New York Doll (2005)

Director:

Greg Whiteley

Release Date:

28 October 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Music

Tagline:

one man. two journeys.

Plot:

A recovering alcoholic and recently converted Mormon, Arthur "Killer" Kane, of the rock band The New York Dolls, is given a chance at reuniting with his band after 30 years. |

Plot Keywords:

Mormon | Rock Band | Interview | Bassist | Rock 'n' Roll

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Nina Antonia	...	Herself
Bishop Bragg	...	Himself
Clem Burke	...	Himself
Leee Black Childers	...	Himself
Steve Conte	...	Himself
Bob Geldof	...	Himself
Chrissie Hynde	...	Herself
Frank Infante	...	Himself
David Johansen	...	Himself
Mick Jones	...	Himself
Arthur Kane	...	Himself
Barbara Kane	...	Herself
Brian Koonin	...	Himself
Dawn Laureen	...	Herself
Don Letts	...	Himself
Bishop MacGregor	...	Himself
Steven Patrick Morrissey	...	Himself (as Morrissey)
Iggy Pop	...	Himself
Sylvain Sylvain	...	Himself
Sirius Trixon	...	Himself
Sami Yaffa	...	Himself

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for drug content.

Runtime:

75 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

UK:12A | Canada:14A (Ontario) | USA:PG-13

Company:

One Potato Productions

Blessed are the meek rock 'n roll gods, for they shall inherit the earth

What an enchanting little slice of wish-fulfillment cinema -- I love, love, love it. The thing is, this is not a saccharine Hollywood screenplay, Disneyfied for your viewing pleasure -- it is a real-life fairy tale inhabited by defiant glam rockers and blessed with a glorious racket of a soundtrack. Quirky, charming Arthur Kane guilelessly lays out his life for our examination -- his brief, joyous days of fame, fortune, and fabulous platform boots; his years of remorse and despair, boozing amid the ruins of youthful dreams; the healing peace of his newfound faith; and finally his giddy return to the beginning, as he finds himself in leather pants once again, this time viewing his fame and friendships with a wisdom, humor, and gratitude dearly bought over long years of struggle and spiritual redemption.

He is not so very remarkable, really, and that is what sets this piece apart from rockumentaries and gives it a warmth and depth that is lacking in that worshipful genre. Though he spent years living as a rock god, Arthur knows at age 55 that his long-ago life of fame was a gift, not an entitlement, and that he squandered it. Every audience member with a regret becomes invested in Arthur's story. He speaks frankly of his gratitude to God for lifting his sights and hopes again, but admits that the past haunts him even so. That mixture of peace and aching rings true and keeps this film human and honest even as we trail behind him, wide-eyed, watching him stumble gleefully on old joys and bravely confront his demons. There is a contented, bemused look in his eyes as he basks in the happiness of his reunion with friend and bandmate David Johansen while simultaneously parrying David's playful jabs at the finer points of Arthur's conservative Mormon faith. Gone is the glazed, drunken stare of his early days -- he now knows who he is and what he has and drinks every last drop with sober joy.

I take it back -- Arthur is really QUITE remarkable. Not because he and his friends were the toast of New York and London twice in one lifetime, but because he learns to see things as they really are, whether standing at the bottom of the heap or at the top -- an achievement that is easily as rare as rock and roll fame.

New York Doll is a winsome, moving film, and every time I think of it, it makes me smile.