Neil Young: Heart of Gold (2006)

Director:

Jonathan Demme

Release Date:

11 May 2006 (Australia)

Genre:

Documentary | Music

Tagline:

From the director of one of the greatest music movies ever - The Talking Heads' STOP MAKING SENSE

Plot:

A film shot over during a two-night performance by Neil Young at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. |

Plot Keywords:

Ryman Auditorium | Song | Singing | Country Music | Concert Film

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Neil Young	...	Himself
Emmylou Harris	...	Herself
Ben Keith	...	Himself
Spooner Oldham	...	Himself
Rick Rosas	...	Himself
Karl T. Himmel	...	Himself (as Karl Himmel)
Chad Cromwell	...	Himself
Wayne Jackson	...	Himself
Pegi Young	...	Herself
Grant Boatwright	...	Himself
Diana DeWitt	...	Herself
Gary W. Pigg	...	Himself (as Gary Pigg)
Anthony Crawford	...	Himself
Tom McGinley	...	Himself
Jimmy Sharp	...	Himself

Also Known As:

Prairie Wind (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for some drug-related lyrics.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

UK:PG | Australia:G | Ireland:G | Sweden:Btl | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | Singapore:PG | Finland:K-3 | USA:PG (MPAA #42291)

Filming Locations:

Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Company:

Clinica Estetico

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Heart of Gold: 'Rehearsal Diaries' (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

Prairie Wind

Neil Fans Will Love It, Others May Be More Age-Related

Hard for me to filter out my decades-long love for this man and his music from my comments.

As a "Concert-Movie"--and I've seen most of them going back to the early 1970s-- it might be the best I have ever seen.

I'm absolutely planning to see it again, maybe more than once. Demme's touch allowing the musicians/the music/the locale to tell the stories was masterful; I felt the editing might have been technically a bit choppy but as "grit/context" it was excellent (kind of "Last Waltz" like but a bit smoother).

But the sub-text that will get to some but not all Neil Young fans (I feel all Neil fans will flat-out absolutely love this movie): this great great man and musician is clearly reflecting on his life in his music, in his banter and in his eyes.

The aneurysm was an unbelievable muse, both in looking back and (hopefully,gently) looking forward. He like me (I'm about his age)--and this is why I suspect the degree of connection to this film might be somewhat related to age--knows most is behind, we hope there's still stuff ahead. This was in there somewhere in each of the film's songs.

The close-ups of everyone are off-putting at first and then I came to treasure the "intimacy".

And never before have I witnessed a film's content-- the great songs that made the final cut--so consistently compatible with this awesome "old man, taking a look at (his) life", surrounded by his "friends" (those that are left), in words, music and atmosphere.

Music lovers: don't miss this movie. Great job by Mr. Demme!!!