John Mellencamp Movies

In 2009, John Mellencamp set out on a summer concert tour with two icons of American music, Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson. During the course of the tour, Mellencamp and producer T-Bone Burnett recorded the sessions for Mellencamp's 2010 album No Better Than This. The two men struck upon the idea of recording the album using a single microphone and a vintage monophonic tape machine, and performing in historically important settings, including the Sun Studio in Memphis (where Elvis Presley cut his earliest sessions), Room 414 of San Antonio's Gunter Hotel (where Robert Johnson recorded several classic blues tunes), and the First African Baptist Church in Savannah (the first church in North America established by an African-American congregation). As Mellencamp and his band set out on their adventure, he invited along photographer Kurt Markus, who brought his teenage son Ian Markus with him. Kurt and Ian documented the tour and the recording sessions on Super 8 film, and the resulting movie It's About You offers a look into the creative process of one of America's most celebrated rock songwriters, as well as a journey that allows a father and son to understand one another in a new way. It's About You received its world premiere at the 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

This concert film captures the highlights of the 2007 Farm Aid Music festival, which marked the fundraiser's 20th anniversary. Some of the featured performers in the release include Emmylou Harris, Wilco, Widespread Panic, John Mellencamp, and more. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi

Trouble No More: The Making of a John Mellencamp Album is an hour-long video documentary directed by Ron Osgood. Produced by students at Indiana University, the film documents the making of Mellencamp's first covers album, Trouble No More. The record was released in summer of 2003 by the Best Buy company. Includes behind-the-scenes rehearsals, in-studio recording sessions, and live performances. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

A Southern-flavored black comedy concerning a small-town mechanic desperate to help his girlfriend/stepsister realize her dream of becoming a soap opera actress, Lone Star State of Mind finds Dawson's Creek star Joshua Jackson in an increasingly sticky predicament. Though at first Earl (Jackson) and Baby's (Jamie King) plans to make for Los Angeles seem close enough to realize, it isn't long before Baby's slow-witted cousin Junior (DJ Qualls) finds Earl working double time to help Junior out of a jam and hit the road within the space of 48 hours. It seems that Junior has gotten himself into a bit of trouble with the Mob, and if Baby doesn't get to L.A. soon, pilot season will be over and all hopes of a career as an actress lost. Having provided the testimony that put away the mobster who killed his father when he was a young boy, Earl soon begins to realize that his situation may be more dire, and more personal, than he previously thought. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

On September 29, 2001, Farm Aid founders Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and John Mellencamp staged one of their celebrated benefit concerts in Noblesville, IN; occurring less than three weeks after the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C., the show became an event which not only celebrated the importance of independent family farming in America, but also the strength and resilience which helped make the country strong. Farm Aid 2001: A Concert for America features highlights from this special show, and is the first Farm Aid concert to be released on home video; in addition to Nelson, Young, and Mellencamp, the video also features performances from the Dave Matthews Band, Martina McBride, and the Doobie Brothers. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rocker John Mellencamp both directed and starred in this drama about a well-known musician who returns to his old home town, opening a number of old wounds in the process. Bud Parks (Mellencamp) is a country-rock star who's feeling burned out after a long stretch on the road and heads back to his hometown in Indiana for some downtime with his family and old friends for the occasion of his father's birthday. But after arriving in Indiana with his wife, Alice (Mariel Hemingway), and daughter, Terri Jo (Melissa Ann Hackman), Bud gets a reminder that the Parks family is no more happy or stable than it has ever been. Bud's wealthy father, Speck (Claude Akins), is still a self-centered womanizer; Grandpa (Dub Taylor) is a foul and hateful man; and Bud's half-brother, Ramey (Larry Crane) -- the result of one of Speck's many extramarital affairs -- is much better adjusted than his full brother, Parker (Brent Huff), whose loyalty to Speck has turned him into a spiritless lackey. Parker also happens to be married to P.J. (Kay Lenz), who was Bud's girlfriend in high school, and as Alice sits on the sidelines attracting the unwanted attentions of Speck, Bud finds himself falling into an affair with P.J. As he faces his own guilt and the mixed emotions of his family and friends at his return, Bud realizes he's more like his father than he ever wanted to be. Novelist and screenwriter Larry McMurtry wrote Falling From Grace for Mellencamp, even spending time with the singer in Indiana to get a better feel for the locations; songwriter and Mellencamp collaborator John Prine also appears and contributes to the soundtrack. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

In the conclusion of a two-part story, the high-school rivalry between Peg (Katey Sagal) and Connie (Lisa Raggio) continues spilling over into adulthood as the two women vie for the honor of prom queen at their class reunion. The proceedings get down and dirty (or, to be precise, downer and dirtier than usual) as Peg bribes the voters and Al (Ed O'Neill) squares off against Connie's husband Jack (Jack Yates). Meanwhile, Al and Peg's kids Kelly (Christina Applegate) and Bud (David Faustino) dress up as hippies in hopes of crashing the prom banquet. Playboy centerfold Lynne Austin makes a cameo appearance. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Former SCTV regular Harold Ramis makes a return appearance as Allan "Crazy Legs" Herschman, chairman of the SCTV Network's board of directors, who decides the time has come to fire station owner Guy Caballero (Joe Flaherty) for writing bad checks (one of Guy's victims is guest star Fred Willard). Also: Jerry Lewis (Martin Short) is transformed into musical guest John Cougar in "The Nutty Lab Assistant." Shallow showbiz personality Jackie Rogers Jr. (Short again!) makes his first series appearance in clips from his 1970 special "Swingin' With Mother Nature." And the dotty hostess (Andrea Martin) of "Mrs.Falbo's Tiny Town" shows the kids at home how to build a nuclear reactor on a rainy day. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Penned by Dan Greenburg, Private Lessons details the plight of a rich, fifteen-year-old boy (Eric Brown) whose French maid (Sylvia Kristel of the Emmanuelle series) is hired to teach him the finer points of l'amour. A contrived subplot involving a blackmail scheme complicates matters but really only serves as padding between the erotic scenes. In the end, the boy ends up wiser for the wear in more ways than one as he learns all the sordid details. Typical of many early '80s adolescent-oriented T & A films, this entry includes plenty of leering nudity and debauchery, although it seems comparatively tame compared with many others. Surprisingly, Private Lessons was a box-office hit at the time of its release; presumably, many film-goers had seen Kristel in her role as Emmanuelle, although they would have been disappointed to learn a body-double stood in during her love scenes in this case. A similarly-themed film, My Tutor, was released soon after. ~ Jeremy Beday, Rovi