Rating: 
Summary: Superior drama of the early days of British rock 'n roll
Review: "That'll be the Day" is a small, well written and acted film made in 1973 that shares similar themes with the better known "Quadrophenia" made 5 years later. Side note: In "That'll be the Day," the Who's Keith Moon has a cameo as a drummer, and the Pete Townshend composition "Long Live Rock," is heard at a dance hall. Both films tell the story of young men in their late teens/early twenties in England who become disillusioned with their lives and most everything around them. In "Quadrophenia," Jimmy Cooper (Phil Daniels) quits his job and runs Ace Face's (Sting) scooter off the seaside cliffs, symbolically severing his ties with the "Mod" lifestyle. The future for Jimmy is uncertain at the end of "Quadrophenia." The ending of "That'll be the Day," however, is much less ambiguous as Jim MacLaine (David Essex) leaves his job and family (including his infant child) for the life of a rock star (further continued in the 1974 sequel "Stardust").Like "Quadrophenia," "That'll be the Day" is not a musical, though it has plenty of music in it, including the likes of Richie Valens, the Everly Brothers, Dion, etc. The live bands at the dance halls, for the most part, play cover versions of American artists. The real rock stars in the film -- Essex, Ringo Starr, and Billy Fury and Keith Moon in small cameos -- all do an excellent acting job. Essex, in particular, is terrific as Jim and Ringo, as Jim's carny friend Mike, proves that he really can act in a serious role, given the right material (his work here will make you quickly forget about "Caveman"). Rosemary Leach, as Jim's mother, and Rosalind Ayres, as the wife he leaves, are also impressive. Even the small roles are well cast in this film. There's a great scene where young Jim breaks into a seaside arcade on his birthday and proceeds to get drunk. Along comes an English bobby on a bicycle. Rather than arresting him for breaking & entering and disorderly conduct, the compassionate policeman helps Jim home. It's a small, but wonderfully played scene by Ron Hackett as the policeman. Such are the performances throughout this film. Anchor Bay, as usual, does a great job with the visual presentation of this film, but save for a trailer (shown, for some inexplicable reason, in three different sizes!), there are no extras. This is the type of film where a commentary from David Essex, or the film's director (Claude Whatham) or screenwriter (Ray Connolly) really would have added a lot for fans, in much the way that Director Franc Roddam's commentary added to the viewing experience of "Quadrophenia." If and when "Stardust" is ever released on DVD, let's hope that "the powers that be" will include a commentary track (hint: Director Michael Apted would be great). Note: Despite it's PG rating, this is not a children's film. In addition to some unsavory characters and mild profanity, there is implied sex as well as a surprisingly graphic sex scene for a PG rated film (the MPAA ratings standards were much laxer in the early 1970s then they are now). Mercifully, there is no drug usage.
Rating:
Summary: Superior drama of the early days of British rock 'n roll
Review: "That'll be the Day" is a small, well written and acted film made in 1973 that shares similar themes with the better known "Quadrophenia" made 5 years later. Side note: In "That'll be the Day," the Who's Keith Moon has a cameo as a drummer, and the Pete Townshend composition "Long Live Rock," is heard at a dance hall. Both films tell the story of young men in their late teens/early twenties in England who become disillusioned with their lives and most everything around them. In "Quadrophenia," Jimmy Cooper (Phil Daniels) quits his job and runs Ace Face's (Sting) scooter off the seaside cliffs, symbolically severing his ties with the "Mod" lifestyle. The future for Jimmy is uncertain at the end of "Quadrophenia." The ending of "That'll be the Day," however, is much less ambiguous as Jim MacLaine (David Essex) leaves his job and family (including his infant child) for the life of a rock star (further continued in the 1974 sequel "Stardust"). Like "Quadrophenia," "That'll be the Day" is not a musical, though it has plenty of music in it, including the likes of Richie Valens, the Everly Brothers, Dion, etc. The live bands at the dance halls, for the most part, play cover versions of American artists. The real rock stars in the film -- Essex, Ringo Starr, and Billy Fury and Keith Moon in small cameos -- all do an excellent acting job. Essex, in particular, is terrific as Jim and Ringo, as Jim's carny friend Mike, proves that he really can act in a serious role, given the right material (his work here will make you quickly forget about "Caveman"). Rosemary Leach, as Jim's mother, and Rosalind Ayres, as the wife he leaves, are also impressive. Even the small roles are well cast in this film. There's a great scene where young Jim breaks into a seaside arcade on his birthday and proceeds to get drunk. Along comes an English bobby on a bicycle. Rather than arresting him for breaking & entering and disorderly conduct, the compassionate policeman helps Jim home. It's a small, but wonderfully played scene by Ron Hackett as the policeman. Such are the performances throughout this film. Anchor Bay, as usual, does a great job with the visual presentation of this film, but save for a trailer (shown, for some inexplicable reason, in three different sizes!), there are no extras. This is the type of film where a commentary from David Essex, or the film's director (Claude Whatham) or screenwriter (Ray Connolly) really would have added a lot for fans, in much the way that Director Franc Roddam's commentary added to the viewing experience of "Quadrophenia." If and when "Stardust" is ever released on DVD, let's hope that "the powers that be" will include a commentary track (hint: Director Michael Apted would be great). Note: Despite it's PG rating, this is not a children's film. In addition to some unsavory characters and mild profanity, there is implied sex as well as a surprisingly graphic sex scene for a PG rated film (the MPAA ratings standards were much laxer in the early 1970s then they are now). Mercifully, there is no drug usage.
Rating: 
Summary: Perhaps one of the most important rock and roll films...
Review: "That'll be the Day" is an oustanding examination of a certain period and time: England in the 1950s, when rock and roll began to take hold on the country's youth. Filmed in 1972, the movie uses the gritty kitchen-sink realism that was popular in British films at the time. It doesn't boast much of a story, instead following the life of Jim McLain (David Essex), a restless British teenager who leaves home to work at a funfair. Along the way, he gets hooked on the idea of playing music, with a soundtrack of familiar oldies serving as the soundtrack to his life. Not a lot happens in the film, but it captures the uneasiness and tension of the period of life when schooltime is over but you haven't settled into adulthood yet. Most intriguing about the film is the shady character of McLain, who is rather shallow and distant, but manages to still be appealing. Much of that is due to the oustanding performance of David Essex in his first starring role. This movie launched his recording career -- the classic "Rock On" was his only U.S. hit, but he's a major performer in his native country -- and he has an easy charisma which makes him likable even when playing an unpleasant fellow. Good work also from Ringo Starr (as Essex's older friend) and Keith Moon as a slightly-crazed drummer (what else?) .... Also, trivia buffs should notice in chapter eight, Essex can be heard humming the melody of "Rock On," months before he had even recorded the song.
Rating:
Summary: Perhaps one of the most important rock and roll films...
Review: "That'll be the Day" is an oustanding examination of a certain period and time: England in the 1950s, when rock and roll began to take hold on the country's youth. Filmed in 1972, the movie uses the gritty kitchen-sink realism that was popular in British films at the time. It doesn't boast much of a story, instead following the life of Jim McLain (David Essex), a restless British teenager who leaves home to work at a funfair. Along the way, he gets hooked on the idea of playing music, with a soundtrack of familiar oldies serving as the soundtrack to his life. Not a lot happens in the film, but it captures the uneasiness and tension of the period of life when schooltime is over but you haven't settled into adulthood yet. Most intriguing about the film is the shady character of McLain, who is rather shallow and distant, but manages to still be appealing. Much of that is due to the oustanding performance of David Essex in his first starring role. This movie launched his recording career -- the classic "Rock On" was his only U.S. hit, but he's a major performer in his native country -- and he has an easy charisma which makes him likable even when playing an unpleasant fellow. Good work also from Ringo Starr (as Essex's older friend) and Keith Moon as a slightly-crazed drummer (what else?) .... Also, trivia buffs should notice in chapter eight, Essex can be heard humming the melody of "Rock On," months before he had even recorded the song.
Rating:
Summary: A Glimpse Into What It Was Like .
Review: From Anchor Bay Entertainment comes the long-awaited restored version of a classic rock movie. The place is Britain. The time: 1958. Said to be based on the early life of John Lennon, this honest and gritty drama is widely considered to be the best depiction of the 1950's British rock scene. Jim McLain (David Essex) leaves home and takes a series of low level jobs at a seaside amusement park. His new friend, played by Ringo Starr, introduces him to a world of tawdry sex and petty crime. Jim's world comes to a shocking and brutal end and he returns home to face his adult future as the local music scene explodes. Will it be responsible adulthood or a new phenomenon called Rock & Roll? The soundtrack features songs by The Everly Brothers, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dion, Del Shannon and more as well as David Essex's # 1 hit "Rock On." A terrific movie if you like classic rock. Straightforward direction by Claude Whatham. (Widescreen, 91 minutes, Rated PG)
Rating:
Summary: A FORGOTTEN CLASSIC OF EARLY UK ROCK 'N ROLL
Review: From Anchor Bay Entertainment comes the long-awaited restored version of a classic rock movie. The place is Britain. The time: 1958. Said to be based on the early life of John Lennon, this honest and gritty drama is widely considered to be the best depiction of the 1950's British rock scene. Jim McLain (David Essex) leaves home and takes a series of low level jobs at a seaside amusement park. His new friend, played by Ringo Starr, introduces him to a world of tawdry sex and petty crime. Jim's world comes to a shocking and brutal end and he returns home to face his adult future as the local music scene explodes. Will it be responsible adulthood or a new phenomenon called Rock & Roll? The soundtrack features songs by The Everly Brothers, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dion, Del Shannon and more as well as David Essex's # 1 hit "Rock On." A terrific movie if you like classic rock. Straightforward direction by Claude Whatham. (Widescreen, 91 minutes, Rated PG)
Rating:
Summary: . . . . Was it really that long ago
Review: I enjoyed this movie 28 years ago and haven't seen it since. Some films are like that, you watch them once then many years later you realise you simply "must" go back to school. "That'll Be The Day" is such a film. It was that good. Why have I waited so long?
Rating: 
Summary: That'll Be The Day
Review: I found it to be quite boring. As far as it being related to John Lennon's life as a young man I see no resemblence other than the fact that his father left. After that fact there are no similarities. I had seen the movie years ago when it first came out. I didn't remeber it, so I purchased it to watch it again. Now I know why I didn't remember it, there was nothing memerable about it.
Rating:
Summary: Rock It Up!
Review: I really enjoyed this film, not just because of the great music, but because it portrays the life I have always wanted to lead. Everyone wants to be a pop star, don't they? (If not, you might not enjoy this so much). I was a bit baffled by the shift forward in time by its sequel Stardust, which seems to take place in the 1970s whereas this is set in the 1950s. Writer Ray Connolly has written a lot about the Beatles, so the film's story has some similarities to their life, but it is clearly not meant to be about any one actual person any more than Spinal Tap is meant to be about Status Quo. Nevertheless the central performances from David Essex and Ringo Starr are good, and there is a superb cameo by Billy Fury, reason alone to buy this film if you're a Fury fan!
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I really wanted to enjoy this film. I've always been very passionate about music, and always wanted to be a musician, myself. I purchased this DVD due to the reviews here and elsewhere, but I have to say I was disappointed. The film is long..and boring. It is not a rock and roll film, per se. I was expecting that mid-way through the film, the character of Jim will have started a rock band and have played a major role in helping to bring about the British Invasion. Not so. This is just a story about a directionless young man who quits school, gets seasonal jobs to support himself, engages in cheap sex, watches (and does nothing) as his friend Mike (Ringo) gets beaten up by customers, comes home after two years, marries and has a kid, then leaves them and everyone else to embark on his rock and roll dream. END OF PICTURE. The music is great and the film DOES have potential. But I think it would have been better served to have half of the movie reflect Jim's disillusionment and aimlessness, and the other half reflect what happened as a result of this. As it stands, watching this film is like going to the theatre, and having to leave just as the movie starts. You never get to see what becomes of Jim as he embraces his new-found "freedom". For that, I guess you have to see the sequel they mention. I love David Essex in this movie. He's very cute and a good actor. Disappointing, however, was his character. He's not a very sympathetic "bloke"; rather, he's self-absorbed, deceitful and a cheat..and certainly not anyone you can depend upon in your time of need. Ringo does a great turn and it's interesting to see him in this context. I am a big Beatle fan, and I enjoyed seeing him in something different and stretching his obvious acting abilities. That said, I think this movie could have been much better. To add insult to injury, they listed "Rock On" as being in the movie, but nowhere do you hear it played in the film. Perhaps it was in the sequel, but then the makers of this film should not have deceived the public into thinking it is heard in the film, because it isn't. Maybe a second viewing of this film will put things in better perspective for me, but for now, this is my opinion and I'm sticking to it.
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