Freebird: The Movie (1996)

Wonderful character development!

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Don't listen to the negative reviews

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

The original Lynyrd Skynyrd were such an amazing band... until that fateful day in 1977... would have loved the chance to see them play live but i was just a wee girl back then... Love Ronnie Van Zant.. he was such an awesome singer / song writer and the coolest guy ever.... why do all the good ones leave us so soon... they ll still be loved by generations... Fly high Freebird !!!

I was in the 9th grade when "Pronounced" came out. It was a shot over the bough. A new harder southern rock that didn't forget earthy country influences at the same time. An hour away from Birmingham, Alabama me, and my friends, listened to progressive rock station WJLN for the manna that top 40 radio ignored. This new band with the funny name of Lynyrd Skynyrd was a kind of manna to my ears. The hooky, and slightly novelty tune, "Gimme Three Steps" caught my ear. But it was Free Bird that seared my brain with it's incendiary final guitar triple assault trio. How could a rock and roll lover not stand up and salute? The entire album was every bit as good I soon learned. Wow! Before this southern rock was titled toward the blues and R&B, now there was a full-tilt rock southern sound. I was in.Free Bird, The Movie is a worthy remembrance of how great Skynyrd was and that the world, besides me, noticed. While there is so much more that could be said this movie speaks volumes. Without overly analyzing the bands lineage we get a nice cursory history. Keying on live performances, the bulk of which is from the triumphant Knebworth British festival, one can get more than just a glance at how powerful a Skynyrd performance with Ronnie Van Zant & Skynyrd could be. I must admit I was fortunate enough to see Lynyrd Skynyrd at their first proper Birmingham, Alabama concert at Boutwell Auditorium opening for Capricorn Recording Artists Wet Willie. It was something special because their MCA album was breaking early in Birmingham and the band was aware of it. This was when for a short time Wet Willie was a rock and roll unknown juggernaut of a band and Skynyrd blew an otherwise typically great Wet Willie show away. I think this memorial film captures some of that rare alchemy making it a truly special rock and roll documentary.Many folks have wondered if the later day Skynyrd was anything other than a money grab. I'd be pre-disposed to say yes...But, there was something that literally wouldn't die First, it was the music itself. After that is was the high strangeness of that sis-degrees of separation Skynyrd had tentacles that stretched out even before the first album was released. They had previous and future musicians in their orbit as a result. The sheer strength of this made the latter day Skynyrd more than a tribute band. It was actually connected and not only by surviving members. To get the gist of how this legacy continues I highly recommend watching Free Bird. It's a rare truly triumphant, and satisfying, rock and roll band documentary. Sure it's bittersweet, but ultimately it's uplifting because the music lives on. Against all odds if there is a top ten list of post sixties rock bands Lynyrd Skynyrd is undoubtedly in that ten and this movie is one of our only documents of what it was all about. See it if you love real rock and roll.

I bought this DVD three years back and the extra footage had an issue (maybe that was a PAL UK issue) but if you love Lynard Skynard tunes it's worth owning.Don't look at this DVD as a movie but a chance to slightly peak into the world of a band taken before they reached their peak.There are only 3-4 videos you could class as music videos but this is an era before that genre really existed so don't expected nicely edited music videos.What I think you will see is the insight in a band that were a phenomenon, the interviews are brief but interesting, The band's music still captivates years later, technically they remain unsurpassed in many respects.

Very good rockumentary showing some interviews but mostly footage of various concerts, most in color but some in b&w. All the bands' big hits were performed and I liked the way the camera made use of the close-up lens which allowed the viewer to catch all the action as though sitting in a front row seat. See this if you get a chance, it is hot.