Director Fred Parnes’ new music documentary, Peter Case: A Million Miles Away, does a lot to introduce the viewer to Peter Case. The film showcases several interviews with the musician, accompanied by some incredible archival footage. For fans of Case, the documentary will probably satisfy their craving for a little more insight into the man. However, those uninitiated about the man considered one of America’s last great troubadours will leave with new songs to add to their various playlists.
The film is at its strongest when it focuses on Case’s music. There are several interviews with people discussing their admiration for Case and his powerful voice. The appearances include many of Case’s friends and colleagues, such as Ben Harper, Steve Earle, Victoria Williams, Jack Lee, Van Dyke Parks, Mitchell Froom, Steven Soles, Paul Zollo, and Denise Sullivan. While the archival performances of Case’s bands The Nerves and Plimsouls are used to great effect, the more impressive finds are footage of Case busking and traversing the streets of San Francisco before joining any of the bands. Even better still is the black and white cinematography used for some of the modern day coffee shop performances that Case frequents. Case’s music is the highlight of the documentary, and Parnes’s depiction of it makes it worth the viewers’ time.
Where the film is lacking is a cohesive thesis to justify the existence of a documentary rather than just a performance piece. There are several threads that attempt to satisfy the question of “why” this story, but none are ever fleshed out completely. Case struggled with David Geffen and Geffen Records, which presents an artist-versus-the-industry angle that doesn’t really go anywhere. The Sparks Brothers documentary by Edgar Wright does a great job of painting the picture of these artists who are relatively unknown to the casual audience, but who inspired tons of others who are much more mainstream. There could be an argument made for Case, but the film doesn’t seem interested in focusing on his impact on other artists. Case took some political stances in his music, but the film doesn’t paint him as an activist. Maybe this is just an attempt to understand the man behind the music – yet, the movie doesn’t seem to dive deep enough to really grasp that angle, either. There is even a structural decision to introduce one major person in Case’s life early on as just a random interaction that later pays off in a big way – but it isn’t really the focus of the documentary. Ultimately, while all of these elements are interesting and relevant, none feel like they are seen through to their logical conclusion.
Still, Peter Case: A Million Miles Away is a solid documentary that fans of music will find much to explore. The performances stand tall, and the impact Case had on the musical world is clear. Since I had no prior knowledge of any of the music in the film minus hearing a few Plimsouls songs – especially in my recent viewing of Valley Girl – I felt like the documentary gave me some well-needed music history.
Peter Case: A Million Miles Away is available on VOD starting May 23.
Rating: Decent Watch
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