Pearl Jam Twenty (2011)

We all know the PJ story (or at least we locals do!): Mother Love Bone, Andrew’s death, Eddie’s arrival, Ten, etc. PJ20 is filled with archival footage and home movies which give a real insider’s point of view of the start of PJ’s career and their massive success. But the band interviews are what give PJ20 true intimacy. Cameron has been close to the band since the very beginning and it shows. Or, to paraphrase Almost Famous, he is not “the enemy” and his interviews feel like conversations between friends and not the standard self promoting rock star sound bites.

There are some truly stunning moments in PJ20: the moment Eddie Vedder from San Diego becomes EDDIE VEDDER genius frontman at a show in Vancouver, BC in the early days gives goosebumps, as do a very brief clip of Eddie and Kurt Cobain slow dancing at the MTV Awards and Pearl Jam performing Mother Love Bone’s Crown of Thorns on their ten year anniversary. Hearing Mike discuss the power shift in the band (from Stone to Eddie) was surprising, but hearing Stone voice the same opinion was even more so.

The concert footage throughout PJ20 confirm over and over that Pearl Jam is one of the greatest live rock bands ever. They still play to thousands adoring fans whenever they tour and the live footage in the movie is inspiring. I couldn’t help but applaud over and over during the movie.

PJ20 is Crowe’s love letter to Pearl Jam. But is also a love letter to Seattle, to rock & roll, to rock fans, to the creative process and, almost most importantly, to friendship.

Should I See It?

YES

For fans of the band, few words can contain your likely excitement over this film and Pearl Jam’s 20th anniversary.

Provides a compelling peak behind the curtain with one of the most compelling and more reclusive music acts within the last 20+ years.

You were in Seattle or a fan of the grunge/rock/alternative movement that largely defined much of the culture of the 1990s and forever changed music.

NO

You have never been a fan of the band, their music, or themselves personally.

Some have bemoaned the film’s lack of objectivity as a problem for the film. Then again, it should be fair to say that Cameron Crowe is not trying to be objective – frankly, a bit of a false assertion when no documentary of this type (i.e. U2, Justin Bieber, etc.) is ever counterbalanced.

Grunge scene? Seattle rock? Meh.