| Rocketman | |
|---|---|
.png) UK theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Dexter Fletcher |
| Written by | Lee Hall |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | George Richmond |
| Edited by | Chris Dickens |
| Music by | Matthew Margeson |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 121 minutes[1] |
| Countries |
|
| Language | English |
| Budget | $40 million[2] |
| Box office | $195.3 million[2] |
Rocketman is a 2019biographicaljukebox musicaldrama film based on the life, music, and career of British musicianElton John. The film focuses on the story of John in his early days inEngland as a prodigy at theRoyal Academy of Music through his musical partnership withBernie Taupin, telling his story through his music. The film is titled after John's 1972 song "Rocket Man". Directed byDexter Fletcher and written byLee Hall, the film starsTaron Egerton as John, withJamie Bell as Taupin,Richard Madden asJohn Reid, andBryce Dallas Howard as Sheila Eileen, John's mother. A British-American venture, the film was produced byNew Republic Pictures,Marv Films andRocket Pictures, and was distributed byParamount Pictures.
The film had been in development since the 2000s before it was announced in 2013 thatFocus Features acquired the rights to the film and directorMichael Gracey (who eventually served as executive producer) was attached to direct the film with actorTom Hardy set to star. After both Hardy and Gracey left the project following creative differences between Focus and John that halted an initial production start in autumn 2014, the project languished for several years untilParamount Pictures and New Republic Pictures took over as distributor in April 2018, where Egerton and Fletcher signed on.Principal photography began in August 2018 and was completed later that year.[when?] John served as executive producer, while his husbandDavid Furnish produced the film through theirRocket Pictures, alongsideMatthew Vaughn'sMarv Films.
Rocketman premiered at theCannes Film Festival on 16 May 2019, and was theatrically released in the United Kingdom on 22 May 2019 and in the United States on 31 May 2019. It grossed $195 million worldwide against its $40 million budget and received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for Egerton's performance.[3] The film was the first by a major studio to include agay male sex scene.[4] For his performance, Egerton received numerous nominations, including theBAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role andScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role, and won theGolden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. John and Taupin also wonBest Original Song at the77th Golden Globe Awards,Best Song at the25th Critics' Choice Awards, andBest Original Song at the92nd Academy Awards for "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again", and earned four nominations at the73rd British Academy Film Awards, includingOutstanding British Film.
Dressed in a flamboyant devil's outfit,Elton John enters anaddiction rehabilitation session, recounting his life in a series offlashbacks ("The Bitch Is Back").
Shy boy Reginald Dwight grows up in the suburbs of 1950s Britain, raised by his unaffectionate mother Sheila, and his more loving grandmother Ivy. He is interested in music and hopes to perform for his father Stanley, who takes no interest in his son ("I Want Love"). Reginald begins piano lessons, making his way into theRoyal Academy of Music. Stanley abandons his family after Sheila has an affair. Soon after, her lover Fred moves in with the family and he introduces young Reginald to rock music. He grows up idolizing rock musicians and begins performing in local pubs ("Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting"). As an adult, Reginald joins the bandBluesology, which is hired to play backup for touring American bandsthe Isley Brothers andPatti LaBelle and the Blue Belles ("Breaking Down the Walls of Heartache").Ronald Isley recommends he write songs and put his old life behind him to become a famous artist. Reginald changes his name to Elton John, taking his first name fromElton Dean, the saxophonist of Bluesology, and "John" fromJohn Lennon.
Elton writes music and tries to find success withDick James' record labelDJM Records under the management ofRay Williams. Williams introduces Elton to lyricistBernie Taupin; they become friends and move into a flat to compose their songs ("Border Song"). When Elton admits he ishomosexual, he ends his romantic relationship with their landlady, so they are evicted. Elton and Bernie move in with Elton's grandmother, his mother, and Fred, where they continue writing and create "Your Song". James sets up a performance for them at theTroubadour inLos Angeles. Elton is nervous before his debut, but the audience embraces his performance ("Crocodile Rock").
Elton is overjoyed by his success but feels abandoned when Bernie leaves him at a party to spend time with a woman ("Tiny Dancer"). He is approached by music managerJohn Reid and, after hitting it off, they have sex ("Take Me To The Pilot"). Reid's influence launches Elton into a downward spiral of a life of debauchery, while his career rises to new heights ("Honky Cat"). He develops a flamboyant stage persona and becomes one of the most successful and iconic figures in rock and roll of the 1970s. Reid becomes Elton's manager and insists Elton tell his parents he is gay, so he reconnects with his father, who displays no interest in him. Distraught, Elton calls his mother to tell her he is gay. She already knew, but says he will be forever unloved. Devastated by his parents' rejection, as well as Reid's increasing physical and emotional abuse, Elton becomes addicted toalcohol,cocaine,cannabis,shopping, andsex. His addictions,mood swings and short temper alienate his friends ("Pinball Wizard"). Elton catches Reid cheating on him and ends their relationship, but Reid continues as his manager. During a party, he overdoses on pills andattempts suicide by jumping into his pool. He is rushed to the hospital, then thrust on stage atDodger Stadium to perform ("Rocket Man").
Elton descends further into a life of drugs, alcohol, andloneliness ("Bennie and the Jets"). He has a short-lived marriage with close female friend Renate Blauel, but his homosexuality dooms their relationship ("Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"). He falls out with his mother and Bernie ("Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"). Elton's dependence on prescription pills and alcohol results in aheart attack. Realizing his life is out of control, Elton leaves a concert without warning and checks into a rehab center ("Goodbye Yellow Brick Road").
Elton realizes he no longer needs approval from his parents or Reid. He also rekindles his friendship with Bernie, who brings him new lyrics. Elton is worried that he cannot perform or compose without alcohol or drugs, but writes "I'm Still Standing" and returns to a successful career.
Title cards state that that Elton has been sober for over 28 years. He remains good friends and song-writing partners with Bernie and is happily married toDavid Furnish, with whom he has two children.
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Elton John and husbandDavid Furnish tried to produce a film based on his life for almost two decades. The earliest efforts dated back to the 2000s, when development started atWalt Disney Pictures. PhotographerDavid LaChapelle was set to direct the film after his work on the video for John's 2001 single, "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore", which featuredJustin Timberlake as a young John.[5] However, the project languished for nearly two decades.[5] In an article written forThe Guardian, John said that he struggled to get the film off the ground due to studios wanting it to be toned down to aPG-13 rating instead of an R.[6]
In January 2012, John announced that he had namedJustin Timberlake as his top choice to play him in the film.Lee Hall was set to pen the screenplay.[7] In March 2013,Michael Gracey was hired to direct, withTom Hardy cast in October to play John andFilmDistrict (and laterFocus Features) acquiring the U.S. distribution rights.[8] Filming was initially planned to start in autumn 2014.[9][10] However, creative differences between John and Focus, along with budget issues, led him and Furnish to take the project elsewhere.[11]
In July 2017, it was announced that Hardy was no longer involved, andTaron Egerton entered negotiations to replace him.[11] While editingKingsman: The Golden Circle,Matthew Vaughn learned about the project and took interest in producing the film on the condition that Egerton played John.[11] Vaughn then pickedDexter Fletcher, who had replacedBryan Singer during the production of theQueen biopicBohemian Rhapsody, to direct the film since Gracey was busy withThe Greatest Showman and was later credited as one of the executive producers on the film.[11] The producers then filmed a sequence of Egerton as John performing two of John's songs, and presented it toJim Gianopulos, who had worked with Vaughn on theKingsman franchise at20th Century Fox and was now the CEO ofParamount Pictures.[11] Paramount and New Republic Pictures agreed to finance the film in exchange for worldwide distribution rights.[11] It was reported that Egerton would sing the songs in the film himself, produced byGiles Martin, who was brought on as music producer for the project.[12] In an interview atCinemaCon, Egerton stated the film would be a lot more of a visually stylisedepicmusical-fantasy rather than just a traditional straightforward biopic.[13][14]
In April 2018, Taron Egerton was officially cast to play the musician in the film. Egerton had previously appeared with John in the 2017 filmKingsman: The Golden Circle, and Egerton, as Johnny the Gorilla, sang John's song "I'm Still Standing" in the 2016 animated filmSing. In June, the role ofBernie Taupin was given toJamie Bell.[15] In July,Richard Madden entered negotiations to playJohn Reid, andBryce Dallas Howard was cast to play John's mother.[16][17]Gemma Jones was announced as being cast in the film in October.[18]
Production began on 2 August 2018.[19] In October 2018, it was announced the film was shooting in London.[20] Filming commenced atBray Film Studios nearMaidenhead,Berkshire.[21] Additional filming occurred atPinewood Studios andShepperton Studios.[22]
The soundtrack for the film was released by Virgin EMI (UK) and Interscope Records (US) on CD and digital formats on 24 May 2019 and was also released by Interscope Records on vinyl on August 23, 2019. The album contains 22 tracks of several hits performed by the cast of the film and a newly written award-winning track "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" featuring vocals byTaron Egerton andElton John together.
A commercial success in terms of sales, the soundtrack reached the Top 40 chart level in multiple countries such asAustralia,Switzerland, and theUnited States, including the production's ownUnited Kingdom.
Rocketman had its world premiere at theCannes Film Festival on 16 May 2019,[23] and was theatrically released in the United Kingdom on 22 May 2019.[24] The film was initially scheduled to be released in the United States on 17 May 2019, but was pushed back to 31 May 2019.[25]
Rocketman was released on Digital HD on 6 August 2019 and on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Ultra HD on 27 August 2019.[26]
In March 2019, it was reported thatParamount Pictures was pressuring directorDexter Fletcher and producerMatthew Vaughn to cut a sex scene betweenTaron Egerton andRichard Madden, so that the film could receive aPG-13 rating in the United States, as influenced by the financial success ofBohemian Rhapsody the year prior.[27] Fletcher denied the reports, saying that the movie "has and always will be the no holds barred, musical fantasy that Paramount and producers passionately support and believe in" and said the allegations were "nothing but rumours".[28]
InRussia, where the film was released on 6 June 2019, about five minutes of footage were removed from the final cut.Central Partnership, the film's Russian distributor, removedall scenes involving homosexuality and drugs, a move that was criticised by both John and Paramount.[29] The film was censored inMalaysia, sparking condemnation from art critics that the country was becoming a "nanny state". Safaruddin Mohammad Ali, the head of the country's Film Censorship Board, said "We do not allow any scenes that promote LGBTQ in films that are for public viewing", adding that "Although it is about the real life of Elton John, it is not for him to allow the public to see whatever he does or whatever activities he indulges in that is not our culture".[30]
The film was banned inSamoa, a conservative Christian nation. Principal Censor Leiataua Niuapu, of the country'sCensorship Board, explained: "It's a good story, in that it's about an individual trying to move on in life. He [John] went through a difficult family life and managed to move on and become very successful. But there are acts that are not good for public viewing and against the law."[31] The film was also banned inEgypt, where John himself was banned from visiting back in 2010. The reason given was his "anti-religious sentiments", thoughFilm Stories journalist Simon Brew argued that the ban "seemed pretty clear it was more to do with [John's] sexuality".[32]
In October 2019,Entertainment Weekly digital director Shana Krochmal accusedDelta Air Lines of removing "almost every reference" to John's sexuality in the version of the film shown on the airline, including scenes of kissing and gay sex. In response, a Delta spokesperson said that "Delta's content parameters do not in any way ask for the removal of homosexual content from the film" and that "We value diversity and inclusion as core to our culture and our mission and will review our processes to ensure edited video content doesn't conflict with these values".[33]
Rocketman grossed $96.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $98.8 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $195.2 million, against a production budget of $40 million.[2]
In the United States and Canada, the film was released alongsideGodzilla: King of the Monsters andMa, and was projected to gross $20–25 million from 3,610 theaters in its opening weekend.[34][35] The film made $9.2 million on its first day, including $1.8 million from Thursday night previews and including and $580,000 from its 18 May paid-advanced Fandango screenings, for a preview total of $2.3 million. It went on to debut to $25.7 million, finishing third, behindGodzilla: King of the Monsters andAladdin.[36] The film dropped 46% in its second weekend to $14 million, finishing in fifth,[37] and then made $9.4 million in its third weekend, climbing to the fourth position.[38]
In the United Kingdom, it debuted to $6.4 million, finishing second behind fellow new releaseAladdin.[39] The following week, the film was projected to gross around $20 million from the international markets it was released in alongside the U.S.,[35] and ended up making $19.2 million from 39 non-U.S. countries over the weekend.[40]
Rocketman received a largely positive response from critics, with some calling it one of the bestfilms released in 2019, as well as being considered the best reviewedmusical movie of the year and one of the best reviewedBritish releases of the year, praising Egerton's acting and vocal performance, the costume design, soundtrack, and the musical sequences.[43][44][45] On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 89% based on 401 reviews, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "It's going to be a long, long time before a rock biopic manages to capture the highs and lows of an artist's life likeRocketman."[46] OnMetacritic, it has a weighted average score of 69 out of 100, based on 49 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[47] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale, while those atPostTrak gave it an average 4 out of 5 stars and a 69% "definite recommend".[36]
At itsCannes Film Festival premiere, the film received a standing ovation.[48] It also received a standing ovation from Oscar voters at the academy screening.[49] Steve Pond ofTheWrap said, "It's all grand and fun and corny; a musical fantasy that reaches for the sky and gets there often enough to make it diverting."[50]The Guardian'sPeter Bradshaw gave the film three stars out of five, saying Egerton performed a "good impression of the flamboyant musician," and writing, "Rocketman is an honest, heartfelt tribute to Elton John's music and his public image."[51] In the same newspaper,Mark Kermode gave the film five stars, writing that "Fletcher is the real star of this show, a director whose enthusiasm for musical storytelling shines through every frame."[52]Chicago Sun-Times criticRichard Roeper also greatly enjoyed the film, giving it three-and-a-half stars out of four and praising its "almost documentary-level eye for detail when it comes to re-creating historic chapters such as the sold-out shows at Dodger Stadium in 1975 when Elton wore a sequined Dodgers uniform and belted out one hit after another to the adoring masses."[53]
Christy Lemire ofRogerEbert.com had mixed feelings aboutRocketman, awarding it two-and-a-half stars out of four and stating that the film is a "formulaic, paint-by-numbers biopic."[54]
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Cannes Film Festival | Queer Palm | Dexter Fletcher | Nominated | [55] |
| 2020 | Academy Awards | Best Original Song | Elton John and Bernie Taupin for "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" | Won | [56] |
| 2020 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Rocketman | Nominated | [57] |
| Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Taron Egerton | Won | |||
| Best Original Song | Elton John and Bernie Taupin for "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" | Won | |||
| 2020 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role | Taron Egerton | Nominated | [58] |
| 2020 | Grammy Awards | Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media | Rocketman | Nominated | [59] |
| 2020 | British Academy Film Awards | Outstanding British Film | Dexter Fletcher, Adam Bohling,David Furnish, David Reid,Matthew Vaughn, andLee Hall | Nominated | [60] |
| Best Actor in a Leading Role | Taron Egerton | Nominated | |||
| Best Makeup and Hair | Lizzie Yianni-Georgiou | Nominated | |||
| Best Sound | Matthew Collinge, John Hayes, Mike Prestwood Smith, and Danny Sheehan | Nominated | |||
| 2020 | Critics' Choice Movie Award | Best Hair And Makeup | Rocketman | Nominated | [61] |
| Best Costume Design | Julian Day | Nominated | |||
| Best Song | Elton John and Bernie Taupin for "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" | Won[a] | |||
| 2019 | LA Online Film Critics Society | Midseason Awards: Best Actor | Taron Egerton | Won | [62] |
| 2019 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Actor: Drama | Nominated | [63] | |
| 2019 | GQ Awards | Actor of the Year | Won | [64] | |
| 2019 | Attitude Film Awards | Film Award | Won | [65] | |
| 2019 | Hollywood Film Awards | Breakthrough Actor Award | Won | [66] | |
| Make-Up & Hair Styling Award | Lizzie Yianni-Georgiou, Tapio Salmi and Barrie Gower | Won | |||
| 2019 | People's Choice Awards | Drama Movie Star of the Year | Taron Egerton | Nominated | [67] |
| Drama Movie | Rocketman | Nominated | |||
| 2019 | Hollywood Music in Media Awards | Best Original Song – Feature Film | Elton John andBernie Taupin for "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" | Nominated | [68] |
| 2019 | Screen Awards | Theatrical Campaign of the Year | Paramount UK | Won | [69] |
| 2019 | Satellite Awards | Best Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical | Rocketman | Nominated | [70] |
| Best Actor – Motion Picture Comedy/Musical | Taron Egerton | Won | |||
| Best Costume Design | Julian Day | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | George Richmond | Nominated | |||
| Best Film Editing | Chris Dickens | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Song | Elton John and Bernie Taupin for "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" | Won | |||
| Best Sound | Matthew Collinge and John Hayes | Nominated | |||
| 2020 | Hollywood Critics Association | Best Actor | Taron Egerton | Nominated | [71] |
| Best Comedy/Musical | Rocketman | Won | |||
| Best Costume Design | Julian Day | Won | |||
| Best Hair and Makeup | Lizzie Yianni-Georgiou, Tapio Salmi and Barrie Gower | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Song | Elton John and Bernie Taupin for "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" | Nominated | |||
| 2020 | Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild | Best Special Makeup Effects | Barrie Gower, Lizzie Yianni-Georgiou, Victoria Money | Nominated | [72] |
| 2020 | Santa Barbara International Film Festival | Virtuoso Award | Taron Egerton | Won | [73] |
| 2020 | Golden Reel Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Dialogue and ADR | Danny Sheehan | Nominated | [74] |
| Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Musical | Andy Patterson, Cécile Tournesac | Won | |||
| 2020 | Costume Designers Guild Awards | Excellence in Period Film | Julian Day | Nominated | [75] |
| 2020 | Casting Society of America | Feature Big Budget – Comedy | Reginald Poerscot-Edgerton | Nominated | [76] |
| 2020 | GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding Film – Wide Release | Rocketman | Nominated | [77] |
AsRocketman was not meant to be a chronologically precisedocumentary film, creative license was taken with the timing or specifics of the real people or historical events depicted in the film.[citation needed]
The timeline of John and Taupin's friendship and career is altered to an extent, as the first song they wrote together after they met in 1967 was "Scarecrow", while "Border Song" was not written until 1969. John and Taupin also spent two years working as staff songwriters for James, beginning in 1968, and created tracks for artists such asRoger Cook andLulu, with the first album of the pair's music being 1969'sEmpty Sky.[78][79][80] Regarding the claim that John and Taupin never had an argument, the liner notes for the 1975 albumCaptain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy features a 12 January 1969 diary entry written by John that reads, "Had row with Bernie."[81] In a 2011 interview, John said he could not remember what they had a row about.[79]
Dick James was the one who encouraged then-Reggie Dwight to choose a stage name, and on 7 May 1972, he legally changed his name to Elton Hercules John; however, John is shown auditioning for James by playing "Daniel" and "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues", but the songs were not written until 1972 and 1983, respectively.[78][82][83]
While John did take his first name afterBluesology bandmateElton Dean, his surname was actually adopted from his early mentor and friend,Long John Baldry, who had hired Bluesology as his backup band in 1966, and notJohn Lennon. John admired Baldry as one of the few people in the music scene who were both openly gay and highly esteemed.[81][84][85]
John is shown to have dated a landlady named Arabella, but he actually dated a secretary named Linda Hannon (née Woodrow) for two years, and was engaged to her in 1969. John ended up sinking into a suicidal depression due to stress faced with the prospect of living a domestic life in the suburbs, and attempted suicide before being found by Bernie Taupin. Less than a month before the wedding, John suddenly broke off their engagement on the advice of Baldry. The experience inspired Taupin to write the lyrics for the song "Someone Saved My Life Tonight".[86][81] Hannon revealed her disappointment for not being mentioned in the film.[87]
John's 1970 performance at theTroubadour was actually well over a year afterNeil Young's last show at the venue (Young has not done another concert there since), and John's show, on 25 August 1970, was actually on a Tuesday (as opposed to the Monday in the film). John is shown playing "Crocodile Rock" at the Troubadour, but the song was not written until two years later; and is also seen meeting his backing band on the night of the show, but he had been touring with bassistDee Murray and drummerNigel Olsson all over England since April 1970, four months before they went to Los Angeles. The guitarist at the Troubadour concert is fictional: John did not have a guitarist untilDavey Johnstone in 1972.[78]
John is seen meeting John Reid atMama Cass's house in Los Angeles, but they actually met at aMotown Records Christmas party in London in December 1970.[88][89]
John's concert at theDodger Stadium was in 1975, one year before the recording of "Don't Go Breaking My Heart".[78]
John did meet Renate Blauel while she was working as a sound engineer on one of his albums, but it was actually on 1983'sToo Low for Zero, not 1979'sVictim of Love. He proposed to her on 10 February 1984 in Australia, and they married in Sydney on Valentine's Day of the same year.[90] They officially announced their divorce on 18 November 1988.[91]
John did cancel a concert at theMadison Square Garden in New York, although this was in 1984 due to illness.[92] John actually checked into rehab in 1990 at theAdvocate Lutheran General Hospital in Chicago a few months after a young friend,Ryan White, had died fromAIDS, and after a visit to his boyfriend at the time, Hugh Williams, in a rehab facility in Prescott, Arizona.[93][94]
"I'm Still Standing" was not written while John was in rehab; the song was recorded in 1982, and the song and the video were released a year later.[95][96][84]
John's half-brother Geoff Dwight disputed the characterization of their father, Stanley Dwight, stating, "My dad was kind and gentle. He spoke his mind but encouraged us all, including Elton, to do what we were good at. As a boy, when he started supportingWatford, it was my father who took him to the matches."[97] In a previous 2010 interview, Geoff recalled, "When I was growing up, Elton was always there and we had a lot of fun on family holidays and things like that".[81] John's stepmother, Edna, told biographerPhilip Norman for 2001'sSir Elton: The Definitive Biography that "Stanley's been made out as an overbearing monster. But it's just not true. He was a lovely man, a good father, and a loving husband." She added that, far from discouraging his son's musical talent, Dwight bought him a piano in 1963, showing Norman the receipt.[81] He also wrote a letter to congratulate Elton on winning a scholarship to theRoyal Academy of Music.
On the other hand, the portrayal of John's mother, Sheila, was regarded as being far more accurate.[citation needed] She did not allow him to get anElvis Presley styled haircut, though John idolized the American's look.[98]
The depiction of Dick James was disputed by musicianCaleb Quaye, who was a member of John's former band Bluesology. Quaye described James as "a gentleman," and criticised him being shown in the film as a boorish, foul-mouthedcockney. "He wasn't cockney. He was an old-school music man but was smartly dressed, you never heard a cuss word out of him. He was like a father, he gave us an opportunity to learn our craft. I don't understand the fantasy of depicting him like that because he was nothing like it."[99] James' son, Stephen James (who helped discover Elton and encouraged Dick to sign him up to his music labelDJM Records), also criticised the film's portrayal of his father, calling John "basically a coward" and claiming that he wanted to destroy "everybody who was helpful or good" during the early days of his career, adding, "I don't understand why he seems to feel the need to try to destroy everybody who helped him. We only ever tried to do the best for him and to promote his career. I really am very upset that he has turned on people in this way. They basically depict my father in the film completely opposite to the way he was in real life."[100] Beatles historianMark Lewisohn also criticised the depiction of James in the film, calling it "utterly outrageous and really disgusting."[101]
The portrayal of John Reid, who is depicted as being emotionally abusive towards John, was attacked by Wombles creator Mike Batt as a "weapons-grade character assassination".[102]
