Runnin' Down a Dream: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Nick Schager
At a massive 253 minutes, Runnin' Down a Dream: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers certainly doesn't lack for detail, recounting via standard nonfiction means the entirety of the iconic rocker's career. Peter Bogdanovich employs a warm and leisurely, though never sluggish, pace that's upfront about the director's intention to take his sweet time tackling every topic of relevant interest. And as it turns out, there are plenty to tackle, with this admiring but far from sycophantic tribute—set to be released on DVD shortly after a one-night theatrical run—meticulously laying out Petty's three-decade professional saga: his tough childhood and hippie-rocker teenage years in Gainesville, Florida, his early success in Los Angeles, his momentous legal battles with record labels, his ascension to superstardom with 1979's Damn the Torpedoes, his subsequent tour with Bob Dylan and participation in The Traveling Wilburys, and his abiding bond—30 years and a couple of major line-up changes later—with his constant companions, the Heartbreakers.

Full Review