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Hey, Now! He's a Rock Star!

By Teddy Durgin
How can one man be so miscast in one film, and yet so perfectly cast in another? I have taken my fair share of shots at Mark Wahlberg, a.k.a. the former Marky Mark rap star of the early '90s now turned actor. In Tim Burton's remake of Planet of the Apes he was just all wrong for the part of the all-American astronaut hero. The part called for a true leading man. It called for a guy who was larger than life. It called for . . . facial expressions! Wahlberg was clearly uncomfortable in the role, having to act and react to other actors in elaborate primate makeup, then having to rally humans to fight the more powerful man-beasts.

In Rock Star (opening Sept. 7), though, he is perfectly cast as Chris Cole, a small-time musician from Pittsburgh who sings lead for a cover band of the fictional '80s heavy metal group, Steel Dragon. Cole's ego is large. So is his allegiance to his rock n' roll heroes. His bedroom is a shrine to the group. He's grown his hair long and bought clothes that resemble those of Steel Dragon lead singer Bobby Beers (Jason Flemyng, very effective in an all-too-brief role). He even insists that each of Steel Dragon's songs must be performed exactly as written, much to the dismay of the other members of the tribute band who want to start playing their own songs.

No sooner is Chris tossed out of the group that he gets a call that changes his life. Beers ironically has been thrown out of Steel Dragon, and the surviving members want Chris to take over as lead singer! Before long, Chris and his girlfriend, Emily (Jennifer Aniston, whose hair goes from Cynthia Gibb to Samantha Fox to Lita Ford in the span of 90 minutes) are seduced into the celebrity lifestyle. Eventually, though, the world of bright lights, groupies, sex, drugs, and rock n' roll take their toll on the relationship until Chris (now renamed "Izzy") is forced to make a choice.

Impossible, you say? Too much of a stretch, you rage? Not so fast! The same thing happened with the metal group, Judas Priest, years ago. Even Priest's lead singer, Rob Halford, came out of the closet later in his career as does Bobby Beers in the movie.

As directed by Stephen Herek and written by former actor John Stockwell, Rock Star is first and foremost a loving tribute to the big hair bands of the 1980s, a genre of rock music I am not too ashamed to admit I cut my teeth on. No, I never grew my hair long. I sure tried to, but my hair is just too wavy. It's really quite sad. When I go without a cut for more than a month, my hair gets so unruly.

Still, I always dreamed of being up there on stage with the likes of Judas Priest, Motley Crue, Quiet Riot, Twisted Sister, Bon Jovi, Dokken, Whitesnake, and especially Van Halen. Steel Dragon is loosely based on all of them. This was arena rock at its best, albeit slightly cheesy in retrospect. The original songs in Rock Star are so reminiscent of hits like You Got Another Thing Comin', Cum on Feel the Noize, and You Give Love a Bad Name, you'll swear they're actually old hits from 15-20 years ago.

Meanwhile, Beers' and Cole's vocal stylings are right on par with those of Sammy Hagar, David Coverdale, and even Steve Perry and Meat Loaf of softer rock fame. They all sang REALLY BIG in the '80s, like the world was coming to an end and they could hold back the fires of Armageddon with just their lyrics. Their voices were as loud, if not louder, than the guitars, the bass, and the drums screaming through the monster speakers that left you deaf for a week (and you loved it!) But if you tried to sing like them on your own time, you sounded like a fool. Better to imagine yourself as Michael Anthony or Tommy Lee. They still got tail.

Rock Star is smart in recalling that bygone era. Remember, many of the aforementioned bands eventually replaced their original lead singers due mainly to infighting and restlessness. And the transition was often not a smooth one. I remember the post-David Lee Roth Van Halen concerts in 1986 with large groups of fans holding up "Bring Back Dave!" and "Death to Van Hagar!" signs. Sammy eventually won over the masses with his own style, just as does Chris Cole in the film.

Rock Star is also quite adept at entertaining us with the simple pull of its narrative, even though we are always certain we're watching a rise-and-fall story. There are not many surprises in the movie. In fact, I wish the ending had been a bit more poignant than it is to give the film a bit more dramatic weight. I also wish Herek had more courage to show Cole actually indulging in one-night stands, recreational drugs, and other debauchery. The film hints at such episodes, but ultimately plays it safe to maintain the integrity of its hero.

But these are nitpicks. Wahlberg and Aniston are so likable as the leads and everything comes full circle so nicely, you don't mind the lighter touch. Herek's pacing is fantastic, and I really enjoyed the trip back to a time I remember so fondly. If you don't like this kind of music, Rock Star is probably not the movie for you. But if you enjoy watching VH-1's Behind the Music series or you remember getting lit while watching MTV's Headbanger's Ball, you'll be more than entertained.

Hey, I give credit where credit is due when it is deserved. I don't think I've ever quite liked Wahlberg so much in a film. He is in virtually every scene of Rock Star, and he really carries the picture. It's probably the best acting job he has done in a movie, and he really seemed to be at ease within the confines of the script. He should! As Marky Mark, he lived much of what Chris Cole experiences in the movie. Wahlberg stood on stage in front of thousands. He had throngs of willing women throwing themselves at his feet every night. He trashed tour buses, pissed in hotel fountains, and drove motorcycles through lobbies.

When we go to the movies, we want to live vicariously through the characters. If an actor or actress is having no fun in a role (like Wahlberg in Apes), the audience senses it and the performance fizzles. For anyone who has ever wanted to front their favorite rock band, rap group, country act, or orchestra, Rock Star knows who you are and asks you to step up to the mike.

Rock Star is rated R for language, nudity, sexual situations,
and some drug content