It's About You

It's About You
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Ian Markus Kurt Markus
Written by	Kurt Markus
Starring	John Mellencamp
Narrated by	Kurt Markus
Production company	Little b Pictures[1]
Distributed by	MPI Media Group
Release date	January 4, 2012 (2012-01-04)
Running time	86 Minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

It's About You is a 2012 music documentary film directed by father and son duo Ian & Kurt Markus. The films focus regards John Mellencamp's 2009 tour with Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, and the recording of his new album in the month and a half of the tour.

The film was shot entirely in the Super 8 format.[2]

Production

Prior to filming, Kurt Markus and Mellencamp had been friends for twenty years. The two had shared a vision of the decline of small-town American life, shown when the tour drives through towns like Littlefield, Texas. Neither Kurt Markus, Ian Markus, Willie Nelson, or Bob Dylan appear on screen; there is no interview with Mellencamp.[1]

Kurt Markus, who narrates the film, summed up the film:

I think the music really isn’t about me. Yes I’m the filter, I tried to provide a context to really listen to John’s music. In that sense I’m the background and John is the heart and soul of it with his music.[3]

Release

The film premiered on March 12, 2011 at the South by Southwest film festival.[2] It released in theatres on 4 January 2012.[1]

Critical reception

The film opened to mixed-to-positive reviews from critics. It has a current 'rotten' rating of 57% on Rotten Tomatoes.[4] On Metacritic, the film has a rating of 55 based on 11 critic reviews, indicating mixed or average reviews.

References

1. Holden, Stephen (January 3, 2012). "On This Rock 'n' Roll Tour of the Heartland, a Sobering Survey of Old America". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 18, 2018. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
2. Allen, Bennett (March 11, 2011). "It's About You, John Mellencamp Tour Documentary, Premieres at South by Southwest". Vanity Fair. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
3. Cassidy, Kevin (March 13, 2011). "SXSW Q&A: John Mellencamp Doc Director Kurt Markus". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
4. "It's About You". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 9, 2021.

External links

• It's About You at Metacritic
• It's About You at Rotten Tomatoes
• It's About You at IMDb