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Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt Photos

Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt (2004)

A scene from "Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt."

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Movie Info

Singer-songwriter Townes van Zandt was at the center of Austin's outlaw country scene in the 1970s, but, while friends like Waylon Jennings and Steve Earle went on to mainstream stardom, the mercurial Van Zandt retreated into a haze of alcoholism and mental illness. Through interviews and rarely seen live footage recorded throughout Van Zandt's performing and recording career, this sympathetic documentary traces his work and life, which was cut short on New Year's Day 1997, when he was 52.

Genre:

documentary
Original Language:

English
Director:

Margaret Brown
Producer:

Margaret Brown, Sam Brumbaugh
Release Date (Streaming):

Feb 14, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA):

$129.4K
Runtime:

1h 39m
Production Co:

Rake Films

Cast & Crew

Steve Earle
Self

Emmylou Harris
Self

Kris Kristofferson
Self

Willie Nelson
Self

Townes van Zandt
Self

Margaret Brown
Director

Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt

All Critics (35) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (33) | Rotten (2)

This may not be a solid biography, but it feels true.

April 6, 2010 | Full Review…

J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader
[An] honest, sobering and poignant tribute to a tortured talent who died young and left behind a treasure chest of songs.

March 9, 2006 | Rating: A- | Full Review…

Mario Tarradell
Dallas Morning News
A documentary that in its spirit and feel catches some of the vulnerability and naive optimism of its subject, Van Zandt.

February 3, 2006 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

Joel Selvin
San Francisco Chronicle
A less-than-satisfying examination of the country singer's art, career and demons.

January 5, 2006 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review…

Lou Carlozo
Chicago Tribune
Rather than connecting all the chronological dots, Brown has fashioned Van Zandt's balm-to-the- brokenhearted legacy into potent cinematic poetry.

December 24, 2005

Sheri Linden
Hollywood Reporter
A sobering but compassionate look at a man who ultimately might have been even more troubled than gifted.

December 15, 2005

Tim Grierson
L.A. Weekly
Best of all, there is beautifully preserved in-concert footage, particularly a 1995 Amsterdam gig...

May 7, 2020 | Full Review…

David Lamble
Bay Area Reporter
The film feels most authentic when it talks about the exhilaration and the freedom Van Zandt and other musicians feel when they cut off ties to family and home to make a songwriter's life on the road.

January 29, 2020 | Full Review…

Felicia Feaster
Creative Loafing
A textured, elegiac, and deeply plangent music documentary. Brown's film, never exposing Van Zandt to too much harsh light, preserves this enigma just enough that it makes you want to go back to the music after you've caught these glimpses of the man.

May 25, 2015 | Full Review…

Brian Gibson
Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Alberta)
A surprisingly deep understanding of an otherwise obscure artist.

September 18, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…

Christopher Campbell
Cinematical
While the film lacks polish, there's enough good material and good performances to keep everything on track.

June 21, 2007 | Rating: B | Full Review…

Jason Gorber
Film Scouts
Loving but unflinching documentary on celebrated singer and songwriter Townes Van Zandt.

July 4, 2006 | Rating: A- | Full Review…

Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews