Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream (2007)

"Runnin' Down A Dream," a film directed by cinema legend Peter Bogdanovich, is the story of one of America's great rock and roll bands told as never before.

Director:

Peter Bogdanovich

Stars:

Neil Armstrong, Mick Avory, Ron Blair

1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
Neil Armstrong	...	Self (voice) (archive footage)
Mick Avory	...	Self (archive footage)
Ron Blair	...	Self
Peter Bogdanovich	...	Self (voice)
Jackson Browne	...	Self
Mike Campbell	...	Self
Johnny Cash	...	Self (archive footage)
Gene Clark	...	Self (archive footage)
Mike Clarke	...	Self (archive footage)
Denny Cordell	...	Self
Carol Coughlin	...	Self - Reporter (voice) (archive footage)
David Crosby	...	Self (archive footage)
Ray Davies	...	Self (archive footage)
Johnny Depp	...	Self
George Drakoulias	...	Self

Storyline

"Runnin' Down A Dream," a film directed by cinema legend Peter Bogdanovich, is the story of one of America's great rock and roll bands told as never before.

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Plot Keywords:

hare krishna | rock star | rock music | rock concert | rock band | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Music

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Quotes

Benmont Tench: Fucking play it - we're musicians! We're in the goddamn rock and roll Hall of Fame. Play your fucking guitars! Jesus.
Tom Petty: You're too reserved, you hold yourself in.

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Connections

Features Rio Bravo (1959)

User Reviews

Great trip for children of the 60s

If you were a teenager during the turbulent 60s and have even a passing interest in Petty's music, you should thoroughly enjoy this film. I'm about the same age as Petty and can totally relate to the influences that drove him to rock stardom. This movie was a real trip down memory lane and a huge eye opener in terms of the talents of Petty and his amazing band. Its a remarkable story really given Petty's very modest background and growing up in the somewhat rural Gainesville Florida. Fortunately, the University of Florida is there, which provided Petty's early band with an eager audience during the formative years. Even more amazing is how at one point, they simply decided to drive to California with some audition tapes and get a contract. And they did! Who knew it was so easy, although there were plenty of bumps along the way. The movie also provides pretty good insight into the ugly underbelly of the music industry and how they manipulate new artists to their own ends. If you are not a huge Petty fan, you will probably be surprised by how many hits this band had. It's pretty remarkable. All the more so that they can still play them all to perfection, despite their advancing age. Few groups of this age can make that claim. I wasn't a huge Petty fan until I saw this documentary. I was so impressed by Petty the person, and a realization that a lot of their songs were pretty easy to play (just from watching them play, I recognized the basic chords), that I took up guitar again after a 40 year hiatus. And I have actually become a much better guitar player than when I quit in frustration as a teenager. Its a fun ride with some intriguing personalities. Petty comes off as a pretty down to earth person, as does most of his band. A refreshing difference from the huge egos that dominate the rock world. Also be prepared to be surprised at how many huge artists Petty collaborated with, from George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash. He is a pretty remarkable fellow.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 October 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Untitled Tom Petty Documentary

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

259 min 239 min (Director's Cut DVD)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

16 : 9