In "Yellow Rose", a feature film highlight of the Austin Film Festival, a teenage Filipino-American girl named Rose buys guitar strings at a music shop in Bastrop. When she sets her Townes Van Zandt songbook on the counter to pay, the boy working the register takes note. "Townes is like my spirit God," she tells him.
This early scene introduces you to the heart of a timely film about Texas music, songwriting, and how it might feel if your mother is deported and you end up bunking at a revered Austin honky-tonk.
Country music and the "Broken Spoke" (which celebrates its 58th anniversary this year) play starring roles in "Yellow Rose", as does the tattooed, snowy-headed Dale Watson, a real-life Texas honky-tonk legend and owner of the "Little Longhorn Saloon" in Austin. After Rose's mother is put in a detention center, Rose runs from Bastrop to Austin and the "Broken Spoke", one of the only places she feels at home.
At the "Broken Spoke", Rose befriends Watson, and they begin writing music together. Some of the songs were crafted organically while filming at Watson's Austin house, a recurring set in the film. "Square Peg," the stand-out track from the film, evolves throughout the movie as Rose seeks a life where she fits in.
"It was easy to write for Rose," Watson says. "You put politics aside, and just think of a person and what she's dealing with - that's what this film is really doing. It's not red, it's not blue. It's about real people, and it evolves an emotion in you. That's what counts."
Although director and producer Diane Paragas began work on "Yellow Rose" over 15 years ago, she feels like this is the right time for the film to be released. A Filipino-American who went from the Philippines to Lubbock as a young child. Paragas conveys Rose's story with authenticity. "I hope I found a way to put a heart and a face on the human condition, on what it's like to be separated from family," Paragas says. "The core theme of this movie is empathy."
Dale Watson who pretty much plays himself, says "I'm not an actor. I'm a reactor. Luckily in this film you have such strong characters like Rose (played by Eva Noblezada) that I only had to react to this powerful force in front of you. When she screams at you, you just do what you do. So I give all the credit to Diane for that. But if I look bad, it's totally my own fault."
The film's depiction of its Texas setting is admirably absent of hackneyed, lazy stereotypes of backward, racist Southerners. Though, of course, such folks exist (Rose reveals late in the film that her childhood nickname "Yellow Rose" was basically an ethnic slur), the film gives itself great credit by not grabbing the low-hanging story fruit of Eva facing cartoonishly drawn racist antagonists. Even though Rose's Filipina heritage makes her an anomaly in the country music world, she's seemingly embraced and accepted by everyone around her.
"Yellow Rose," despite its politically fraught subject matter, is by no means a depressing or despairing work. To the contrary, it finds room for humor and moments of lightheartedness, and finds a rich, remarkable balance between the light and the dark in the lives of its characters in a compelling and beautifully crafted fashion. The film's final frame finds Rose defiantly staring down the camera after she delivers her big-break musical performance at the "Broken Spoke." Rose lets us know that despite the social and political obstacles she must confront, she's here to stay, and she's not going anywhere.
But before we get to the main feature, let's enjoy...
The Pre-Show:
Last week we had the opportunity of watching "Viva Las Vegas", well this week you have all the musical videos, pertaining the film, of both Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret in one file. Somehow, a much easier and, definitely, more enjoyable way to revisit the film.
Today's feature deals with two classics as a background to the film. On the one hand Dale Watson, and on the other the "Broken Spoke" (Austin's legendary Honky-Tonk). Well, from the first we have an interesting live radio show which was filmed. In it, besides listening to some great songs, Dale makes a reference to his immediate participation in "Yellow Rose". The second documentary deals directly and magnificently with the "Broken Spoke" itself, where we'll discover that the past is still possible to visit.
And last but not least our great encounter with chapter 7 of the Sun Records series. A series that is coming to its end the following week. So, it's time for you to catch up if you're behind, as the "legends" of the time will entertain us one more week.
The Main Feature:
Title: Yellow Rose
Director: Diane Paragas
Cast: Eva Noblezada / Dale Watson / Princess Punzalan / Lea Salonga
Release Date: October 9th 2020
Countries: United States & Philippines
On Your Way Out:
When we get to this point, I can only wish you've had a great time watching all the "Pre-show" goodies and that the main feature was to your liking. Once again, as we're about to leave, I remind you not to be shy and grab some "extra goodies" for you to take as a memory of today's evening.
Note: Password for all files: Shade'sVintageRadio
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario