This documentary is an homage to Townes Van Zandt, considered by many in the music industry to be the "world's greatest songwriter". Although his music has been covered by artists as varied as Emmylou Harris, the Meat Puppets, Willy Nelson, Bob Dylan and The Cowboy Junkies, Van Zandt never was able to score a hit of his own. Be Here to Love Me, from director Margaret Brown, uses archive footage, home videos, interviews and rarely seen concert recordings to tell the man's story.
Van Zandt was born into wealth, but found himself feeling like an outsider. At one point during his teenage years, he was curious as to what it might be like to fall off a balcony, so he did. At that point, it was determined that he was suffering from depression, and he was put through several rounds of shock therapy that almost proved to be fatal for him. He left the hospital three month's later with literally no memory of his past, but his depression was still present. It was this depression, along with an addiction to drugs and alcohol, that fueled his creativity.
Uncomfortable with success despite his need for it, Van Zandt could best be viewed as a natural vagabond with a gift for words. He's been called "the James Joyce" of songwriting. Palm Pictures will continue their effort to be one of the premiere indie distributors for music-driven projects as they will offer this movie up for limited release in North America. (Kim Hollis/BOP)
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