GOOD VIBRATIONS
Ireland, 2013, 104 minutes, Colour.
Richard Dormer, Jodie Whittaker, Liam Cunningham, Dylan Moran,
Directed by Lisa Barros D’ Sa and Glen Leyburn.
On the whole, audiences will receive many good vibrations while watching this film. This reviewer saw it with only one other person in the cinema preview and really wished that there were more people present, sharing their vibrations. On the whole, it is a feel-good film though it is set in many difficult days in Belfast of the 1960s and 1970s and during the Troubles.
This is the story of a Belfast man, who considered himself the best DJ in Belfast in the 1960s. His name is Terri Hooley, who also acted as a consultant for the film. He is played with quite some exuberance by Richard Dormer, bringing this character with all his strengths and his many flaws to quite vivid life.
Terri worked in a Belfast club but customers were in decline. With his growing awareness of the punk music movement, he was interested in promoting local bands, holding auditions, giving the players opportunities, inviting audiences, making records, and trying to promote them, even going to the BBC where he was not particularly well received although famous music DJ, John Peel, was supportive.
There are fantasy sequences in the film, especially with Terri’s childhood, imagining himself flying in his garden, the home where his communistic father, who stood for Parliament, very often and was always defeated, trying to inculcate a socialist awareness in his son. He was not particularly impressed when Terri had the brainwave of starting up a shop, a music shop, in central Belfast. The name of the shop was Good Vibrations. For many years, it was the centre of musical sales and activities and promotions.
Terri thought that music, especially the punk music of the period would attract young people and transcend the divisions of politics and hatred. To some extent, he was right.
The other important thing in his life was his meeting his wife, dancing with her, proposing, the hardships of their life together, his investing her savings in his enterprises, her supporting him despite so much exasperation. But, Terri also led a comparatively wild life, music being all rather than clear economics and accounts, running the risk of squandering his capital, always in view of his music dream.
This had some bad consequences on his marriage, his drinking, even his inability to hold his young baby with his trembling hands.
Yet, he persevered with his vision, was supportive of many musicians and groups, enjoyed promoting them, even despite threats of sectarian boycotting and disturbances in Belfast. There is a powerful supportive concert in Belfast at the end, Terri making his mark.
The film is enjoyable in its way, Richard Dormer’s performance being most impressive, and, in the context of Irish troubles, an affirmation of the message: make music not war.
1. The title? Belfast and the good and bad vibrations?
2. A human story, portrait of Terri, Belfast and the Troubles? Punk music, a celebration, uniting people, especially young people? The blend of these themes?
3. The focus on Belfast, the 1960s and 70s, archival material? The city, the homes, bars, shops, recording studio, the Hall, the girls outside Belfast?
4. The range of music? Of the period? The opening with Hank Williams? Punk music? The local bands, the range of songs?
5. The truth story of the stories of Terri, his wife, career? Flattering him, showing his flaws? His exuberance, contribution to music, to Belfast? His personal story? Relationship with his wife, her leaving, the child?
6. Terri as a boy, his father as an alternative for politics, the Communist Socialist background? The Hank Williams song? The home movie style, his flying amongst the roses? His age?
7. His parents, politics, his father and his attempts to get elected, criticisms of his son, standing outside the shop, calling capitalist?
8. Richard Dormer’s performance as Terri? Exuberant, the love of music, the best DJ in Belfast, the Troubles and fewer people coming to the club’s? Images of the past and the crowds? His meeting with, dancing, and love? Marriage, married life, the house, her support? Her job as a truancy officer and its effect on her? Giving him the £40 as guarantee for the loan for the shop? His mortgaging the house without her knowledge? Her sharing all his experiences
and jewellery? On the hill, telling him that she was pregnant? At home, his not being there, to the hospital, giving birth, waking up and finding their, but unable to hold the baby because of his trembling hands? All the friends of the hospital and her wanting them to go away? Her decision to leave? His disappointment? The end, coming to the performance and giving him support?
9. The punk era, the 1970s, the British bands? The style of music? Terri and Dave, dates help, accounting, keeping an eye on the money? The idea of the shop? Leasing it, opening it up, borrowing money? The customers? His excluding the young men – and there later returning and bashing him? Caught in the shop Good Vibrations, his father’s disdain? The group, listening to them, the other groups, the recordings, fewer results? His hearing the song that he liked, growing with success? His friend in London, drugs and his wealth? Sending the record after the group packing it, to all the agents? No reply? His visiting and interviewing people – and their rejection? The disc Jockey and his harshness? At the BBC, not letting him in, the reporter coming, recognising him, giving the record to John Peel, John Peel’s reputation on the BBC, the thrill of hearing the record, played twice, the celebration? His becoming something of a celebrity, his shop, his influence in the music world, the magazine interview and cover? The failure of his promoting the group, his excuses? Dave’s warnings?
10. The bashing, his debt, the idea of the performance, John Peel arriving, the crowds outside, the success? His explaining that he was impulsive, not caring about money profits?
11. The after information, his autobiography, Terri acting as a consultant for the film?
