Greendale
Greendale
| 27 February 2004 (USA)
Greendale Trailers

Neil Young's "musical novel", telling the story of a family, the murder of a cop and the evolution of a young girl named Sun Green. This is not a concert film. Young himself shot actors on locations on his native Northern California home turf to create his Greendale, a rural town that is a microcosm of a world in crisis. There is lots of music featured by Young and Crazy Horse. Special bonus features include "Making of" with brand new interviews with Neil and the cast; also 3 live performances of "Greendale" songs, more.

Reviews
Matcollis This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.
Ploydsge just watch it!
SparkMore n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.
Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful
crystal075-1 I turned this on last night, fully intending to watch something else within the half hour. I had no idea what it was about or that it was a Neil Young musical. It did exactly what Neil Young's music has always done for me, start me off slow and suck me right in. By the end I could NOT sit down, I had to get up and dance. Great theme, wonderful message, terrific music. I can't wait to see it again. The filming itself was well done, a kind of perfected 8mm which reminded me of the era in which the director and myself were raised. I'm encouraging all my friends to see this, and already planning a group viewing.
bob3078 Let me preface this commentary by saying that i don't care about lighting, sound, technique or acting skills. I just go by what moves me.This film moved me. It's message (which in my opinion is the most important part of a film) was beautiful. You might have to watch it twice to catch all the nuances. But worth itPerhaps, or most likely a lot, of people will not like this movie, but who cares about people that care about the wayans brothers. Certainly not me. Another thing you should keep in mind when watching this movie is that all the actors are friends of Neil Young, they are not professional actors and shouldn't be judged as such. Just keep looking for the message. It's also funny and more importantly, makes you think a little. And heaven forbid that we do that in this country.
plexus-5 I am sitting here in a Tim Hortons just after watching Greendale. I should say that I am not a big fan of neil young. I appreciate his work but I'm not a fan. However I really enjoyed Greendale. I don't think this film can be judged or viewed in the same context as your average film. Doing so would raise many criticisms. The key here is to take the film for what it has to offer and also understand that this is a very unique filmatic presentation. Its very creative and I feel it does a good job of entertaining as well as provoking thought. True there isn't a deep plot, great character development or a strong screenplay as a foundation. Rather this film is an artistic fusion of music and emulsion. So go see it and just watch and enjoy. There is nothing really offensive with this film. It may not satisfy your desire for the aforementioned assets but it has unique redeeming values. I enjoyed the music so much I am going to buy the cd or the DVD if its available.Brett
Matthew-40 I'd seen the concert version of Greendale (rock opera?) in Phoenix, AZ, and was impressed. The film was shot all in Super 8 which I think fits perfect with Neil Young's style over the decades. It's rocky, rainy day feeling goes hand in hand with Neil's music. The original way in which the characters mouth the lines that Neil sings (the albumn Greendale plays through the whole film) made me think that the film would be boring in the beginning. But the images on the screne, along with the music, complete the story nicely. Young focuses on the Green family and their stuggles in the town of Greendale. Basically, their a family of hippies dealing with the media, law enforcement, and environmental destruction. Young expresses his opinions though song and the characters act them out. I recommend this film to anyone, especially if you're a fan of Shakey...