Movies You Might Have Missed: Peter Bogdanovich's Runnin' Down a Dream

The documentary about Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is open and honest, especially about the 1987 incident when an arsonist set fire to Petty’s house and destroyed everything in it

Tom Petty (front and centre) and The Heartbreakers are the subject of Peter Bogdanovich’s documentary ‘Runnin’ Down a Dream’

The recent passing of Tom Petty robbed the world of a soulful artist with few equals. Available on Netflix, Runnin’ Down a Dream is a four-hour documentary about the man and his band directed by the great Peter Bogdanovich. The filmmaker, better known for making classics like The Last Picture Show and Paper Moon and appearing in The Sopranos as Dr Melfi’s psychotherapist, was perhaps not the most obvious choice for this project. Indeed, before filming began, the director actually had to listen to all of the albums by Petty and the Heartbreakers as he only previously knew a few songs. Perhaps the story feels so fresh on film because that’s exactly how it felt to the man at the helm.

In a sense, Tom Petty and his band lived the American dream; a group of friends who came from the middle of nowhere, bonded over The Beatles in their teens and ended up inspiring millions. As a child, Petty actually met Elvis Presley when he was shooting a film in Florida and realised on that day in 1961 that rock and roll was the life for him. After faltering attempts to gain a foothold in the music industry with the awfully named Mudcrutch, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers formed in 1976 and revolutionised American music.

The pace is leisurely but never sluggish, with every major player having their say on the enduring appeal of the group. This is no mere hagiography, though, and arguments come under the microscope, notably when Petty started work on a solo record the band members actively disliked. Everything is covered, from the singer’s role in the Traveling Wilburys to a birthday card he received from Johnny Cash after the pair worked together. The film, like its subject, is open and honest, especially when it comes to an incident in 1987 when an arsonist set fire to his house and destroyed everything within.

The Heartbreakers display just as much self-awareness, explaining that the name was supposed to be ironic given what they look like and that their philosophy was always, “Don’t bore us, get to the chorus.” Almost every Petty song feels as though you’ve heard it before on first listen and that’s because he could write a hook like nobody else. At the film’s climax, its star explains that all the band want to do is play music for the rest of their lives. A decade later, Petty and the band would conclude a 40th anniversary tour at the Hollywood Bowl, one of the most iconic venues on earth. Within a week he was dead but it’s fair to say he played music for the remainder of his days and this enthralling, inspiring film should appeal to anyone with an interest in creativity and the history of popular music.