Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey

Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey (2012)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Yes, there was a band called Journey before Steve Perry and there was one after. However, what came after Perry left the band didn't really have people lining up to buy massive amounts of tickets but that all changed when the band found Arnel Pineda on YouTube of all places. DON'T STOP BELIEVIN': EVERYMAN'S JOURNEY is an extremely entertaining documentary and I'd be willing to bet that even those who hate the band will find some entertainment to be had here. I will freely admit that I skipped seeing Journey several times because they didn't have Perry but after watching this documentary I went to see the band and they certainly lived up to the hype created in this film. It's pretty remarkable and nearly unbelievable to see how this band changed forms over the decades and especially the great fortune they found when Pineda popped up on YouTube. Hearing the original band members talk about where the band was headed is interesting and what's most interesting is that they all freely and willingly give credit to the "new edition" for bringing in more fans. As for Pineda, it's rather remarkable to see him go from dirty clubs to selling out stadiums in the matter of months and his "journey" to being a rock star is something that's just so hard to believe that if you saw it in a regular movie you'd demand your money back. The film goes into some good detail about the entire history of the band but the most fascinating moments show what happens before concerts where we get to see the band traveling on the tour bus, messing around backstage and of course getting ready for shows.

The 55th San Francisco International Film Festival recently closed with a screening of "Don't Stop Believin' - Everyman's Journey," Ramona Diaz's new documentary chronicling the journey of Arnel Pineda. His trek from a Phillipine cover band to lead vocalist for the classic rock band "Journey" (via You Tube) is an incredible story.

Diaz got a "heads up" from a Phillipine emigration official and jumped on the opportunity to capture Pineda's growth from anxious audition-er to full-fledged rock star. From recording studio to concert tour bus, to venues around the United States and - finally - to a triumphant Manila concert, you can't help but root for this incredible likable performer. Pineda is genuinely humbled by the opportunity given him, and always seems to be waiting for the balloon to burst.

The other members of "Journey" (Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain, Ross Valory, Deen Castronovo) quickly realize they've managed to capture 'lightning in a bottle' again, and mentor Pineda through the hard times of touring. As we already know how the story turns out, there's a noticeable lack of suspense or conflict - or at least any that we see. Schon hinted at the Q&A after the screening that he may have been a bit problematic at times, but it doesn't show in the finished film.

At just under two hours, the film is a bit too long for its own good. The scenes "on the road" get a bit repetitive and, as I stated earlier, we already know how the story ends. The film's excess length is almost made up for by the personable Pineda and, indeed, all the members of the band. Almost, but not quite. This was the second time I'd screened the film, but my first time with an audience. While the film plays much better in a theatre with a kick-ass sound system set to "11" and surrounded by fans, I could sense the audience start to get a bit restless when the film started to drag.

Perhaps they were getting restless hoping for the band to come up on stage for the post-screening Q&A. Indeed they did, along with Director Diaz and the film's producers. After a few expected questions ("Have you ever met Steve Perry?") I managed to get one in that expanded on a statement made by a fan in the film. A Phillipino fan says something along the lines that the band "didn't realize that when they made Pineda their lead singer that they were adopting an entire country." I asked the members of the band how this new fan base had impacted them. Jonathan Cain stated how appreciative they were, especially for the fact they "actually buy CD's." Pineda chimed in "and merchandise!" Ross Valory also jumped in to confirm another statement made in the film, that the Phillipino fan's "won't take NO for an answer!" He didn't elaborate.

"Don't Stop Believin - Everyman's Journey" is a rock and roll film minus the sex and drugs (for the most part.) It is a joyous film, a "Horatio Alger" tale for the rock and roll age and, needless to say, the soundtrack ROCKS!

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I am a Journey fan, but I am not the biggest fan by any means. This documentary took me by surprise. The story is almost unbelievable at first. It is well produced. It has a nice balance of on stage live music ,one on one interviews, interviews with the whole band, and fan interviews. I have watched it multiple times with different friends, and I enjoyed each viewing. I have honestly never considered hunting down a Journey tour, partly because I didn't realize they were still touring. After watching this I went to Journey's website and checked out their current tour line-up. As of today, there is nothing close enough for me, but i am keeping my eyes peeled. Rock on Journey!

Amazing modern day Horatio Alger story about Arnel Pineda, a Philippinno man who was pulled from obscurity to become the new lead signer for the band Journey. Besides simply getting to see lots of great concert footage of a great band, along with a well told backstory of the band, the star of this film is Pineda and his story. Pineda grew up as a homeless youth in the Philippines singing in a band with his friends to make ends meet, among other things. As an adult, he was still no longer homeless, but still living a very impoverished life, when Neal Schon of Journey happened upon a YouTube video of Pineda and his band performing covers of Journey songs and was blown away. Pineda is a true talent and this film presents the amazing story of his dreams coming true, as much to his delight the band, and to millions of fans across the globe.

Ramona Diaz' "Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey" may not be the most "important" documentary of the past several years, but it is certainly one of the most fascinating. And uplifting.

The movie begins with a predicament: the remaining members of the classic rock group Journey have decided to both return to the studio to start recording new material and go on tour where they will need to perform all their familiar hits for their millions of rabid fans who are expecting them to sound the way they did decades before. Yet, their lead singer, Steve Perry, has long since left the group. What are a bunch of aging rockers to do? The answer they come up with is to mount a search for someone who can approximate Perry's distinctive and universally recognizable vocal stylings. That's where Arnel Pineda comes in - an amateur singer in the Philippines who had previously posted 60 videos of himself mainly doing cover versions of Journey's hits on-line. The similarity between his voice and the voice of Perry is uncanny, so the group plucks him out of obscurity and puts him front-and-center with them on stage and in the studio. This movie is a record of that experience.

To show just how far he's risen, the movie briefly chronicles Arnel's hardscrabble life as an orphan in the Philipines, often living on the streets, literally singing for his supper and that of his siblings. Drug and alcohol abuse and a broken marriage also figure prominently in Arnel's pre-Journey history. But all that is in the past, as now he not only gets to perform with his favorite band, but he is happily married with a young daughter. Indeed, the only negative aspect of the tour for Arnel is that it requires him to be away from his home and loved ones for such an extended period of time. But such is the life of a rock star.

The movie also fleshes out the history of the band itself, from its years of worldwide success to its periods of wilderness-wandering obscurity, from its temporary dissolution in the '90s to its successful comeback today. These experienced, wiser heads are able to keep this newbie focused on not only what is good about touring, but the potential pitfalls that await someone not ready for all that comes with fame and glory and life on the road. Thanks in large part to them but also to his own inner strength of character, Arnel is able to keep his feet planted firmly on the ground, even while his head is, understandably, in the clouds.

And indeed throughout the experience, Arnel remains a humble, self-effacing figure, a man who, despite being overwhelmed by the adoration of Journey's fans, never allows himself to forget where it is he came from and how extraordinarily blessed he is in being able to live out this never-in-my-wildest-dreams fantasy-come-true.

As for the original members of the band - Neal Schon, Ross Valory, Jonathan Cain, Deen Castronova - they do tend to become bit-players in the film while Arnel takes center stage, but it is clear that they are equally cognizant of the fact they owe as much to Arnel as he does to them for helping make this hugely successful comeback possible. It is obvious that the members not only welcome Arnel in with "open arms" but that a genuine bond of fellowship and friendship has developed amongst them.

As Arnel himself admits, this is really a rock music Cinderella story with Neil Schon, who discovered him, as the fairy godmother and the tour the grand ball.

And the whole thing culminates in a raucous performance of "Don't Stop Believing" before a stadium full of screaming, adoring Filipino fans, all beaming with pride at the sight of a home town boy hitting the big time - and if that scene doesn't leave you with a lump in your throat and a chill running up and down your spine, you just might want to get those two organs checked out for defectiveness.

Even those who don't much care for Journey - if any such people exist amongst us - can have a great time with this film.