The Secret to a Happy Ending (Barr Weisman) ***1/2
In recent years, not only has the Atlanta Film Festival turned opening and closing night into big event films, but they've also strongly catered to local interest. Films like The Lena Baker Story and Last Days of Left Eye have opened the festival in recent years, and Freedom Riders was this year's opener. This year's closing night film was Barr Weisman's The Secret to a Happy Ending, a documentary about the Drive By Truckers, a southern rock band based in Athens, GA. It turns out to be a solidly entertaining rock documentary about a very engaging band.
The Drive by Truckers were formed in 1996 by musicians Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley. At first, they were a small band that released a couple of LP's and went on tour with a revolving door of musicians in the background. In 2001, they had finally set on a stable group and recorded their most ambitious album called Southern Rock Opera. They started to get alot of attention at this point with favorable reviews and a defining point for the band (and a major focus of the film) happened when guitarist Jason Isbell joined the group.
Isbell's narration opens the film fairly ominously as he notes that the idea for the band sounds like one that would never work, but that it did work and he hopes it still will in the future. This certainly promises that we will witness some tension over the next two hours. However, while the film does explore some of the tension, it is done in a more laid back fashion. Weisman is more interested in exploring their inspiration for the songs they write and the emotional impact that music has on both the band and their fans.
One of the most interesting songs is "The Southern Thing", which talks about duality in the south. The band is very proud of their southern roots, but also recognize much of the negative aspects in southern history. For example, witness these powerful lyrics, "You think I'm dumb, maybe not too bright/You wonder how I sleep at night/Proud of the glory, stare down the shame/Duality of the southern thing". The film also talks about the background of many of their other songs, included the song that inspired the film's title.
Last year's festival included a documentary called We Fun, which focused on the local Atlanta music scene. I really disliked the film because the music it chose to showcase was underwhelming and the bands documented came across as egotistical jerks or bizarre performance artists. Thus it was smart for Weisman to focus more on the music than on the interfighting. Two of the band mates were married and later got divorced, one of them (Isbell) eventually leaving the band. The film only briefly covers these topics, which may alienate some viewers, but fits in with the film's overall tone.
Unlike other rock documentaries, you're not going to find the visceral concert footage set in large venues. Weisman's film definitely has a rough edge to it, but that not only fits in with the dive bars and local playhouses that the band performs in, but also the 70s style rock sound that the band so memorably captures. The Secret to a Happy Ending is a documentary that features great music and winning personalities. It is a terrific choice for closing night and definitely a "Happy Ending" for the festival.
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