Sneak
Peek/Fundraiser
HEAVEN
ADORES YOU
(The Elliott Smith Documentary)
Friday,
October 3 – Doors 8
pm – Film
9
pm - $7
Heaven Adores You is an
intimate, meditative inquiry into the life and music of Elliott Smith. In this
documentary portrait, we journey through the life of American singer and
songwriter Steven Paul “Elliott” Smith, a musician whose rise to prominence in
the 1990s and early 2000s was cut short by his untimely death at the age of 34
in 2003.
The film opens in 1998 — a
year in which Elliott receives an Oscar nomination for his song “Miss Misery”
for the Gus Van Sant film “Good Will Hunting,” and his album “XO” receives
mainstream airplay — an interviewer from Dutch TV inquires about his recent
declaration that he’d never be a rock star. Elliott thoughtfully replies, “I’m
the wrong kind of person to be really big and famous…”
What kind of person was
Elliott Smith? Since his death in 2003, many media-makers have attempted to tell
the story of his creative “sad-sack” genius, often through the lens of struggle,
heartache and addiction. Director Nickolas Rossi employs a different lens,
placing music center-stage, creating a framework for Elliott to narrate the
story of his life himself, through the filter of recorded conversations and
interviews, with support from friends along the way. With great care, Rossi
expertly weaves together 30+ interviews to create an intimate and personal
history like never seen before.
Beginning in Portland, we’re
treated to Rossi’s stunning cinematography with a gorgeous aerial view of the
lush landscape. Photographer and friend Autumn de Wilde and official archivist
Larry Crane discuss how the Oscar nomination affected Elliott, with Autumn
noting, “I wanted more people to hear his music … but it changed a lot of things
for him.”
The film moves to a somber
day — Elliott’s death on October 21, 2003 — and we see shots of the Elliott
Smith Memorial Wall in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA. Music
video director Ross Harris discusses his reaction to the news of his friend and
collaborator’s death.
Rewind. The year is 1997 and
Elliott is in Santa Monica, CA being interviewed by KCRW’s Chris Douridas.
Douridas inquires about Elliott’s childhood and is surprised to discover he grew
up in Dallas. Smith’s sister Ashley Welch discusses her experiences with Smith
when they were children, set against a montage of photographs from their
childhoods. Smith’s childhood friend Steve Pickering also shares stories from
their school days.
We meet Tony Lash, friend and
bandmate, who discusses meeting Elliott at Lincoln High School in downtown
Portland. It’s here, in high school, that Lash and Smith began collaborating in
music. Post-university, Lash and Smith form the band Heatmiser which becomes a
major part of the Portland music scene in the 1990s. Musicians Pete Krebs, Sean
Croghan, and others involved with the Portland scene at the time, discuss the
era and the subsequent discovery of Smith’s solo work, which was quietly
recorded on a 4-track and would become the basis for “Roman Candle.” Slim Moon,
from the record label Kill Rock Stars, and Margaret Mittleman, soon to be
Smith’s manager, discuss seeing him perform solo, especially significant given
the period, which favored loud and often-times political rock; acoustic sets
were considered “nerdy” and “uncool.”
We move into 1995 and Ross
Harris discusses his experience directing Elliott in the video, “Coming Up
Roses,” a single from Elliott’s second self-titled release. It’s a busy period
for Smith as he balances duties with his band Heatmiser and his emerging success
as a solo artist. Lash and recording engineer Rob Schnapf discuss tensions that
surfaced with Heatmiser members as they recorded what would ultimately be their
last album together, “Mic City Sons.” Of Smith’s solo career at the time, Sean
Croghan notes, it went to “big all of a sudden.”
1997 sees the release of
Smith’s third album “either/or” and James Clark, a guitar tech who would work on
a future tour, remarks, “if you didn’t know you were standing next to genius,
then you just aren’t paying attention.” Larry Crane and Elliott open Jackpot!
Recording Studio and we see images of the two of them painting and setting up
the space. Crane and Elliott’s former girlfriend Joanna Bolme and collaborator
discuss the era.
Elliott moves to Brooklyn,
NY. Friends such as Autumn de Wilde discuss having him in New York and the
impact it had on them. Elliott’s fourth album is released in 1998, “XO.” Jon
Brion and Larry Crane discuss the song “Waltz #1” with Brion noting, “there were
a couple of times he full-on freaked me out as a musician.” Friend and publicist
Dorien Garry suggests that he was not well during this period, drinking heavily
and calling in the middle of the night. Friends discuss their “intervention.” We
re-visit Elliott’s Oscar nomination for “Miss Misery.” Bolme, Crane and Smith
himself talk about the nomination and subsequent ceremony.
Next we go on the XO tour
with Elliott and his crew and are treated to several stories and anecdotes that
paint a picture of an Elliott Smith who’s funny and silly – not a common
understanding of the man. Elliott moves to Los Angeles
post-tour.
Jon Brion, Largo club-owner
Mark Flanagan and Elliott’s manager Margaret Mittleman discuss the era candidly
and describe it as a “golden period.” His fifth release, “Figure 8” comes out
and the world is introduced to the now-infamous Elliott Smith wall at Solutions!
in the Silver Lake area of the city by “Son of Sam” video director, Autumn de
Wilde. Mittleman, Brion, Flanagan, Garry, Lash and others discuss their
experiences with Elliott’s substance abuse and attempted recovery in the time
leading up to his death from two stab-wounds to the chest.
The posthumous release, “From
a Basement on the Hill,” Elliott’s sixth album completed by Joanna Bolme and Rob
Schnapf after his death, is discussed. The documentary wraps with footage from
“No Name #1” – a series of benefit shows that took place over four cities in
2013 and was put together by Elliott’s sister Ashley Welsh. The track
“Happiness” is featured, sung by both musicians on-stage, and folks in the crowd
– it’s a magical moment for all involved.
At the conclusion of Heaven
Adores You, we have a rich view of an incredible and accomplished talent, a view
that places music at the center of Elliott Smith’s legacy.
Elliott said it best
himself, “the less I think about it, the happier I am. I don’t really care where
I fit into anything, or if there’s anything to fit into to. It’s just, I like
music, you know? That’s the thing. It’s really
uncomplicated.”
The Magic Bag is proud to
present a sneak peek/fundraising screening of Heaven Adores You on Friday,
October 3.
Magic Bag
Publicity
22920 Woodward
Ave.
Ferndale, MI
48220
Event Hotline:
248-544-3030
