A family divided by the culture clash of the 1960s is forced to come together when the son suffers a brain tumor that affects his memory.
- Feb 8, 2011
AceShowbiz - "The Music Never Stopped" is one of the indie films that got picked up during recent Sundance Film Festival. Roadside Attractions is now set to release it on limited theaters this March 18, dropping its first trailer via Apple on Monday, February 7.
Almost 20 years after their teenage son Gabriel ran away from home, Henry and Helen Sawyer learn that he has turned up in a hospital. Although benign, a brain tumor has damaged his memory, rendering past and present indistinguishable. Sensing that Gabriel responds to music, Henry seeks out a music therapist, who discovers that when Gabriel listens to the rock music he loved - The Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, Buffalo Springfield - he reengages with the world.
By deftly incorporating flashbacks, the film chronicles the souring relationship between father and son-particularly Henry's growing distaste for the music he feels is poisoning his son's mind. The striking irony is that Henry's only means to reconcile with his son is by embracing the very music that divided them in the first place.
J.K. Simmons stars as Henry, Julia Ormond is the music mentor while Lou Taylor Pucci is Gabriel. The movie, which is Jim Kohlberg's first feature, is based on Oliver Sacks' case study "The Last Hippie."
