Rock
Star (2001)
If Mark Wahlberg isn't the nicest, most
polite, most humble young male actor on the face of
the Earth, he sure plays it well. In "Rock Star,"
as in "Boogie
Nights" and "The
Big Hit," Wahlberg walks through almost every
frame with that "Aw shucks" grin on his face and greets
every other older male on screen with a "Sir." It
doesn't matter, to me anyway, that this character
is a repeat of sorts of his other screen characters
because, gosh darn it, I like this guy. And not only
that, in "Rock Star" Wahlberg spends much time with
his hunky, hairless chest exposed and his long hair
extensions drooping down over his eyes. He's just
hot.
Make no mistake about it though, "Rock
Star" is an awesome film. Director Stephen Herek,
who helmed the equally masterful "Mr. Holland's Opus,"
has a deft touch and a keen eye for subtlety. It doesn't
hurt either that he's working from a really well crafted
script by John Stockwell. Herek molds a story here
that is real, honest, poignant and important. It deconstructs
all of our American youth mythology about rock idols
while never going over-the-top and never once relying
on cliches. This isn't the youthful exuberance of
Cameron Crowe's "Almost Famous," where someone simply
gets to observe. Here, Wahlberg becomes the object
of his affection: a bonafide Rock God!
How cool is this: In the film, Wahlberg
plays a lead singer of a tribute band that covers
all the tunes by Steel Dragon, a heavy metal band.
When the popular band fires the lead singer, they
hire Wahlberg to replace him. His manager and girlfriend,
Emily, played quite nicely by Jennifer Aniston, follows
him with the band. There is much sex and drugs involved
in their new life. Emily, tired of the scene, rather
than being a bitch or causing big scenes, simply decides
to go back home and get on with her life. That's refreshing.
There's no overt drama here.
And maybe that will turn some folks
off. Because "Rock Star" is nothing if not subtle.
It doesn't rely on huge emotional blow-ups to propel
the story. Rather, Stockwell creates real characters
with real depth and Herek finds just the perfect actors
to portray them. For all his grinning simplicity,
Wahlberg's Chris Coles is a real person with real
emotions and real dreams. His evolution during the
film is quite nice. Meanwhile, Aniston's Emily is
also quite real and quite simply drawn. Aniston may
not break any new ground here, but she proves she
is an actress of considerable talent who can play
a nice girl. The chemistry she creates with Wahlberg
is palpable and we enjoy watching the trajectory of
their relationship, even if its plot is slightly comfortable
and obvious. We don't mind watching because we don't
feel manipulated.
Herek has two really nice moments in
a film that is filled with nice moments. In the first,
after Wahlberg's first real concert with the metal
band, a party takes place in a club that finds Wahlberg
and Aniston dancing to the dark refrains of Ted Nugent's
"Stranglehold." As the song draws us into this nighttime
world of sexual liberation, drugs and new found freedom,
Aniston and Wahlberg dance with other partners. While
it doesn't appear that Wahlberg dances with a male,
Aniston does dance with other females and males. Here,
using only music and movement on screen, Herek says
everything we need to know about how these characters'
lives are going to change. It is breathtaking.
The morning after this event is quite
interesting too, with Wahlberg and Aniston waking
up amidst the early morning light in a room that has
been trashed, filled with several naked women. Again,
Aniston does not freak out or have a fight with Wahlberg.
They agree to not talk about it. Because, in this
film, she is as complex as he is, and she has partaken
in the orgy just as he has. She is not relegated to
"girlfriend" mode here. She has more depth than simply
being that standard character.
Another scene, later in the film, finds
Aniston riding in a limo with the other musicians'
wives. As she looks out the window contemplating her
situation, the device of a screen within a screen
lets us in on her thoughts. It's a cinematic moment
that looks cool and solidifies what a character is
going through. Again without dialogue to act as exposition,
Herek works magic cinematically here.
If I have any complaint about the film,
it is that the handling of gay character Bobby Beers,
as played by Jason Flemyng, is a little touchy. Beers
is the fired lead singer of Steel Dragon. In a mirroring
of the film's source story, the events surrounding
the heavy metal band Judas Priest, Beers represents
JP's lead singer Rob Halford. Beers announces his
homosexuality to the group, of which they are fully
aware, and then acts like a bitter, sad old queen.
It's not a very nice character and his treatment is
a bit off key. This is, however, a minor trifle as
it is probably somewhat realistic and honest. It just
sticks out a bit like a sore thumb in the film.
Wahlberg acts just like a wannabe minor
musician who gets a shot at the big time. His huge
smile at his luck in the film fits perfectly with
what the film is trying to say. For every "Mirror
Star" out there who ever dreamed about being a Rock
God or Goddess (and what teenager hasn't?), "Rock
Star" lets us live that dream. And then let's us revel
in the fact that it isn't all it's cracked up to be.
But instead of a bitter and disillusioned film about
the horrors of fame, Herek and Stockwell gives us
a film about real people and real emotions. "Rock
Star" lets us live the dream, and then lets us wake
up. The film chooses the ending we would choose ourselves
and lets us know we would be right in choosing it.
Note:
Also with real rock musicians like
Zakk Wylde, Jason Bonham, Jeff Pilson and Brian Vander
Ark in the cast. Also with Timothy Spall.
Several 80's songs appear on the soundtrack
like "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, some Bon
Jovi and Def Leppard. Humorous discussions about Wham
and other pop bands also appear.
The Steel Dragon songs are sung by
Wahlberg and others. I don't think that is Wahlberg
singing the Chris Coles song at the end of the movie.
During production, the film was known
as "Metal God." The film sat on the shelf for a while
and the title "So You Want to be a Rock Star" was
also considered.
During the end credits, outtakes are
shown including a segment of Wahlberg on stage where
the crew think it is funny to play "Good Vibrations"
by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. Wahlberg looks
none too amused.
At one time Brad Pitt (now Aniston's
husband) was attached to star but dropped out when
he and the studio could not agree on a director.
Stockwell spent time on the road with
Priest and Pantera researching the script.
