ROCK STAR
by Gareth
Von Kallenbach

The true-life story of Tim "Ripper" Owens is the kind of tale Hollywood eats up - the dreamer who got to live his dream. Owens was a fan of the heavy metal band Judas Priest. He played in a number of local bands in the Akron, Ohio area. He was in a Priest cover band named British Steel when he was given the chance to replace Priest singer Rob Halford. It seems that a person who was dating a band member had taped one of Tim's shows and played the tape for the members of Judas Priest. They were so impressed that when they needed a new singer, he was auditioned and given the lead in the band he had followed for years.

Rock Star is based on this story, following a young man who is given his chance to shine in the band he has worshipped for years. Director Stephen Herek and screenwriter John Stockwell have only loosely followed the Owens story, however, taking off in their own direction to make a film about the perils of fame and fortune.

Mark Wahlberg stars as Chris Cole, a copy repair tech by day who fronts a tribute band by night. Chris is obsessed with his favorite band Steel Dragon, knows all there is to know about them, and takes playing their music very seriously. At one point he says that if it is not done correctly and with respect then it should not be done. Chris has his world upended when his bandmates, growing tired of his perfectionist ways and desiring to play original material, remove him from the band he founded. The following morning Chris receives a phone call from Kurt Kuddy (Dominic West), guitarist for Steel Dragons. At first Chris thinks it is an elaborate hoax, but soon he is flying to LA with his manager/girlfriend Emily (Jennifer Aniston) and before long, he is given the job of Steel Dragon's recently departed lead singer.

What follows is very predictable for anyone who has ever seen a film about show business. The wild lifestyle takes over, and women soon surround Chris at every turn, as he learns that reality and fantasy are two different things. It is the old story of drugs, alcohol, lost days, and endless women. Of course there will be a strain on the relationship between Chris and Emily. And of course people will mention how Chris is no longer being himself and is lost in his rock persona.

Rock Star seems unsure of what it wants to be. Is it the story of a man who rises from nothing to the top, and then finds he has choices to make? Is it a morality play about being happy where you are instead of always wanting more? The film never does make up its mind, or delve into what would turn an otherwise normal person into someone he is not. We know the price of fame can be high and it can corrupt people, but through it all Chris still remains a nice guy. There is no drug-induced tirade, no violence, no overdose or other accident. Instead we see Chris as a person who still signs autographs, who takes the time for people in his life and respects those around him. The point seems to be that even while staying himself, Chris is pulled into the lifestyle, so that while his core elements remain, he is living a fantasy detached from the world, and becomes a different person in his rock persona. This is too boring a point to make a movie about.

Aniston is little more than the token rock girlfriend, supporting her man and standing by him. She is of course pulled into the lifestyle as well, and has to decide whether this is something she really wants. I have heard that test audiences did not like her character very much, and as a result her scenes were diminished. To me she seems a bit too old (and sophisticated) to be believable as a rocker chick.

Is Rock Star a good film? In a word, no. It is, however, inermittently entertaining, and the movie's one plus is Wahlberg, who is energetic in the main role. But this movie won't make anyone forget Almost Famous.

©2001 Gareth Von Kallenbach
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