The Music Never Stopped

“Musical Chairs”

Supposedly based on fact (a case study by Oliver Sacks called “The Last Hippie”) Jim Kohlberg’s film “The Music Never Stopped” is a missed opportunity to tell an important story about the healing power of music. That’s because this rather serious subject is treated like an 80s disease-of-the-week made-for-TV movie.

Set in 1986, the story begins when two parents reconnect with their estranged son Gabriel after he’s lost his memory as the result of an operation to remove a brain tumor. Lou Taylor Pucci must be the luckiest actor alive to have landed the lead role of Gabriel without much acting experience or credits. His performance is laughably bad. His beard is worse.

Well known character actor J.K. Simmons plays Gabriel’s father as though he were Mike Brady of The Brady Bunch. It’s small consolation to know that his goofiness eventually becomes endearing in the end as he finally comes to embrace the 60s protest-rock music he once despised.

This happens when it’s discovered that Gabriel’s memory comes back anytime he hears his favorite music from that era. While the music plays, Gabriel is bursting with life. But like in a game of musical chairs, when the music suddenly stops, Gabriel instantly becomes catatonic. Unfortunately, it all comes off like a silly SNL skit.

But getting better actors, and a better director, would likely prove too expensive for such a small film. There probably wasn’t much money left in the budget after licensing, what seems like, all the hit songs of the 60s. The usually unlicensable Beatles are included here (“All You Need Is Love” plays an important dramatic role), as are The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan. But Gabriel is a serious Deadhead, and the movie overflows with the music of The Grateful Dead, including the re-creation of a Dead concert which is a highlight of this film.

One of my other favorite moments is one that highlights music’s common thread running through the generation gap. In flashbacks we learn about the music that Gabriel’s father grew up listening to and loving. “Til There Was You”, a sweet little love song from the musical “The Music Man” is what was playing when he proposed to his wife. After years of hating the artists of the 60s who he blames for destroying his son’s moral compass, he discovers a recording of “Til There Was You” by The Beatles. A generation gap no more.

DVD Double Feature:

If this movie leaves you hungry for more of the 60s, satisfy your appetite with Julie Taymor’s 2007 hit “Across The Universe”, a movie that is filled with the songs of The Beatles and stars Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood and U2’s Bono.