To all hardcore Back To The Future fans in the ether, ever wanted to see how’d it be if the film’s titular time-travelling hero Marty McFly became a fully-fledged rockstar, jamming with an electric guitar in a band performing on the road? Then 1987’s Light Of Day is just for you!
It stars Michael J. Fox and Joan Jett (the established frontwoman of revered rock groups like Joan Jett & The Blackhearts and The Runaways) as brother-sister duo Joey and Patti Rasnick who’re gunning for their big music break with their band, The Barbusters.
Light Of Day is as much about the rockstar life on stage in front of cheering crowds as it is about the rocky reality away from the spotlight.
The heart of the film stems from the conflict of family ties; ties that seem to repel as much as it binds, in Patti’s case. Distancing herself from her family, especially from her mother Jeanette Rasnick (buoyed by a wonderfully heart-breaking performance from television stalwart Gena Rowlands), Patti tries to bury herself in the rock & roll scene – finding a solace fuelled by her discord with her mother due to a heated past spat.
A mature tale about the difficulty of reconciling with the past and how leaving it unattended just serves to emotionally tear people apart, Light Of Day is as much about the rockstar life on stage in front of cheering crowds as it is about the rocky reality away from the spotlight. Patti’s stumbling path towards reconciling these two aspects of herself is worth exploring as it’s something we all can ultimately relate to.
As an ardent fan of all things rock, particularly from the 70s and 80s, I was highly entertained by the film’s musical setlist. This Means War and the titular single Light Of Day (penned by Bruce Springsteen himself!) are standout moments for audiences and for Fox and Jett too. Their electrifying chemistry on stage is palpable, as Jett’s untamed wildness and Fox’s signature enthusiasm grabs you from the film’s beginning and never lets go even after the credits begin to roll!
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