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Music biopics are undeniably difficult to nail. Information about various groups and artists usually pours from a number of different biographies and sources, fallouts, tears and tantrums inevitably being swallowed up in a whirlwind of uncertainty. The presence of the musicians as advisors and producers on the films adds a strong, troublesome dollop of subjectivity to creative proceedings.
From the slight, factual niggles that drive die hard fans up the wall, and the discrediting of movies from angry family members, to the unforgivable omissions of key events and character motivations, here's just a sample of music biopics that often missed the mark.
Straight Outta Compton (2015)
It’s been widely reported by now, but almost every aspect of the hugely successful N.W.A biopic was shrouded in lies and conjecture. Firstly, Dre certainly wasn’t the angelic glue that held the group together - in fact, he was allegedly responsible for a number of vicious assaults on women, including the journalist Dee Barnes.
After Barnes' FOX show, Pump It Up! showed interview footage of Ice Cube speaking ill of the rest of N.W.A, the group were furious and Dre ran into her in a nighclub. After a statement from Barnes, a 1991 Rolling Stone article explained that Dre “began slamming her face and the right side of her body repeatedly against a wall near the stairway" and "grabbed her from behind by the hair and proceeded to punch her in the back of the head."
The film also simultaneously praises the late Eazy E. and soils all over his reputation, placing practically all the blame for the group’s fallout on his shoulders and presenting him as a blubbering, whimpering mess. A particularly diminishing scene in which Eazy E. coughs and wheezes during his house foreclosure is reportedly a complete work of fiction, with the Straight Outta Comtpon publicist Phyllis claiming that he had $30 million in the bank when he passed away.
The Runaways
The story of the all-female rock band that briefly took the ’70s by storm is notably inaccurate due to some key omissions that could have turned the whole tone of the film on its head. Adapted from singer Cherie Currie’s memoir, Neon Angel, and executive-produced by her former bandmate Joan Jett, the film’s focus falls primarily on their characters and embraces a simplified approach to the band’s origins.
When promoting the film, Currie both noted that its emphasis on the grim side of being a rock star isn’t completely accurate and mentioned places where writer/director Floria Sigismondi lightened the story, the film-maker choosing to leave out the startling fact that Currie was raped by her sister’s boyfriend.
Most importantly, though, is the depiction of Kim Fowley, the selfish and ruthless man with the idea of forming a group of sexually provocative, underage girls. Since his death earlier this year, a Huffington Post story has emerged in which Jackie Fuchs (bass player for the Runaways under the name Jackie Fox) claims Fowley raped her while Currie and Jett simply watched on. Fuchs refused to have anything to do with the film and casts a huge shadow of doubt over the whole biopic.
CBGB
Unfortunately, it's much easier to note what this biopic about Hilly Kristal and his notorious and iconic club gets right than the endless list of stuff it gets wrong. Indeed, there was a club called CBGB. Indeed, influential acts like Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, Talking Heads and Blondie played there. Beyond these key facts, you won’t be learning a lot about CBGB and the vital hub it became for the rapidly evolving punk scene.
The film moves through a swarm of famous (and not so famous) faces, playing everyone from Debbie Harry (Malin Akerman) to Iggy Pop (Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins). First and foremost, the creative decision to have actors lip-syncing to the studio versions of famous songs isn't particularly helpful in creating a gritty, New York vibe. In fact, it turns the whole thing into a farce from the get go.
The film is so distracted by focusing on Severus Snape, (Alan Rickman as Hilly Kristal) that it fails to capture the spirit of punk, as well as making a sea of factual errors that are pretty unforgivable. See: Patti Smith playing her Bruce Sprinsgteen co-written 'Because The Night' at the club five years before it was created, and The Ramones playing a song during their audition that wasn't written until a number of years later. Most notably, there's almost a complete lack of anyone of colour, despite the undeniable importance of groups like Bad Brains, Living Colour and Fish Bone in the New York punk scene at the time.
Walk The Line
During a family-only screening of the biopic back in 2005, Kath Cash, one of Johnny Cash’s five children, walked out on five different occasions due to the portrayal of her mother, Vivian Liberto Distin, the late artist’s first wife. "My mom was basically a nonentity in the entire film except for the mad little psycho who hated his career. That’s not true. She loved his career and was proud of him until he started taking drugs and stopped coming home," Kathy Cash said.
The picture was also criticised for shying away from the depiction of Cash's family, particularly the effect on his four daughters during his struggle with drug addiction and the resulting divorce from their mother. Predominantly based on Cash's auto-biography, Man In Black: His Own Story In His Own Words, the film portrays the man at his best and worst, but more insight into his daughters would have been an insightful approach.
