New York Doll

I watched "New York Doll" with intense fascination and moment by moment trepidation, wondering at what point the staunch beliefs of the Mormon church would clash with the life of former rock star Arthur "Killer" Kane. To my utter surprise, as reflected by the "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" performance by David Johansen (which is one of the most brilliant juxtapositions ever in music), the empathetic sensitivities of Kane's rocker friends to his conversion to the church and the church's non-judgmental support of his life and dream of reuniting with "his friends" revealed a natural symbiosis I never thought I would see. It has literally renewed my faith in people!

First, I confess that I never "got" The New York Dolls.

Second, this is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen.

The film is a bittersweet, understated but fascinating portrayal of Arthur Kane, the one-time degenerate New York Doll bass player turned Mormon, as he prepares for a reunion concert with his former band mates, and, as it turns out, a far more important gig. The filmmaker treats all of the subjects(including Morrissey, David Johanssen, numerous LDS members, the LDS Church itself, and most of all, Kane) with dignity and respect, and without judgment. The film's unstated message of tolerance and understanding makes this worth watching by all.

I went to see "New York Doll" expecting to see a Rock documentary. Instead I found the movie to be a touching and heartfelt look at a former rock stars religious conversation.

Arthur "Killer" Kane hit rock bottom with alcohol, but he turned to the Bible and to his church. Its an amazing story about how having faith can really help you change your life and fulfill your dream.

I liked that the movie was not preachy against rock music. It showed his Ministers and how they spiritually supported his decision to play again with the band. And I think Arthur portrayed such a fine example of his Morman faith when he got back together with his band mates and dealt with the bad feelings of the past.

The film interviews both Rock Stars, and Mormon Church Members, all talking about Arthur and the New York Dolls. In doing this, it shows both sides of Arthur Kane - the RockStar, and the Devout Mormon. This is a very touching tribute to this member of the New York Dolls.

I caught this film at the Sundance Film Festival. It was one of the most popular films of the series. I'm not a big rock fan nor am I a documentary junkie, but I really liked this film. The back story was that the director began filming the story of a fallen rocker just as amazing things began to happen in his life. Catch it if you have a chance.

Here is the Sundance write up. New York Doll relates the meteoric rise, resounding fall, and recent all-too-brief resurrection of the seminal New York glam-rock-punk band, the New York Dolls, but it is foremost a story about the band's amazing bassist and leader, Arthur "Killer" Kane. With empathy, respect, and humor, director and friend Greg Whiteley follows Kane and interviews key musicians, friends, and colleagues to uncover the legacy of the Dolls and their significant impact on the London music scene in the dizzying heyday of the early 1970s.

After Kane and his band bottom-out on drugs and alcohol, he disappears from music, embracing a surprisingly different path when he becomes a born-again Mormon. When rocker Morrissey organizes a London reunion of the New York Dolls, Kane buys his guitar back from a pawnshop, takes leave of his Family Center library job, and heads back to New York City to prepare for an unlikely comeback.

How will the reconstituted band pull off its first performance in 30 years? Can these musicians possibly recapture the energy and élan that made them legends in their own brief time? What awaits Kane after his short reprise in the spotlight? The answers make New York Doll an entertaining, exhilarating, warmly human, and ultimately bittersweet paean to an era and the man lovingly described by friend and band member David Johansen as "the miracle of God's creation."— Diane Weyermann

What an enchanting little slice of wish-fulfillment cinema -- I love, love, love it. The thing is, this is not a saccharine Hollywood screenplay, Disneyfied for your viewing pleasure -- it is a real-life fairy tale inhabited by defiant glam rockers and blessed with a glorious racket of a soundtrack. Quirky, charming Arthur Kane guilelessly lays out his life for our examination -- his brief, joyous days of fame, fortune, and fabulous platform boots; his years of remorse and despair, boozing amid the ruins of youthful dreams; the healing peace of his newfound faith; and finally his giddy return to the beginning, as he finds himself in leather pants once again, this time viewing his fame and friendships with a wisdom, humor, and gratitude dearly bought over long years of struggle and spiritual redemption.

He is not so very remarkable, really, and that is what sets this piece apart from rockumentaries and gives it a warmth and depth that is lacking in that worshipful genre. Though he spent years living as a rock god, Arthur knows at age 55 that his long-ago life of fame was a gift, not an entitlement, and that he squandered it. Every audience member with a regret becomes invested in Arthur's story. He speaks frankly of his gratitude to God for lifting his sights and hopes again, but admits that the past haunts him even so. That mixture of peace and aching rings true and keeps this film human and honest even as we trail behind him, wide-eyed, watching him stumble gleefully on old joys and bravely confront his demons. There is a contented, bemused look in his eyes as he basks in the happiness of his reunion with friend and bandmate David Johansen while simultaneously parrying David's playful jabs at the finer points of Arthur's conservative Mormon faith. Gone is the glazed, drunken stare of his early days -- he now knows who he is and what he has and drinks every last drop with sober joy.

I take it back -- Arthur is really QUITE remarkable. Not because he and his friends were the toast of New York and London twice in one lifetime, but because he learns to see things as they really are, whether standing at the bottom of the heap or at the top -- an achievement that is easily as rare as rock and roll fame.

New York Doll is a winsome, moving film, and every time I think of it, it makes me smile.