Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt

I just returned from watching this documentary at the Seattle film festival, and it was wonderful. It should be required viewing for fans of Townes, and it's highly recommended for anyone interested in the phenomenon of an artist giving over his life completely to his art. The director does a great job of presenting the balance between the often tragic events and circumstances of his life and Townes' wonderful sense of humor. There are some bits, musical and otherwise, that Townes fans will probably already have seen, but quite a bit of new footage as well. The director was given access to a wealth of material to put together into this glimpse of the complicated life of Townes, and the interviews done specifically for this film were extremely well done. Some of my favorite bits: Previously unpublished outtakes to the wonderful film Heartworn Highways, showing a much younger Townes. Fascinating sound clips from a box of taped phone conversations, taken by a journalist over a six year time period. Great filmed interviews of Townes's children, including a very spooky clip of Katie Bell, his young daughter, recounting a dream she had about her father that ended in a gravestone being made. And very interview segments with his friends and fellow musicians, notably Guy Clarke. The film goes into general release in the states in December, and a DVD will follow a couple of months after that.

I was lucky enough to view this film at the Toronto Film Festival. As a longtime, and pretty rabid Townes Van Zandt fan, I was very impressed with the film. Director Margaret Brown did a fantastic job. Her film showed the tragedy, humor and beauty that made up Townes. I had a chance to talk to her briefly after the screening, and you could tell that this was really a labor of love. The interviews in this seem like a who's who of singer/songwriter music, featuring Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Guy Clark and many more. Hopefully it will find some sort of distribution on DVD. It is the type of film that deserves to be seen. Anyone who considers themselves a music fan should take any opportunity they have to see this film.

Even if you're not a fan of documentaries, hell, even if you're not a fan of folk/country, Be Here To Love Me is a beautiful and well-directed story of the life of singer/songwriter Townes Van Zandt. More than just a movie for hardcore fans of the genre and the artist, the impeccable visual style of the movie keeps the average movie-goer enthralled within it's heartfelt and hilarious interviews of friends, family, and musical contemporaries give dialogue almost too good for a movie.

But then you're reminded that it's a documentary; it's fairly easy to forget. The only narration is the actual audio, be it phone calls (such as in the amazing opening sequence to "At My Window"), home movies, live performances, or the music itself. The camera pans across montages of midwest scenes: old men in the old mens' bars, truck driving, wandering through the desert, and so many others that play like one gorgeous, intermittent music video. Some of the dialogue is unforgettable, be it Townes discussing his addiction to airplane glue, Guy Clark laughing at him hitting on his wife, or his own mother expressing sorrow for exposing him to shock treatments early in his life.

The overall pace of the movie becomes disrupted near the last 20-30 minutes, as the overall flow of themes in Townes' life unfold less and less precisely and with as much organization as the beginning, but that's basically the only flaw to an otherwise brilliant documentary.

Not knowing much about Townes as a person, I can say that this movie helped me fall in love with his music and find new respect for the genre. I recommend it to anyone who loves this man, loves these kinds of quirky stories, loves country/folk, or... well, I recommend it to anyone!

Margaret Brown's story of Singer and Songwriter Townes Van Zandt is a wonderful tribute and heartfelt autobiography. In her own retro film style, I felt like I was part of the story of a struggling Musician trying to make it in a world that cared more about the record deal than the songs they produced. Van Zandt stuck to his guns and never sold out and recorded some of finest lyrics and haunting acoustical guitar work anyone has ever heard. The interviews really take you inside this guy's life - head and soul... and raw footage of Townes is aplenty in this film. One comment that will stay with myself forever was a interview with a Tour Manager whom stated: "He was moving up the Concert Tour Circuit... almost to a Motor Coach, YEA, he was ready to go! Van Zandt could care less about so-called fame, and just wrote and played what he felt. And this film sends the message to do whats in your heart, even if it kills ya at a young age. For any Artist, a 'Must See Documentary Film!

John Vizzusi, Behind the Indie Camera / Florida Film Monthly

I went to see this film with a limit knowledge of the mans music and next to nothing on the life of the man. This film give a great look into a songwriter that has the ability to put into word, what many people will fail to feel in their lifetime. The mix of footage from the Townes own home footage to live performances and interviews with the people who know him make the whole experience a full one and as you leave you will understand how unique he was, his talent was and his effect on people. The film has been made is such a way that it provides a full spectrum into the life. You will both laugh and feel sorrow at the events that made up the life of Townes Van Zandt.

A must see for music lovers.....