With all of the hullabaloo surrounding the upcoming not one but two Jeff Buckley biopics, it’s nice to finally see some footage from at least one of them. And here to aid us in that viewing is the not-officially-approved-by-the-estate film, Greetings from Tim Buckley which stars lonely boy Gossip Girl‘s own Penn Badgley. The Hollywood Reporter posted the trailer from film, which ends with a “In Post-Production” tag, which means we’re hopefully closer to this thing finally being released. Also, it seems as though the production team must’ve been antsy to get footage out before the other film, maybe? No doubt comparisons between Badgley and the other Jeff Buckley, Reeve Carney, will be plentiful. Best to get your version of the man out there first, right?
The clip has all the trappings of an indie music biopic: brooding, scraggly hair, guitars, pretty girls and flashbacks to the oft-nostalgic 60s. Oh, and of course some daddy issues for good measure. (Because what is an estranged father-son relationship without those, right?) It seems as though Badgley’s interpretation of Buckley the Younger is a much freer, more human endeavor–especially considering how iconic and other-worldly his mythicized existence became after his death. Will it pay off? Only time will tell, but Greetings From Tim Buckley seems to at least have an interesting story at hand, as it crosses both Jeff’s struggle with the father he never knew, as well as Tim’s journey through his own revered musical career.
Oh and yes–lest there be any doubt: Badgley can definitely sing. And it sounds pretty good. We’re hoping to hear more, but seeing as the movie does not have the rights to Jeff’s music (that was reserved for the other film), don’t hold your breath for any epic renditions of “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over” or “Grace.” Oh well–it seems like the movie isn’t really about that anyway, so hopefully the tunes won’t be missed (though we know they’ll all be at least a little bit missed by fans).
Looking forward to Greetings from Tim Buckley? Do you think Penn Badgley has the chops to take on the role? Sing it to us in the comments.
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Penn Badgley Channels Jeff Buckley in NYC — VIDEO
