The cult classic movie Tom Petty turned down: “That’s rubbish”
How many artists have truly nailed the film and music crossover?
As with all of these questions, the answer is undoubtedly arbitrary and subjective. Personally, my standards are quite high in terms of granting someone cult crossover status, because I believe there is a tendency to swiftly laud the performances of a crossover artist simply because of the awe it provokes.
The most obvious examples in recent times would be Harry Styles in Don’t Worry Darling and My Policeman, whose acting mediocrity was largely overlooked because of his genuine star potential. Conversely, Jared Leto’s musical career only cements the idea that he is entertainment’s biggest narcissist, yet somehow he still manages to get away with it.
In truth, there are only a handful who have mastered the art of both disciplines. Barbara Streisand, Cher and more recently, Lady Gaga have cracked the code of lucid artistry, but they are members of a very elite and exclusive group. No matter how desperate some stars are to conquer both worlds, they have continued to prove that it’s not a career turn to be respected.
Unsurprisingly, an artist as astute as Tom Petty knew that. While he’s somewhat softer than his rocky counterparts, he still presents a clear image of rock and roll. The long blond hair, the open collared shirts and the slick sunglasses painted a pretty clear picture of a rockstar, especially when coupled with his full blooded American rock hits.
So in 1979, when Allan Arkush and Joe Dante were preparing to direct Rock ‘n’ Roll High School, Petty’s edgy silhouette felt like the perfect fit. The story follows a rebellious teen and her crew, who exact revenge on the principal of their high school by enlisting rock royalty to help them destroy the school. It was a fun, albeit baseless, view of rock rebellion that Petty was keen to separate himself from.
Ultimately, the Ramones stepped in, which came as a result of Petty’s recommendation. “As a matter of fact,” he adds, “When we passed on it we said the Ramones should do the movie.”
But he continued, explaining how the reductive outlook of rock stars irks him. “Sometimes I get a little miffed at reading more about how I look than how I sound, which he thinks is true of not just himself, but The Heartbreakers also”.
He added, “We take a lot of abuse sometimes for the way we look, which has never been a premeditated thing. We just look that way. Sometimes in the press they’ll say, ‘Well, they’re so pretty.’ But that’s rubbish. We’re just normal. Or pretty normal. Well, almost normal.”
Normality manifests itself in simply wanting to write music and dedicate themselves to the craft. While Rock ‘n’ Roll High School was a simple and fun take on teenage rebellion, Petty was convinced that the project was contradictory to that. He continued on throughout the rest of the decade making music and avoiding any film castings, which, with retrospect, we can now say was the right choice for the legacy of his career.
