I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
Release Date:
July 26, 2002
Limited release
Shunned by their record company. Asked to change their music. Released from their contract. Deluged with over thirty offers from other record companies. Frustrated. Confused. Triumphant. On film.
I Am Trying To Break Your Heart started out as a simple documentary about the recording of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, the eagerly awaited fourth album by Wilco. Photographer Sam Jones, a loyal fan of the band, had set out to make a film that would help explain his love for his favorite band, but in true Hollywood fashion, in every simple story there is a catch, and invariably, hijinks ensue. Such was the case with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
In the midst of filming, Jones is fortunate to catch the band as they realize that the record company is freezing them out, asking them to change the album, and basically turning on the band. The record company calls the album “a career killer," and as recent reviews will testify, it is anything but that. But what approach will the film take? Will Jones turn this into a larger lesson on how corporate America is killing the artist as musician? Or will this remain a simple tale of a band at odds with their record company and the ultimate conclusion of that saga? Only time will tell, either way, it will be a fascinating film to watch.
The filmmakers, and Jones in particular, have been very public about the battles they faced in making the film. The film’s Web site has clips from the cutting room floor and the filmmaker’s diary. They sell t-shirts to help support the editing and production costs of the movie. The filmmakers are relying on fans to help with marketing and advertising for the film in each town that it plays in, and the grassroots fan based aspect of the film will likely play a sizeable part in the ultimate success of the film.
For any music fan, and particularly for the fervent fans of Wilco, the thought of watching one of America’s most critically acclaimed bands at the height of their creative powers is a tantalizing prospect, the additional drama only serves as a powerful side. Despite that, realistically, I Am Trying To Break Your Heart won’t make much at the box office; quality and interest aside, there’s just not a mass market for product like this. It may not knock out Spider-Man, but the film will find an engaged, loyal, and proud audience. (Noah Schuchman)
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