Imagine: John Lennon

IMDb RATING

7.8/10

5.3K

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Biography Documentary Music

A biography of the rock music star.A biography of the rock music star.A biography of the rock music star.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.8/10

5.3K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Top cast44

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John Lennon

Self
(archive footage)
…

Yoko Ono

Self

Paul McCartney

Self
(archive footage)

George Harrison

Self
(archive footage)

Ringo Starr

Self
(archive footage)

David Bowie

Self

Phil Spector

Self
(archive footage)

Cynthia Lennon

Self - John Lennon's first wife

Julian Lennon

Self

Sean Lennon

Self

Al Capp

Self
(archive footage)

May Pang

Self

Neil Aspinall

Self
(archive footage)

Fred Astaire

Self
(archive footage)

The Beatles

Themselves
(archive footage)

Pete Best

Self
(archive footage)

Dick Cavett

Self

Eric Clapton

Self
(archive footage)

Director
- Andrew Solt
Writers
- Sam Egan
- Andrew Solt
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Featured reviews

michaelRokeefe

An insightful look at the life of a complex entertainer.

This is a well done Andrew Solt documentary made up with some wonderful never-before-seen home movies. The late musician's own narration makes for an eerie portrait of the former Beatle. You will see John Lennon as being witty, sarcastic, determined and loyal; but also childish, bawdy, and irreverent. This multi-talented musician will be loved and remembered for generations to come. Over 30 songs make up the soundtrack. Very worthwhile and musically historic.

dbdumonteil

Another 8th of December.....

..... and I'm still thinking of what we lost twenty -six years ago.When I think of all the great songs that never were...

The film begins with the wistful tuneful "real love" which the three other Beatles reworked on the second volume of the anthologies . It's a pretty good documentary although it does not really do the great artist justice.The most interesting moment is the argument with cartoonist Al Capp -who had already made a satirical comic strip about Joan Baez (Joanie Phonie) and was not probably exactly what people called "liberal" - But there are also interesting scenes during the "imagine" album sessions.

Released at the same time as the obnoxious Goldman's trashy book -which I also read and found disgusting-,"Imagine' is a must for any Lennon fan.But once again,THE film about the working class hero remains to be made.

MovieMan0283

Really fascinating footage

As a big Beatles fan, I've seen lots of documentaries and shows about them; but this one has a lot of stuff I've never seen before, mostly because it focuses on John. The music of course is fantastic as always but what's most valuable is the candid looks we get at Lennon. A vagrant, probably stoned, confronts Lennon at his home in England, asking what the different lyrics mean and the ex-Beatle tries to talk some sense, comforting the confused man, and inviting him inside for a meal. It's even eerier considering what a later confused fan was to do. And some of the strongest parts of the film are long sequences of John confronting someone over his antiwar politics and tactics. Particularly Al Capp, famous cartoonist of "L'il Abner" who proves to be a royal a**hole here, insulting Yoko and John stays surprisingly level-headed throughout. It's a really dynamic scene. He actually loses his temper more when confronted by a NY Times reporter who tells him how immature it was for him to send back the MBE; he shouts back that maybe she liked the old him, the mop-tops and A Hard Day's Night but she needs to grow up. And finally, there's some footage taken not long before Lennon's death when a young man is thrilled to meet him, asking inevitably "When are you guys gonna get back together?" Little did he know that in a few days (or weeks, I'm not sure when this was taken) that dream would be shattered once in for all.

8Oscar85

Two Decades in the Life

I can't say enough about how much John Lennon's death still hurts me when I think about it, and I wasn't even alive when that terrible date (8 Dec 1980) transpired. But through the duration of "Imagine: John Lennon," I felt at ease with his death. I felt that Lennon was sitting there next to me telling me that he's fine, and that he will never be dead as long as his music live forever in the minds of his fans. Lennon's life was captured brilliantly in this documentary. His brilliance, his unique spirit, and his controversial opinions about the crooked elements of the world are reverently presented. I thanks the makers of this film for omitting the name of the eternally damned soul who selfishly brought the end to the physical life of Lennon. Lennon lives on, but the scars left by his passing will remain. For those who do not know Lennon's life very well, this film is perfect for them. Together, you, me, and Lennon can imagine a world free of hatred in our lives and the lives of future generations. It is possible if we just give peace a chance. I love this movie and it's portrayal of the life of the most influential entertainer of the past couple centuries. What more can be said about such an amazing life?

8preppy-3

Very good moving documentary

In 1987, seven years after John Lennon's tragic murder, a book came out. I've forgotten the title and the author, but it portrayed Lennon VERY negatively. It showed him as a cruel, egotistical monster who abused drugs and alcohol up to his death. The book was written by somebody who had never talked to anybody who knew Lennon. Yoko Ono was shocked and pushed to have this documentary made to set the record straight.

It's full of home movies, news footage, videos all narrated by John Lennon himself (he recorded over 200 hours talking about his life and work). It's not a whitewash of him--it does point out he was a mean drunk and he is shown swearing and telling off Phil Spector in a recording studio when a song was not working out. It also chronicles his remark about the Beatles being "bigger than Jesus Christ" and totally ignores how horribly he treated his first wife Cynthia. But, aside from that footage, there is also interviews with Johns wives, his children and, basically, everyone who knew him (curiously, none of the Beatles were interviewed). He comes across as a very talented, peace-loving man--he has his dark moments but everybody does. His confrontations with Al Capp and Gloria Emerson are just fascinating.

I remember seeing this in a theatre in 1988 and most of the audience walked out crying. 15 years later the ending still packs a punch. It shows people crying at the peace rallies held after Lennon's death and ends with the "Imagine" video him and Yoko did. Also "In My Life" plays over the closing credits. A fascinating, very moving documentary of a great man. Recommended.

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Trivia
The first cut of this movie ran 24 hours long.

Goofs
The comment that Lennon makes about the future of the Beatles after deciding to stop touring is actually two comments edited together.

Quotes
[a homeless-looking young man is found wandering the grounds of Lennon's Tittenhurst Park estate]
John Lennon: Don't confuse the songs with your own life. I mean, they might have relevance to your own life, you know, but a lot of things do. And so we've met, you know? I'm just a guy, man, who writes songs.
Young Man: Yeah, I figured that if we met, I'd know, you know, just by meeting you.
John Lennon: But know what, man?
Young Man: That it all fits, you know?
John Lennon: Anything fits, you know? If you're tripping off on some trip, anything fits, you know?
Young Man: Like when you said "Boy, you're gonna carry that weight for a long time."
John Lennon: That's Paul saying that. But that belongs to all of us. He's singing about all of us.
Young Man: Remember that one, um, "You can radiate everything, or you can penetrate anywhere you go"?
John Lennon: Yeah, I was just having fun with words. It was literally a nonsense song, you know? I mean, Dylan does that. Anybody does that, you know? They just take words and you stick them together and see if they have any meaning. Some of them do. Some of them don't. See, that last album of mine was me coming out of my dream. You can last your whole life on that dream, you know? And then it's all over.
Young Man: You weren't thinking of anyone in particular when you were singing all that?
John Lennon: How could I be thinking of you?
Young Man: Well, I don't know, I don't care, me. But just all--it's all somebody.
John Lennon: I'm thinking about me, or at best, Yoko, if it's a love song. I'm saying, you know, "I had a good shit today" and "this is what I thought this morning" and, uh, you know?" And--or, "I love you, Yoko," or whatever. I'm singing about me and my life, you know? And if it's relevant for other people's lives, that's all right.
[pause]
John Lennon: Are you hungry? Hmm?
Young Man: [nods] Yeah.
John Lennon: Let's give him something to eat.
[John leads the young man inside]