Interview with a Heartbreaker

When first-time director Sam Jones set out to document the making of Wilco's YankeeHotelFoxtrot a couple years ago, he never could have guessed the drama that was to ensue: Accused of producing something "too creative," Wilco's record company, Reprise Records, dropped the band's contract and refused to release the record. After struggling to find a new label, Wilco eventually hooked up with Nonesuch, and Foxtrot was released to wide critical acclaim. Film Editor Tom Roller caught up with Jones, whose I am Trying to Break Your Heart captured this journey.

Recess: Having had a musical background, has music or film been your primary influence and/or focus?

Sam Jones: Well pretty much, I mean life's a long time... and there's a big session devoted to women. No, definitely music and visual things like photography and film have been my two main focuses ever since high school. I think that really helped give me the confidence to do this without having done a movie before.

Coming from a background of commercials, photography and music, what made you interested in documentary filmmaking?

Well, it wasn't an interest in just documentary filmmaking--it was the process of making a creative piece of work. All my interests are really subject-driven, and I was interested in the process of making a record. Wilco is one of the few bands that are around today that do that in the traditional sense of experimentation.

Why did you feel that Wilco was film-worthy?

Well, there aren't many bands--when you think about it--that have that much critical success and yet are still under the radar of most people. I had a good chance of stepping into a really good album, and the band itself didn't have this visual profile or media savviness that would hinder the whole process of trying to get intimate moments on film.

What did you originally set out to do? What type of message did you want to convey to your audience?

Black and white both aesthetically and thematically simplifies things so you can focus more on the music and the story. It takes away the "time and place" element.... You stop thinking about the things in the frame that show where people are or what time it is. It provided the film with a consistent look.

After Wilco was dropped by Reprise Records, did your goal shift in its overall focus? Did your target audience change?

I think the big change was I went from being reactive and trying to observe the band to actually having to figure out how I am going to tell this story. There were really three stories in the movie--there's the [ousted band member] Jay Bennett story, the Reprise story and the making of the record story. The hardest thing was to balance those out and still have a whole bunch of music.

Why did you choose to roll the song "Pure Imagination," from Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory during the final credits?

That song, to me, is about imagination, but it's also about integrity, sticking to your guns. Charlie didn't sell the gobstopper. He kept his integrity. He gets the whole chocolate factory. And [lead singer and guitarist] Jeff Tweedy didn't change the record. The triumph here is that someone followed their creative spirit and imagination, and they won.

In the very beginning of the film, Tweedy draws a face on his gut with a magic marker.... Do guys like that get chicks?

Actually, they're all married. What I hope comes across is that they're really hard-working guys who care a lot about the music and are also really spontaneous and creative people--and the smoking belly face emphasizes that.