The final image of David Crosby in a new documentary about the singer-songwriter shows him in his hippie glory, spotting a video camera filming him. He roguishly sticks out his tongue. Then he inexplicably goes further and gives viewers the middle finger.
It's sort of an apt gesture to sum up "David Crosby: Remember My Name ," director A.J. Eaton's fascinating and gentle attempt to see what makes this irascible two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer tick. Over the course of an hour and half, we learn a ton but never come much closer to understanding him. It's as if he traveled back in time to flip us the bird just to mock us for trying.
For viewers only vaguely familiar with this white-haired folk-rock icon with a drooping mustache and an ever-present red knit cap, the documentary nicely charts Crosby's life and career, generally in chronological order but often flaring out to deal with themes like his addictions and loves. (Viewers are advised to come knowing something about the time period. Like, you're best knowing who this Joni Mitchell lady is before watching.)
This image released by Sony Pictures Classics shows musician David Crosby in a scene from the documentary "David Crosby: Remember My Name." (Sony Pictures Classics via AP)
Crosby's life and art intersect key moments in American history — the 1970 Kent State shootings, Woodstock, the Vietnam War, "Easy Rider" among them. He was a member of three major groups in music history — The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. He served time in prison, had a liver transplant and is still making excellent music.
But we'll remember his name as much for the songs as for the destructive force he became. None of his former bandmates talk to him. It's not that they lost touch — they actively hate him. "I was a difficult cat," he admits at one point.
Finding out why becomes a key focus of the documentary. Various theories are floated — a withholding father, a girlfriend's death in a car crash, addiction to heroin and cocaine. (But it may not be fair to blames the drugs since his bandmates hated his guts when those guts were sober, too.) This towering figure in music seems isolated, with just the company of his wife and dogs, horses and cats.
This image released by Sony Pictures Classics shows musician David Crosby in a scene from the documentary "David Crosby: Remember My Name." (Sony Pictures Classics via AP)
The film contains wonderful stories from Crosby — why he never liked Jim Morrison of The Doors, when Young auditioned for the band and how Mitchell broke up with him. Unfortunately, there isn't time to explore how he became the sperm donor for two kids parented by Melissa Etheridge and Julie Cypher.
We get a few stray opinions on Crosby from Young, Nash, Glenn Frey, Jackson Browne, and his wife, Jan Dance. The reasons for why Crosby is so polarizing are politely danced around and his worst behavior is elided. What about that famous time Crosby stopped a recording session because his crack pipe broke? Or when he freebased under his coat while flying first class?
Although Cosby acknowledges he did and said awful things, the film needs more voices of people fed up with his behavior and why it broke them apart. That's the film's Achilles heel: It's overly reverential. Crosby is rarely challenged. (At one point, he says he has eight cardiac stents and says that's the limit a patient can have. Nonsense.)
Another quibble is about a figure who flits in and out of the film — Cameron Crowe, who made the semi-autobiographical "Almost Famous" based in part on hanging out with Crosby, Stills & Nash. Crowe is a co-producer of the documentary and has lent the filmmakers old interviews he did as well as gently questioning Crosby on camera for this film. He's sort of ghostly midwife for Eaton but without having any skin in the game.
Eaton uses archive footage and photos, concert outtakes and, a little weirdly, cartoons to illustrate key moments in Croz's life. Mostly his subject is on the move, seated in the back seat of an SUV as he rolls on to the next gig or visits key places in his youth.
These moments actually offer a sly insight into a demanding man who is liable to criticize the SUV's driver — "Take a left!" — as much as the filmmakers — "There's no cinematic value here," he grouses at one pit stop. But he may have a point on another scene: Crosby stands outside the house in Laurel Canyon where Crosby, Stills & Nash first made music and the camera lifts up, hopefully — but goes no further. Crosby is left to awkwardly narrate outside. It's clumsy filmmaking — either go in or cut it out. That's the problem with the overall film, too — it stands outside respectfully and just doesn't go for it.
"David Crosby: Remember My Name," a Sony Pictures release, is rated R for "language, drug material and brief nudity." Running time: 95 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.
MPAA definition of R: Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The man who broke into the home of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi seeking to hold her hostage and bludgeoned her husband with a hammer was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison.
But prosecutors later filed a motion saying the court failed to offer the defendant, David DePape, an opportunity “to speak or present any information to mitigate the sentence" as required by federal rule. They asked the court to reopen the sentencing portion to allow him that option. The court did not immediately respond.
A jury found DePape, 44, guilty in November of attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on the immediate family member of a federal official. Prosecutors had asked for a 40-year prison term.
The attack on Paul Pelosi, who was 82 at the time, was captured on police body camera video just days before the 2022 midterm elections and sent shockwaves through the political world. He suffered two head wounds including a skull fracture that was mended with plates and screws he will have for the rest of his life. His right arm and hand were also injured.
Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley sentenced DePape to 20 years for attempted kidnapping and 30 years for the assault, the maximum for both counts. The sentences will run concurrently. He also was given credit for the 18 months he has been in custody.
In its afternoon motion to the court, the U.S. attorney's office said DePape was not given the opportunity by the court to speak before being sentenced and that could present an issue.
DePape's defense, however, said they opposed bringing back their client to court and filed a notice of appeal, according to the filing. Prosecutors and defense counsel did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment late Friday.
The court has 14 days to correct a sentence resulting from error, prosecutors said.
DePape stood silently as he was sentenced and looked down at times. His public defense attorneys had asked the judge to sentence him to 14 years, pointing out that he was going through a difficult period in his life at the time of the attack, had undiagnosed mental health issues and had no prior criminal history.
At trial, DePape testified that he had planned to wear an inflatable unicorn costume and record his interrogation of the Democratic speaker, who was not at her San Francisco home at the time of the attack, to upload it online.
Ahead of the sentencing, one of his defense attorneys, Angela Chuang, told the judge to consider the prison terms being given to those who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
"The five most serious sentences for people who were convicted of seditious conspiracy, of literally conspiring to overthrow the government, range from 15 to 22 years," Chuang said.
Corley said the Jan. 6 analogy didn’t adequately reflect the seriousness of breaking into an official's private home. The attack may have a chilling effect on people seeking office in the future, she said.
“They have to think not only, ‘Am I willing to take that risk myself, but am I willing to risk my spouse, my children, my grandchildren?’” the judge said.
Prosecutors asked for the maximum sentence on each count and for DePape to serve 10 years concurrently, giving him a 40-year prison term.
Before sentencing, Christine Pelosi read her father and mother's victim statements, explaining how the violent attack changed their lives. In Paul Pelosi's statement, he explained that 18 months after the attack, he still gets headaches and vertigo and has fainted and fallen twice at home.
“Once you are attacked in such a public and political manner, with such threatening language, you always have to fear a copycat,” Nancy Pelosi said in her statement. “When I encourage people, especially women to consider running for office, physical threats to the family should not even be a factor, but they are.”
Both Paul and Nancy Pelosi said there are still bloodstains on the floor and other signs of the break-in at their home.
“Our home remains a heartbreaking crime scene,” Nancy Pelosi wrote.
DePape admitted during trial testimony that he broke into the Pelosis’ home Oct. 28, 2022, intending to hold the speaker hostage and “break her kneecaps” if she lied to him. He also admitted to bludgeoning Paul Pelosi with a hammer after police showed up, saying his plan to end what he viewed as government corruption was unraveling.
Defense attorneys argued DePape was motivated by his political beliefs, not because he wanted to interfere with Nancy Pelosi’s official duties as a member of Congress, making the charges against him invalid.
Chuang, one of his attorneys, said during closing arguments that DePape was estranged from his family and was caught up in conspiracy theories.
Sky Gonzalez, David DePape’s son, told reporters outside court the 30-year prison term was equivalent to getting a death sentence.
“I think that’s quite sad. I think that’s a really long time, because if you think about it, he’s already nearly 50. Basically, it’s just a death sentence," Gonzalez said before repeating the same conspiracy theories his father wrote about before the attack.
At trial DePape, a Canadian who moved to the U.S. more than 20 years ago, testified that he believed news outlets repeatedly lied about former President Donald Trump. In rants posted on a blog and online forum that were taken down after his arrest, DePape echoed the baseless, right-wing QAnon conspiracy theory that claims a cabal of devil-worshipping pedophiles runs the U.S. government.
Prosecutors said he had rope and zip ties with him, and detectives found body cameras, a computer and a tablet.
Paul Pelosi recalled at the trial how he was awakened by a large man bursting into the bedroom and asking, “Where’s Nancy?” He said that when he responded that his wife was in Washington, DePape said he would tie him up while they waited for her.
“It was a tremendous sense of shock to recognize that somebody had broken into the house, and looking at him and looking at the hammer and the ties, I recognized that I was in serious danger, so I tried to stay as calm as possible,” Pelosi told jurors.
DePape also is charged in state court with assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, residential burglary and other felonies. Jury selection in that trial is expected to start Wednesday.
Sergio Lopez, acting assistant agent in charge of the FBI, speaks to reporters after the sentencing of David DePape in federal court Friday, May 17, 2024, in San Francisco. DePape was found guilty last November of attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on Paul Pelosi, husband of former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Sergio Lopez, acting assistant agent in charge of the FBI, speaks to reporters after the sentencing of David DePape in federal court Friday, May 17, 2024, in San Francisco. DePape was found guilty last November of attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on Paul Pelosi, husband of former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Gypsy Taub, ex-partner of David DePape, speaks to reporters after DePape's sentencing in federal court Friday, May 17, 2024, in San Francisco. He was found guilty last November of attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on Paul Pelosi, husband of former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
FILE - Paul Pelosi attends a portrait unveiling ceremony for his wife, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in Statuary Hall at the Capitol in Washington, Dec. 14, 2022. David DePape who was convicted last year in federal court of breaking into former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home will be sentenced in federal court Friday, May 16, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
FILE – David DePape is seen, Dec. 13, 2013, in Berkeley, Calif. DePape convicted of attempting to kidnap then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacking her husband with a hammer is set to be sentenced in federal court Friday, May 17, 2024. (Michael Short/San Francisco Chronicle via AP, File)
FILE - In this image taken from San Francisco Police Department body-camera video, the husband of former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Paul Pelosi, right, fights for control of a hammer with his assailant David DePape during a brutal attack in the couple's San Francisco home, on Oct. 28, 2022. DePape convicted of attempting to kidnap then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacking her husband with a hammer is set to be sentenced in federal court Friday, May 17, 2024. (San Francisco Police Department via AP, File)
