This week, I attended a New York Times ScreenTimes screening of the new documentary about musician David Crosby, “Remember My Name”.
Synopsis
In the twilight of his years, songwriter David Crosby consents to a series of interviews about his life.
Story
Now in his mid-70’s and in ever-failing health (a diabetic with eight heart stents), legendary musician and master songwriter David Crosby alternates between reflective moods and focusing on the present – mainly because his future is uncertain, to put it mildly. When you catch him during one of his more introspective periods, he fully admits to the many mistakes he’s made and how unnecessarily difficult he’s made his own life because of them. He’s acted crazy – and whether it’s been a direct result of his drug use or independent of that – he’s turned off many of the people who mattered most to him.
Filmmaker and former journalist for Rolling Stone magazine Cameron Crowe is off screen interviewing Crosby in a sometimes easy, sometimes freewheeling style. If Crosby is in danger of rambling, it either gets edited out of the movie or Crowe is able to get him back on track. The familiarity and comfort the two have with each other is palpable. Crowe can just as easily get stories about the good old days out of Crosby as he can get him to talk funereally about his inevitable end. Crosby ponders about old friends who have long since passed living the same type of life he has and he is left to wonder why he survived.
A few years back, when he turned 72, Crosby had an unlikely creative resurgence and began making music again. While he’s recording some, he’s largely touring because it earns him the most money – and to hear him tell it, he has to do it in order to pay the bills. Apparently, his poor lifestyle choices in the past have caused him to not have very much in the way of a nest egg in his old age, so he’s forced to go back to work. These days, he has his own band and performs chiefly as a solo act. He’s angered too many of his past collaborators to be able to tour with them, even though that would likely generate even more money.
Review
One thing you can say about David Crosby after watching this movie: he pulls no punches – either with himself or anyone else. You will know where he stands with you and this is one of the reasons why he has lost (or maybe ruined is a better word) so many friendships over the years. Of course, his substance abuse in past years has certainly had something to do with it as well; he admits to that, too. Regrets, he has a few – but then again, he’s more focused on what he can do with his life now and in what little time he has left.
While “Remember My Name” (taken after the title of one of Crosby’s solo albums) is an entertaining movie, it is by no means any great feat of filmmaking. What makes the film is Crosby’s uncanny ability to spin a yarn as well as Crowe’s interviewing style; he’s able to get so much out of Crosby because the two have known each other for decades. It is unfortunate that recent interviews with former band mates were not included; Roger McGuinn is the lone exception here. The only interviews with Graham Nash and Neil Young were old ones; likely the reason here is that hard feelings with Crosby persist and they did not want to contribute.
Following the screening, there was an interview with the filmmakers. Director A.J. Eaton had to talk Crosby into letting him shoot his recording sessions for posterity. Since they had no financing, he was just storing the footage. Eventually, he met interviewer Cameron Crowe and showed him the footage that had up to that point; Crowe agreed to join the project because he liked what he saw thus far. Crowe, who has known Crosby since he was 15 years old, advised Eaton, “Just point the camera at him and let him tell his stories”. Crosby is such a good storyteller, says Crowe, that he likens him to Garrison Keillor. As far as Crosby’s take on the documentary, he feels it asks the central question, “What do you do with the time you have left?”
