Now Showing: Songbird

 

Songbird

Genre: Biography/Drama/Music

Director: Cameron Crowe

Writer: Diane Esposito

Cast: Taylor Swift, Paul Dano, Josh O'Connor, Anna Camp, Jared Keeso, Tom Hughes, Frank Dillane, Finn Wittrock, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Victoria Pedretti, Carina Battrick

Plot: Young Joni (Carina Battrick) is seen running through Alberta's open fields. She spends time drawing and singing while her parents - Bill Anderson (Jared Keeso) and Myrtle Anderson (Anna Camp) - proudly watch on the porch. 

Young Joni falls ill with polio. Joni, now bedridden, her limbs weak and her sketchbook sitting untouched beside her. Other children in the ward cry, but Joni hums quietly to herself, singing to pass the time. Myrtle sits beside Joni, trying to keep her daughter's spirits up, while Bill stands stoic by the door. Joni stares out the window. Myrtle promises her daughter that she'll be out of the hospital soon, but Bill scoffs, not wanting Myrtle to promise Joni anything out of their control.

Soon Joni begins her struggles through physical therapy, trying to regain use of her legs. Her parents have brought a guitar to the hospital, which she teaches herself how to play.

A decade later, Joni (Taylor Swift) performs at a local Calgary coffee shop. She is still a but nervous on stage. Chuck Mitchell (Josh O'Connor) watches from the back, captivated by her raw talent. After her set, Chuck approaches Joni and introduces himself. There is an instant chemistry between them, both personal and musical. Joni is flattered by the attention.

The relationship with Chuck quickly grows into a whirlwind romance. They marry and Chuck becomes a constricting influence on Joni. He pushes her into performing alongside him rather than as a solo artist and tries to mold her talent into what he believes will sell and push them to fame. Joni loves Chuck, but she doesn't want to play the music Chuck wants them to perform. He keeps telling her that you have to play the game if you want to win.

Joni makes the bold decision to leave Chuck and the life they built together. At the bus station, she clutches her guitar case, tears in her eyes as Chuck tries on last time to convince her to stay. Joni boards the bus and as it pulls away, "The Circle Game" plays.

Joni arrives in New York City, carrying her guitar and little else. She immerses herself in the folk music scene the city has to offer, quickly securing gigs in small clubs and coffeehouses, where she gains a reputation for her haunting voice and poetic lyrics. Joni is introduced to David Crosby (Paul Dano), an established musician who sees potential in her and wants to help her break into the industry. Joni's confidence grows in New York as she fits into the environment of the bustling, bohemian Greenwich Village.

In Crosby's loft, he and Joni share an evening of music and conversation. Crosby lights up a joint and offers it to Joni. She tries marijuana for the first time at his suggestion. He insists that it is part of vibe and helps clear the mind. Joni, reluctant, takes a puff. Crosby encourages Joni to push past her creative boundaries, in much the same way.

Joni records in a New York recording studio. Crosby is there beside her acting as a de facto producer of the album - Song to a Seagull. Joni insists on having Crosby there after several other producers have tried to get her to make her music more commercial. Crosby understands that Joni wants to keep her music raw, dealing with the record executives to help her keep the vision in mind.

One late night in a cafe, Joni encounters Leonard Cohen (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). With his introspective charm, Cohen draws Joni into a philosophical discussion about the authenticity of music and how fame ruins it all. Joni listens, captivated. 

Joni is booked to play at a folk music festival where she meets Judy Collins (Victoria Pedretti), a more established folk singer of a similar style to her own. Judy tells Joni that they should stick together as no one else in the scene understands the pressures of being a woman in such a male-dominated industry. 

Joni's fame is on the rise, and she now plays to larger audiences. As her fame grows, she begins feeling more isolated than ever. Crosby watches her perform at a concert hall and talks to her backstage after the show. He can sense that she is struggling internally and tries to cheer her up, unsuccessfully.

For a change of scenery, Joni moves to California. She meets Graham Nash (Tom Hughes) at a party and is immediately smitten with him. The connection between the two feels effortless. They quickly move in with each other in a home in Laurel Canyon. Together they write, sing, create, turning their home into  a sanctuary.

Joni and Graham attend a party that Crosby is throwing at a house on the Pacific Ocean. As they mingle with other musicians, Joni is introduced to cocaine. As she is experiencing the high of the drug, Crosby hands her a drink and explains that this is how people unwind on the west coast. 

The honeymoon period with Joni and Graham fades. Joni begins to feel trapped by their domestication. During a heated argument, Joni reveals that she doesn't feel creatively fulfilled when she is with Graham. This hurts him at a deep level as he has been as happy as ever making a home with her. While Graham sleeps, Joni begins packing her things and moves out of the Laurel Canyon house.

Joni isolates herself in a beach bungalow, using the solitude to begin writing the songs that will eventually make up her album Blue. While walking on the beach, she chances upon James Taylor (Finn Wittrock). Next to a fire on the beach, James assures her that he has been in a similar place in his life to where she is. She asks for advice. He tells her to pour every bit of her soul into her music and the rest will take care of itself.

Joni records Blue with the support of Crosby, Cohen and Judy in the studio. They give her their rave reviews as the listen to the fresh recordings. Crosby thinks that it could be a game-changer for the music industry and tells her that he is going to talk to the executives to get them to push the album hard so everyone out there can hear it.

Joni, searching for a new sound after Blue is a massive success, is drawn to a smoky New York jazz club where she watches Jaco Pastorius (Frank Dillane) play bass with an experimental fervor that mesmerizes her. After his set, Joni approaches Jaco. The two form a fast friendship and he encourages her to give jazz a try some time.

Back in the studio in Los Angeles, Joni begins doing more drugs as she tries to reframe her mind into a pure jazz mindset. She is trying to find a sound that is completely different from her earlier folk-inspired work. Judy Collins, worried about her friend, visits her in the studio where sees the toll that long hours and drugs are having on Joni. Judy tries to encourage Joni to take a little break from everything, but Joni feels she is too close to something artistic to give up now. 

Joni visits her hometown in Alberta for the first time in a decade. She reconnects with her parents Bill and Myrtle, who are now older but proud of her accomplishments. She walks through the fields she played in as a child with her parents at her side.

Joni goes back to Los Angeles where she paints a series of art pieces that adorn the walls of her house. She receives a phone call from Leonard Cohen checking in on her. As they speak, Joni gazes at her paintings.

Several years later, Joni performs an intimate concert in a small venue in Alberta. She dedicates the performance to her family, singing "Both Sides, Now". She becomes emotional as she finishes the song and thanks the audience for listening to her story.