Trailer for Cameron Crowe's love song to Pearl Jam debuts

Posted Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 4:58 PM Central
Last updated Wednesday, September 21, 2011 at 3:50 PM Central

by John Couture

There are very few things in this world that rival my man-crush on Kevin Smith, but Pearl Jam is certainly one of them. I could go all gushy and explain how they came into my life at the exact moment when I needed them and all that, but I'll spare you the therapist session.

Some might be surprised to learn that Pearl Jam is celebrating 20 years as a band this year and in today's day and age that is quite a feat. As Chris Cornell laments in the trailer, "American rock bands? They break up."

But Pearl Jam never broke up. In fact, they have evolved over time from their explosion into the mainstream consciousness with the onset of grunge music to become a band that continues to create relevant music today.

My parents had the Beatles and Elvis Presley and I had Pearl Jam. Since high school, they have been the one constant in my life that I could always count on to get me through life's ups and downs.

For a retrospective of their career at year 20, the band turned to long-time friend of the band filmmaker Cameron Crowe to create what could only be best described as his love letter to Pearl Jam. Crowe worked with the band for his 1992 movie Singles and before he got into making films, he made his living writing as a music critic for publications such as Creem and Rolling Stone.

In fact, his autobiographical film Almost Famous not only allowed him to share the exploits of his early life, but also propelled him to the zenith of his latest profession by way of winning the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. So, when I heard that he would be spearheading this retrospective concert film/documentary/band biography I simply knew that magic was brewing.

If the trailer below is any indication, there just might be a second Oscar waiting for Crowe early next year. From the humbling start of seeing David Lynch ask Eddie Vedder when he started to get into music to watching the band's changing haircuts from the long, unkempt hair that epitomized the grunge look to the more contemporary styles of today, it's an engaging trip down memory lane, with a soundtrack.

Speaking of soundtracks, Crowe curated a double disc collection to accompany the movie's release that includes rarities and what is sure to be a broad coverage of their entire catalog. There is also a companion book with more rare photographs of the band. But most importantly, the film is set to screen on one night, September 20th, and you can find your local theater screenings by clicking here.

For now though, check out the trailer below and let us know what you think.