I'll Be There (2003)

A Masterpiece!

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

I'm really conflicted. I'll Be There has a lot to recommend it: It has some great writing, not half bad story management, good direction and performances, fun musical numbers that feel real, yet tight. And it *feels* wonderful.But a few aspects of the final product threaten to "down" it. One has to do with the fact that the story is what I call "operatic", by which I mean that the story can be told in 50 words or less, and the success or failure of the flick comes down to whether it dealt effectively with that limitation. And there are times when one has to wonder. Also, there are moments where the ball on character development seems to be fumbled; folks say and do things, here and there, that seem to muddle their characters a bit.But I can still recommend it. I notice that a lot of the folks here are fans of Ms. Church. I'm a fan of Ferguson, and this is my first encounter with Church. She was the weakest acting professional of the lot, and she was pretty darned good: I say this to emphasize the wicked good acting that infests the flick pretty much from beginning to end. At times I felt that there were individual scenes that were so good, they alone made me glad I watched the flick. An early scene in the pub with a knot of Kerr fans resolving their (initially) conflicted feelings about him was mindblowingly good!I'd love to give the flick a higher rating, as I give high ratings to films that move me, which this one did... But I have to demur and back off a little: There were too many fleeting moments of balls getting dropped, and that seriously impacts the overall effect of a film.Glad it was made: Good flick: Go watch it!

Grace Slick, lead singer of the Jefferson Airplane, once said in an interview that there was something pathetic about 50-year-olds playing rock and roll. Grace should rent THIS film, if for no other reason than to see Joss Ackland as Evil Edmonds and his geriatric band, the BeeLzeeBOPS, prove you're NEVER too old to rock. I've been a fan of Ferguson since his days on the Drew Carey Show and enjoyed his two previous films, which he also co-wrote. Somehow I missed this one until recently, which is a shame since it's also his directorial debut. Much has been written about the film as a Charlotte Church vehicle which it really isn't. What it IS is a heart-warming family drama/comedy/musical about lost & re-found love, personal redemption, family values and friendship. Ferguson, who also wrote the screenplay, uses his own personal experiences as an 80's rocker and alcoholic to inform his story without descending into mawkish sentimentality.Here Be Spoilers: The story revolves around Ferguson's Paul Kerr, an 80's rocker on the downside drinking his way into oblivion. After a drunken motorcycle accident lands him in the psych ward under suicide watch, he finds out he has a daughter named Olivia he never knew about, played quite winningly by Ms. Church, from a one-night-stand that he never forgot. This revelation, along with the arrival of his former band-mate and drummer, help him to quit drinking and begin to forge a relationship with his daughter both as a father and as a musician. This also allows him to finally reconnect with Olivia's mother, played quite well by Jemma Redgrave, while helping her to see her child's enormous gift and realize that he really HAS always loved only her. Toss in Joss Ackland's bravura performance as Olivia's Grand-dad, the aforementioned Evil Edmonds, an older, crustier, not-so-successful version of Kerr and you have the basic family. Add a great supporting cast of characters, a great screenplay that shows the humanity OF those characters and great singing from Church and what more do you need? Ferguson's Kerr, as the little boy who never had to grow up, stepping up as both a father and, ultimately, lover is dead on. Redgrave's Rebecca strikes the perfect tone showing her bitterness and anger towards Kerr as well as her vulnerability and love for her daughter. Church is a natural as Olivia, who loves her mother dearly but has music in her bones, a fact seen by Kerr, Evil Edmonds and, ultimately, by Rebecca herself.So it ain't War and Peace. It's merely an excellent family movie which places it head and shoulders above the usual pedestrian family fare. THAT credit goes to writer/director Craig Ferguson. Bravissimo Craig. See this movie. You'll laugh, you'll cry. you'll sing along. If it can warm the heart of a jaded soul like me, then it ought to warm yours as well.

I must admit I really enjoyed this film. Not because it had something profound to say, but simply because it is positive and has a very amusing, Scottish 'front man'. Craig, you're braw! You really can act the rock star from the smile to the stage appearance! I was also very impressed by Church - very natural. Maybe this film could help her go far? I watched the film with commentary since Ferguson was commentating and found it rather amusing to note that he really had had a motorbike accident (not in the way described in the film) and had broken a rib and hurt his arm. Although you don't think about it in ignorance, it does explain a few things when you know. A must-see for everyone who doesn't stick there nose up at happy film :)

It is sad that this beautiful film didn't do as well in the theater. I only heard about it because I saw a big poster at Wal-Mart, advertising the DVD release, and thought, "Charlotte Church in a movie? Cool!" Anthony Stewart Head seems to be trying to shed his "charming gentleman" persona from coffee commercials and _Buffy_ (though he played something of a bad guy on _VR5_).As a Romantic comedy, I think it's a fine film, _The Parent Trap_ without the annoying slapstick. But I agree with "Drumicon" that the singing seemed off. Charlotte has a beautiful voice, but she doesn't seem to know how to sing pop--even her Christmas album is too "slow." This is a love story not just about a man and a woman, but about family. This is also a romance in the proper sense, idealizing the sad realities of "the music industry."