We love this band, we know this band so there was a lot of anticipation when the announcement came that Kings of Leon had made a documentary. Nathan said in an interview they've shown "warts and all". As a fan we've seen and known about many of these warts.
But unlike Some Kind of Monster (the Metallica rock-doc) which showed one uncomfortable moment after another, ‘Talihina Sky’ was about family, Jesus and the way the guys grew up. It was not a Behind the Scenes episode either. It wasn’t about the rise of a band. It was simply a recollection of the way these specific people evolved, setting a new course for themselves in the world. It could’ve been about any family, it just made it that more interesting that it was about our beloved Kings.
I knew their family was poor while they traveled throughout the south spreading the word of G-d. But the film really made it clear how little they actually had. Like the fact that Nathan and Caleb had to share the only two pairs of pants they owned.
I knew they were very religious, but they were like holy ghost, bible thumping, speaking tongues kinda religious, which I’m not sure I really knew. I suppose it’s hard for me to imagine them coming from that kind of strict background. Seeing it on film, is no joke.
Especially when BettyAnn told a story about her sons speaking in tongues as children. Later in the film, she spoke about a moment when she prayed for Caleb, prayed that he would be calm in his heart. The emotion of that memory made her cry, she couldn’t speak for a minute. Once she composed herself she said G-d came to her and said “It’s done”. She said it was clear as if anyone was talking to her.
I liked the movie immensely, but in some ways I feel like it barely scratched the surface. And yet they showed an incredible amount of footage from the families younger days before they were big rock and roll stars. The more they showed their family the less it felt like a band documentary or a rock-doc. I wonder if a casual fan would have thought the same thing. Since I know so much about them, I wanted more.
There was little surprise about their personalities, or stories about them growing up, their very southern family, their drug use, drinking and sex. Having said that, I couldn’t turn away for a minute. I wanted to soak up every second they showed. When the DVD comes out I know I will wear a hole in it and I can’t wait for the inevitable deleted scenes, the director hinted there would be.
If you know the band (as a fan), you know they have a sense of humor and it shows even more so in the movie. Caleb starts the film talking about the first time he got to 2nd base. The funny moment comes when he revealed it was with a cousin, and no he wasn’t kidding.
One of many scenes that stuck out to me was what looked like outtakes from the Use Somebody video. Caleb and Lily waking up in a bed and she reachs out to him. Gently, Lily grabbed the back of his head and ran her fingers through his hair. Then pet his bare shoulder while he was on the phone. That will replay a lot in my head, until I can see it again.
He was in the studio and his phone rang. Like any boyfriend he played her the music he just recorded and told her about his schedule and where he would be when she arrived. When they hung up the phone, Caleb said a quick prayer to keep her plane safe and have her returned to him safe and sound. It almost broke my heart to see him be like that
Another scene that left an impression was a fight involving Nathan and Caleb. It was tough to watch. It was an ugly berating of Caleb by his older brother, Nathan that seemed relentless. I found myself feeling bad for Caleb, and yet you knew in some way he deserved it.
I asked the director, after the film, if he was the one behind the camera. He said he was not on the bus at the time and Nathan had filmed it. He told me he knew it was coming. The fight had been brewing the whole day and he stayed clear.
Their parents were fairly candid about their divorce as was Jared. I think Jared and Nathan were the most open about it. Nathan said, “seeing his parents he always knew what not to do.” Something I think so many can relate to. Ivan was very open about his own demons. Mentioning that “Caleb took it the hardest,” referring to his fall from grace.
Something I thought was perhaps missing was, Matthew. He hardly spoke and I asked the director about that. He said, “sometimes it says so much more because he doesn’t say anything.” It’s true but there was a part of me that seemed like he was disinterested. Certainly, in the fame part of what he does.
Susan, Matthew’s mom, disclosed he cried the night before he was to leave to be with the band, because he was going to miss his friends. She told him, “you’ll be back in a couple of weeks.” Matthew’s mother admitted to not understanding, like he did, that he wasn’t coming back.
There were a lot of scenes with family at the creek in Oklahoma. The film spent a lot of time with the family at their yearly reunion. As a rabid fan I’ve seen footage from the same day, but everything they showed was something new. It never felt recycled, which is something I was afraid of.
One of the funniest moments was seeing Caleb and Nathan as teenagers singing in their church clothes, hair short and awkwardly singing with their microphones. It was a promotional video for their singing services and to contact BettyAnn for bookings. No matter how funny it was there was no denying they both had (and still have) incredible voices. There is a reason they do what they do for a living.
Thinking about it, the things I wanted more of would have turned the film into a rock-doc instead of what it was, a movie about boys with a difficult childhood, growing into men with brilliant futures.
In the end it solidified the way I feel about this band. I instantly tweeted after, “Is it possible to love a band more???”
Me with the director, Stephen C. Mitchell
