Even those who dislike Don McLean’s song “American Pie” have to admit that it’s a distinctive achievement of pop culture. A nearly eight-and-a-half-minute allegory that goes from mournful to contagious to mournful again, the monster radio hit from 1971 is apparently known to all generations and still sung during bar closing hours around the world.
This last fact is according to this respectful documentary about the song. Directed by Mark Moormann, the film travels across America to bring home the idea that “American Pie” says something profound about the country. It interweaves McLean’s biography with an account of the final days of ’50s rockers Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper, creating a compelling narrative about the effect that the plane crash that claimed their lives in 1959 not only had on young McLean, but American Music itself. The film then alternates with a story of McLean’s professional career (including his mentorship by folk legend Pete Seeger) and scenes in which stars like Garth Brooks rave about the song.
At the time, children analyzing the lyrics assumed that the passages about “the devil” expressed McLean’s moral and aesthetic disapproval of Mick Jagger. But for many people interviewed here, including Brooks (who brought McLean on stage to sing it with him at his giant Central Park concert in 1997) and Cuban-born musical artist Rudy Pérez, the song speaks.” of freedom”.
The film really comes to life when it recreates the song’s recording session, showing how ace studio keyboardist Paul Griffin transformed the melody with his energetic, gospel-style piano.
McLean, who has often been portrayed as a prickly figure, and worse, puts on his most insinuating air here. And why not. Few musicians have such generous opportunities to be docent to their heritage.
The Day the Music Died: The Story of Don McLean’s “American Pie”
Unclassified. Duration: 1h34. Watch on Paramount+.
