Official Description: Runnin’ Down a Dream is a 2007 documentary about Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, directed by Peter Bogdanovich. The 4-hour documentary chronicles the history of the band, from its inception as Mudcrutch, right up to the 30th-anniversary concert in Petty’s home town of Gainesville, Florida, on September 21, 2006, at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center, University of Florida. The film features interviews with George Harrison, Eddie Vedder, Stevie Nicks, Dave Grohl, Jeff Lynne, Rick Rubin, Johnny Depp, Jackson Browne and more. Petty’s solo career is also touched on, as is his time with The Traveling Wilburys. (Source: Wikipedia)
Unofficial Description: Loved this. So many details about the man and the band that I did not know! I also didn’t know – when I found this on Netflix and hit play – that it was a 4-hour long film! 😉 I suggest you not start this at 10PM as I did…
For whatever reason, in my head, I had this notion that Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers formed in the 80’s. I couldn’t have been more wrong. A huge portion of the songs I know and love from them, were recorded in the mid to late 70’s! Breakdown, American Girl, Refugee, Here Comes My Girl, Even The Losers and Don’t Do Me Like That were all pre-80’s.
The ups and downs of the band and the way they made music together were really interesting. Plus, you get to know how Petty came to be friends with former-Beatles George and Ringo, ELO member and record producer Jeff Lyne, legends like Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison, how Stevie Nicks came into the picture and kept demanding to be allowed into the Heartbreakers, plus so much more. You get a real sense of how humble Petty was, and how much everyone who met him tended to love him. Except maybe record industry execs 😉 And that’s a whole section of the film – Petty’s battle with the record industry over publishing rights and more.
Whether you’re into the music or not, I think you’ll enjoy this movie.
Trailer:
