Every Everything: The Music, Life & Times of Grant Hart

If you're looking for your standard paint by numbers documentary format for just another average dull musician, then this movie is NOT for you!

If instead you're interested in a vivid self portrait of one of music's most original and non-compromising artists of the last 30 years, whose pioneering band (Hüsker Dü) laid the foundation of a lot of modern music without much financial award, then I'd heartily recommend you catch up on the life and times of Grant Hart.

The movie is told entirely by Grant, in his own very honest words, but is neither an ego trip nor a score settling exercise. We hear and see Grant today, as well as through a variety of flashback interviews, photographs and concert footage. Where the documentary breaks from convention is in not always conforming to the normal chronological structure when telling its story. By jumping around in time it keeps the viewer engaged on themes, rather than by the over used "album by album" approach. This is after all Grant's story, and not a Hüsker Dü documentary.

The timing of the movie couldn't be better – Grant has just released a magnificent double album in 2013 to strong critical reviews. After many years, seemingly in the wilderness, this movie gives Grant a new day rising day in the sun, and hopefully more people will seek out his music because of it.

A wistful film, although Mr. Hart doesn't allow you to wallow in that. He is above all himself, 'sh*t happens', and he and the director lay it out as honestly as can be done from a single subject's perspective. It certainly gave me more perspective on Husker Du, I did not listen to them very much in their 1980s heyday. I was less interested in the diary of a band breakup aspect, Mr. Hart is refreshingly not bitter about it. Mr. Bechard has a very good feel and sympathy with his interview subjects, I can see that commonality between his Replacements documentary and this one. This film about Grant Hart is a very worthwhile journey to follow along, in my opinion.

Greetings,

A note on the film.

"Every Everything" grew out of my desire to once again, after "Color Me Obsessed, a film about The Replacements," do a different take on the rock doc genre. I am a huge fan of Errol Morris, and love his "Fog Of War" in which he lets one man, and one man only speak for 100 plus minutes. I kept thinking this would be a great format for a rock doc. But what rock star could sustain a 90 minute conversation? What rock star could keep his ego in check, and really open up, really take us on a journey through his life?

Now we had already interviewed Grant Hart for "Color Me Obsessed," so I knew he was a great interview. But it wasn't until Grant and I shared a table for breakfast in Brussels (when both he and "Color Me" were playing the same Minneapolis homage show) that I knew he would be the perfect subject for this format. Not only had he seen and done almost everything in rock and roll, he possesses a brilliant mind, and he's a great freakin' story-teller.

But even I and my co-producer Jan Radder would hardly be prepared for the brilliance Grant brought to the table during our couple of weeks of filming in the Twin Cities. He laid it all on the line, and hopefully I have done his story justice.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and for hopefully seeking out the film.

Gorman Bechard director/editor

In this wonderful documentary, Gorman Bechard presents us with an intimate and candid portrait of the inimitable Grant Hart. This film subverts the traditional format of the rock documentary and in doing so gives us a compelling, engaging and at times haunting look at an indie rock legend.

Having Grant as the sole narrator of his own story was a great idea, as he is such an intelligent and articulate storyteller. Having others reflect on his career and influence would only serve to distract from what this film is trying to achieve. His story brims with wit, sadness, honesty and told through that slightly sardonic tongue of his we are given a real glimpse of the man who has given us such achingly gorgeous, rousing music through Husker Du, Nova Mob and his own highly eclectic solo career.

Throughout the movie, Hart touches upon his days in Husker Du, his friendship with William S Burroughs , his passion for collage art, his heroin addiction and his family. We are also given a heartbreaking tour of his 'house' that really resonates emotionally when the narrative arrives at the this point in his story. The location settings throughout the interviews are really interesting, and touch upon various points of his life and career.

There is also some wonderful archival footage from the Husker Du/Nova Mob days( the footage of Nova Mob performing 'The Main" is absolute GOLD), as well as 2 hours of extra interview footage on the DVD that is worth the price of admission alone.

An often misunderstood artist, who it seems gets misrepresented in his former songwriter partners more well documented history, 'Every Everything' is a must watch because it attempts to set the record straight without resorting to clichés, resentment and he said/she said bullshit dramatics.

Its hard not to sometimes view Grant as a somewhat tragic and sad figure, but this film is as uncompromising and forward thinking as its subject.

I've been a huge Husker Du fan since 1989 so sadly missed out on getting to see them live but watching this movie about the less celebrated songwriter Grant Hart (who has lived in the shadow of Bob Mould since the band split in 1988) felt special and exciting.

Grant Hart is without doubt a true artist, an intellectual and a great songwriter and musician. In interviews I've read from Hart since Husker split there often seems to be a bitterness towards Mould albeit expressed in a very poetic way but interestingly in the film he seems largely positive about his old hardcore comrade.

The film is lovingly put together and excellently crafted and combines lots of Husker footage with a look right through his career. Hart has an outsiders perspective on life and is a rugged individualist but his sweetness comes through in the film when he expresses sadness at his past drug problems and he beautifully describes how the spirit of his mother lives on and what Patti Smith means to him whom he calls a goddess.

Hart also reaches out to Mould saying lets 'forget 1987' (when things got bad) giving us hope of a Husker reunion one day. I do hope so! I was lucky enough to see the London premiere of this film in Piccadilly today and there was a Q & A with Gorman the director afterwards. A great guy and clearly a big fan of both Husker and the Replacements who has a very warm regard for Grant Hart.

Overall this is an excellent document of the life and times of Grant Hart and redresses the balance in the post-Husker world which has been Mould dominated. More importantly it will stand as a legacy to Hart long after he has gone. Well done Gorman.