JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum Movies with Fictional Songwriters

All-righty, I should know better than to post new topics when I'm run down with a cold and not thinking entirely straight, but here I go. I don't have a lot else to think about, besides how bad my throat hurts, so humor me. I need the distraction!

I can think of 2 movies off the top of my head where a fictional songwriter makes it big. I'm sure there's more. How about a list? And while we're at it, how about we vote on how realistic the situation is/was.

I'm not talking about biopics (real musicians' lives), I'm talking fictional characters. I haven't seen every movie in the universe, so I'm sure I've missed a few.

Here are the 2 on my mind:

101 Dalmatians (orig. animated version)
Roger writes & publishes the song "Cruella deVille" during the movie, which by the end of the movie has made Roger & Anita "more money than we ever dreamed of," and they plan to keep all the 101 puppies on a big place in the country.
Realistic?
That he could've made the $$ in the few short months the story takes place? And not get sued by Cruella for the song's content?

(You may have noticed that in the live-action remake, they made Roger a computer-game programmer. I was sad he was no longer a musician.)


About a Boy
Okay, this one's a little less obvious, because the songwriter isn't actually IN the movie--his heir is. But I'm counting it. The main character basically lives his life doing "nothing," kicking around and buying whatever he wants, because his father wrote a FAMOUS Christmas tune. Everyone who learns about it sings it back to him.
Realistic?
Could his dad have made AND passed on that much of an inheritance to his son, based on ONE hit song (and a seasonal song at that)?

OK, I'm handing this over to you. I know "Music & Lyrics" is out there, but I haven't seen it yet to comment. Sub has a few cuts on "Pope Dreams" going to DVD which has songwriting playing a role in the script, but I haven't seen it yet either.

Can anyone think of more?

Linda

EDIT: 3-05-07, Here's the updated list so far:

101 Dalmatians (orig. animated version)
About a Boy
Music & Lyrics
Pope Dreams
Tender Mercies
That Thing You Do
Eddie and the Cruisers
Honky-Tonk Man (true story? or fiction?)
A Star is Born
Holiday Inn
Amos & Andy, "Kingfish" episode (radio)
Rockstar
Spinal Tap
Love Actually (one of the main characters is an aging rockstar)
Dream Girls
Almost Famous
Josie and The Pusscats
The Crow
Crossroads (not the Brittney Shears version - the one with Steve Vai and Ralph M.)
The Commitments
A Mighty Wind
Oh Brother Where Art Thou
Phantom of the Opera (in all its film incarnations)
Hearts of Fire
Mr. Holland's Opus
Coyote Ugly
10
Thing Called Love
Grace of My Heart
Broken Bridges
One-Trick Pony
Moulin Rouge
Sons of Provo
Bye Bye Birdie
Baja Oklahoma
Honeysuckle Rose
Every Which Way But Loose
Rhinestone
Songwriter
The Idolmaker
Ishtar