DVD Review: Amazing ‘Pearl Jam Twenty’ Stands Above Other Modern Rock Docs

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CHICAGO – Some of the best documentaries ever made happen to be about music and the creative expression behind it. Whether it be an acknowledged masterpiece like Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Waltz” or Jonathan Demme’s “Stop Making Sense” or the more-recent and smaller films like “Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man” or “Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten.” One of the best ever made recently played at the Siskel Film Center and was on PBS about ten days ago before a DVD release last week — Cameron Crowe’s “Pearl Jam Twenty.” See it.

The writer/director of “Jerry Maguire” and the upcoming “We Bought a Zoo” has been following Pearl Jam for the entirety of their existence. He moved to Seattle at just the right time, as the scene there was about to internationally explode with the likes of Nirvana, Soundgarden, and much more. With an amazing amount of archival footage, some produced by Crowe himself over the years, the incredible director tracks the band from Mother Love Bone through the demo that got Eddie Vedder the job through “Ten” through “Singles” and every other major event in the existence of one of the best rock bands of all time.

Pearl Jam Twenty
Pearl Jam Twenty
Photo credit: Abramorama

From my theatrical review:

“Rarely has a music documentary assembled more fascinating footage of the formation of a band than “Pearl Jam Twenty.” Not only do we hear the actual cassette tape that Vedder sent to Ament & Gossard, called “The Momma-Son Demo,” but we see black & white footage of the second time Pearl Jam ever played on stage. Early interviews with the band, never-before-seen performances, and current reflections by not just Pearl Jam members but other contemporaries (mostly Chris Cornell, who serves as not just a perfect witness for how and when Pearl Jam was formed but played a crucial role with his Mother Love Bone tribute project Temple of the Dog) tell the story of how a bunch of kids went from playing guitars in their basements to Lollapalooza as well as any music documentary in years.

Pearl Jam Twenty was released on DVD on October 24th, 2011
Pearl Jam Twenty was released on DVD on October 24th, 2011
Photo credit: Columbia

“Pearl Jam Twenty” is more than mere archival documentary. It works as a concert film as well with dozens of remarkable performances from the well-known (the career importance of MTV’s “Unplugged” and what that did for the band) to the rarely-seen to the current (and all with some of the best sound I’ve ever heard in a rock doc). Crowe cuts back and forth with his musical selections, often using them as commentary on where the band was in their careers and personal lives. It’s one of the director’s most notable accomplishments – the way he doesn’t just tell the tale chronologically but brilliantly weaves their entire career into one piece about creative integrity and the importance of artistic expression. It makes sense within Crowe’s vision of the film that a current performance of “Release” could be used to talk about the importance of the songwriting process to a young Vedder. The song still has resonance for the lead singer. It still means something. And that’s one of the reasons the band has not just survived but thrived for two decades. They’ve never lost sight of what’s important to them. The songs always mean something.

More than any rock doc in years, a band has found a filmmaker who completely understands them. Crowe tackles a lot with “Pearl Jam Twenty,” jumping from the band’s early days to the Ticketmaster hearings to Bush protests to today – with a ton of stories and musical performances along the way. “Pearl Jam Twenty” runs over two hours but never sags. If anything, it feels like it could have been longer as the band’s recent creative endeavors are somewhat skipped over as the film nears its close. If there’s one complaint, it’s that the film moves awful quickly through the second half of the “Twenty.”

One of the many interesting things about “Pearl Jam Twenty” to this viewer is how much of the band’s trajectory was a stroke of luck, fate, destiny, or whatever you want to call it. If Andy Wood had never died would Mother Love Bone still be rocking? Would Eddie have found another band? What if Chris Cornell hadn’t help give him the stage confidence he needed? What if Kurt Cobain’s death hadn’t taught the band to re-assess their priorities in light of the mainstream’s eye? What if…? Great bands are as much a product of unexpected meetings – the right demo, the right performance, the right audience for the right show – as anything else, and “Pearl Jam Twenty” makes that crystal clear.”

I was hoping to do more than recreate my theatrical review but the non-exclusive (fan club members apparently had access to a much deeper edition) DVD of “Pearl Jam Twenty” is pretty light on special features and merely adequate in its technical presentation. The version we received for review contains a few extra features, listed below, but is ultimately pretty light given the DAYS of material that must have been available. I was hoping for full performances, more interviews, maybe a music video — hopefully, a special edition Blu-ray will be available to the masses soon (this version will be out in January in HD but it’s unclear if the special features will be more impressive). Until then, this mediocre edition of this stellar film should be seen by every music fan alive.

Special Features:
o Mike McCready Writing “Faithfull”
o Jeff Ament in Montana
o Stone Gossard Seattle Driving Tour
o Boom Gaspar Joins the Band
o Eddie Vedder House Tour
o Matt Cameron Writing “The Fixer”
o “No Anything”
o “Come Back”

“Pearl Jam Twenty” was directed by Cameron Crowe and was released on DVD on October 24th, 2011.

HollywoodChicago.com content director Brian Tallerico

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

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