Wilco: I Am Trying to Break Your Heart

A documentary by Sam Jones

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Wilco: I Am Trying to Break Your Heart

A documentary by Sam Jones

Wilco’s story isn’t an unfamiliar one. It follows the rules for a classic tale pretty well. We have Wilco, the hero, and a villain, Reprise Records. The hero is faced with a daunting challenge: the recording and releasing of a complex record, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, on a major label that’s being bought by a huge media corporation, Time Warner. A bunch of stuff happens and the hero outwits and conquers the villain. Wilco is able to buy back the rights to their music from Reprise and go to another record label, which is ironically another Time Warner subsidiary.

“I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” tells this story. From the days in the studio at work on Foxtrot to the fiasco that was trying to release the record, Sam Jones follows Wilco during their most turbulent era.

Perhaps the most prominent character in the film is Wilco’s manager, who spends much of the film’s time either explaining the band’s situation to the audience or arguing with record executives on his headset phone.

The film also explores the inner conflicts in Wilco, whose lineup changed significantly during the making of Foxtrot. Multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett and drummer Ken Coomer were both eventually replaced by people that frontman Jeff Tweedy felt meshed better with his musical ideals. One scene shows us a silly miscommunication between Bennett and Tweedy in the studio, in which Bennett insists neurotically that Tweedy understand what Bennett thought Tweedy was thinking. It’s rather amusing, and foreshadows Bennett’s eventual departure from the band.

The drama in this film runs high, but it doesn’t come without relief. “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” is filled with live performances by the band, playing material from all of their records. We also get insight into the recording processes behind Foxtrot, and different versions of the record’s songs appear throughout the film.

Like any classic tale, there’s a happy ending. Foxtrot was eventually released in May of 2002 on Nonesuch records, about a year after it was ready for print. The film ends with footage of the band walking along the river with Chicago’s skyscrapers overhead. The hero ends up on top.

This film is certainly among the better music documentaries of late. It’s well-filmed, well-scored and well-edited despite the filmmaker’s obvious biases. It’s arty but not oversaturated. It’s a must-see for any Wilco fan, and recommended to any music fanatic.

“I am trying to Break Your Heart” is playing at Pittsburgh Filmmakers’ Harris Theater, 809 Liberty Ave., Downtown. Call (412) 471-9700 for show times of check out the Web site at www.pghfilmmakers.org.