Jeannie Franklyn [aka, Genie the Tailor]. Very sociable with the LA crowd back in the day, Genie’s mostly slipped into obscurity since her untimely death in 1969. So it’s impressive Adam and screenwriter Randall Jahnson remembered Genie and used her for direct inspiration. Unfortunately, I don’t think she would have enjoyed Tammy as a movie character, since the filmmakers chose to write her as nymphette interested in casual sex; which is a trait Genie was always trying to fight off publicly.

Whether it’s a girlfriend, groupie, wife or fangirl, a lady’s impact on art can be never-ending on screen or on record.