On Friday, Aug. 8 the long anticipated documentary “It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley” was released in theaters nationwide for a limited time. Jeff Buckley was an alternative singer-songwriter that captured the hearts of many with his angelic voice. He is most well-known for his song “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over” from the 1994 hit album “Grace.”
This 1-hour, 48-minute documentary explores Buckley’s life story in its tragic entirety. It dives deep into the mysteries of his persona that have puzzled his fans for decades. Buckley’s mother, Mary Guibert, shares anecdotes about the singer that make the audience fall in love with his heartwarming personality even more. This documentary covers almost everything there is to know about him- from the absence of his father, Tim Buckley, to his sudden drowning at Wolf River.
Dylan Krause, a junior at Mark Keppel High School and an avid Buckley fan, said, “I decided to watch the movie because of Buckley’s music and was curious about his life and death.” She also commented, “The music and images were well put together and the editing was beautiful.” Many of those who were lucky enough to experience the movie share similar opinions. The documentary does a wonderful job at expressing Buckley’s life story in both an accurate and graceful manner.
Many viewers agreed the film was very heartfelt and intense. They feel the film really told a story about a side of Jeff that is easily overlooked by many. Jaden Alvarado, a senior at Mark Keppel High School and a long-time fan of Buckley agreed and said, “Now that I have seen the film I see Jeff as more of a real person who had issues dealing with identity, relationships, and most of all the expectations. His music sounds better now that I know where he’s coming from.” A common favorite scene from the film was the voicemail played at the end of the movie that Buckley left for his mother before he drowned, thanking her for bringing him into this world and reminding her of his everlasting love.
Directed by Amy J. Berg, “It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley” made over $1,190,000 at the box office. The film included multiple concert footage from various locations including Sin-è, childhood photographs, and voicemail messages from Buckley’s life. The film took a dive into Buckley’s relationship with his father and his girlfriend, Rebecca Moore while also highlighting his conflicts and controversy as he quickly rose to fame. After the credits, the film surprised everyone with a 26-minute long unseen footage of one of Buckley’s performances at The Middle East in Cambridge on Feb. 19, 1994.
