Anne Hathaway Gets to Intimately Know the Man Behind the Fame in “SONG ONE”
Time fates destiny in “Song One” as Anne Hathaway
stars as Franny, an anthropologist doing research in Morocco, returns to New
York when her brother HENRY (Ben Rosenfield), a young musician, suffers an
accident that leaves him comatose. In a
chance instant, a young musician’s life is abruptly interrupted when Henry,
absorbed in the music playing on his headphones, steps off a curb into the path
of a taxi.
As
she reconnects with her family, she begins to understand and appreciate the
depth of Henry‘s commitment to music, seeking out the performers and
venues that Henry loved. In the course of her quest, she meets James Forester (Johnny
Flynn), Henry’s musical idol, whose success and fame belie a shy and private
man. A strong romantic connection sparks between Franny and James, set against
the backdrop of Brooklyn’s modern-folk music scene.
The
James Forester Franny sees onstage is charismatic in a modest, folky way— captivating
an adoring crowd with his well-known and well-loved songs and his plaintive
vocals, evocative, personal lyrics, and multilayered dobro guitar and violin. Offstage,
James is shy but kindly with the fans who press him for autographs and hugs. Overcoming her embarrassment, Franny
approaches James to tell him Henry’s story and give him a copy of Henry’s
CD. In her quest to absorb as much as
she can about to absorb as much as she can about Henry’s life and the music
world he loved, Franny takes Henry’s notebook as her guide, seeking out artists
and venues that he admired. Franny captures it all with a sound recorder,
hoping the playback in Henry’s hospital room will somehow rouse his brain to
consciousness. Unexpectedly, James shows
up in Henry’s hospital room, guitar in hand.
Not only did James actually listen to the CD, he thought enough of
Henry’s talent – and it seems, of Franny – to come visit.
In
the spirit of stimulating Henry’s brain, James sings him a song, a sad elegy to
a vanished mother. Franny sees that the
way to understand a contradiction like James—private, inward and self-effacing,
yet publicly successful—is through his words and music. Her great
regret is that she never got to know her own brother in the same way. As the attraction between them begins to
glimmer, James and Franny start to spend late nights together, exploring music
ranging from open mic night to stomping bluegrass to smoky chanteuse to
old-school soul, dancing to high-energy electronica, pre-dawns on a rooftop and
the Greenpoint waterfront watching the skyline, telling each other their
stories, making up silly songs, falling in love, confiding. Franny confesses
that she cut off contact with Henry because she disapproved of him dropping out
of college to pursue his musical dream, and James admits that he hasn’t been
able to write a single song since his first album achieved acclaim. James will soon wrap up his tour and return
to his isolated cabin in Maine. Meanwhile, the weight of Henry’s condition
hangs over everything.
As
James’ tour winds down, Franny witnesses two breakthroughs – Henry’s eyes
flickering back to consciousness, and James, in his last tour show, debuting a new
song inspired by Henry and dedicated to her. Whether her bond with James was a
fleeting moment or the start of a long story, Franny has won her own
breakthroughs too—another chance with family, a love of music, and a more open
heart.
“Song
One” opens March 25 in cinemas nationwide from Pioneer Films.
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