American Pie is one of those songs that everyone "just seems to know". Despite it being 50+ years old at this point, its staying power is a tribute to its brilliance. The Day the Music Died tells that story.
There are basically two interwoven themes in this doc from director Mark Moormann:
First, the tragedy of the real "day the music died" in 1959--the plane crash that took the lives of Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly, and the Big Bopper.
Secondly, how that tragic event touched the life of aspiring folk singer/song-writer Don McLean and ultimately produced American Pie.
Both of these angles are dispersed perfectly within each other. Not only did I learn a lot about that fateful day in Clear Lake, Iowa, but the notoriously cagey McLean finally reveals some definitive stories, thoughts, and explanations about the song's genesis and lyrics.
Along the way, other artists--big ones like Garth Brooks & Brian Wilson, to name just a couple--weigh in on the effect American Pie had on them as musicians.
The ending of The Day the Music Died brings everything full circle, with McLean back in the same ballroom that the "three men I admired most" performed their final concert. I did not expect to be so emotionally moved, but I certainly was by the time the credits rolled.
As such, I can easily give this music doc the highest marks for both informing me about the iconic song's history and doing so in an extremely emotionally engaging manner.
There are basically two interwoven themes in this doc from director Mark Moormann:
First, the tragedy of the real "day the music died" in 1959--the plane crash that took the lives of Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly, and the Big Bopper.
Secondly, how that tragic event touched the life of aspiring folk singer/song-writer Don McLean and ultimately produced American Pie.
Both of these angles are dispersed perfectly within each other. Not only did I learn a lot about that fateful day in Clear Lake, Iowa, but the notoriously cagey McLean finally reveals some definitive stories, thoughts, and explanations about the song's genesis and lyrics.
Along the way, other artists--big ones like Garth Brooks & Brian Wilson, to name just a couple--weigh in on the effect American Pie had on them as musicians.
The ending of The Day the Music Died brings everything full circle, with McLean back in the same ballroom that the "three men I admired most" performed their final concert. I did not expect to be so emotionally moved, but I certainly was by the time the credits rolled.
As such, I can easily give this music doc the highest marks for both informing me about the iconic song's history and doing so in an extremely emotionally engaging manner.