When I was growing up, my Dad loved to play his Glen Campbell cassette, over and over on road trips. I went from loving, to hating and loving again, By the time I get to Phoenix, Wichita Lineman, Rhinestone Cowboy and one of my favorites, Southern Nights. I DVR'd I'll Be Me, the Campbell that aired on CNN earlier in the summer. I loved hearing those songs again but in addition to the resilient and inspirational feel to parts of the film, there was also something a bit disturbing.
Glen on The Midnight Special (1977)
I wasn't especially bothered by Campbell's family choosing to do one last tour. It seemed almost therapeutic, and Campbell seemed stubbornly in his element. But.. as the film went on, it became harder and harder to watch Campbell struggling both on and off stage. In a way, this is of course what all people suffering from Alzheimer's go through, but not all do it on a stage in front of hundreds of people. Seeing the family sing together, even as the disease progressed I am sure was a bonding experience, but it just felt most of the reason the tour continued (maybe longer than it should have) was about meeting the families needs over the singer himself. I of course have no idea what Campbell would have wanted, I just know that as a viewer, the film become more and more uncomfortable to watch as it went along. On the plus side, it did have me heading to Amazon to purchase 2 CD copies of The Best Of Glen Campbell, one for my father, and one for me.
