Dear Jack | |
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Directed by | Joshua Morrisroe and Corey Moss |
Produced by | Holly Adams |
Starring | Andrew McMahon |
Narrated by | Tommy Lee |
Cinematography | Joshua Morrisroe |
Edited by | Joshua Morrisroe |
Distributed by | Sire Records |
Release date |
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Running time | 67 min. |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $50,000 |
Dear Jack is a 2009 American documentary film starring Andrew McMahon, the vocalist, pianist and primary songwriter for the bands Something Corporate and Jack's Mannequin. The documentary chronicles McMahon on a rollercoaster year, through the highs of recording and releasing a solo album and the lows of being diagnosed with leukemia and breaking up with his girlfriend.
On May 27, 2005, McMahon was forced to cancel all of his upcoming concerts [1] after a medical examination in connection with a relentless case of laryngitis forced him into being admitted into a hospital in New York City. On June 1, 2005, he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the same day he finished recording his debut album under the Jack's Mannequin moniker, Everything in Transit. [2] Since the illness was diagnosed in its early stages, McMahon's doctors had high hopes for a full recovery. [3]
Using a handheld video camera that his record label gave to him initially to document the process of recording his album, McMahon recorded everything from inside his hospital room and onward, from spinal taps to radiation and commentary on his deteriorating physical and mental state. The film follows him from diagnoses to recovery, including the stem cell transplant that saved his life and the first show he performed after being well again.
Lawrence Wayne "Wild Man" Fischer was an American street performer known for offering erratic, a cappella performances of "new kinds of songs" for a dime on the beaches and the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood. Most of his life was spent homeless or institutionalized, and he later became regarded as "the godfather of outsider music".
Jack Wild was an English actor and singer. He is best known for his role as the Artful Dodger in the film Oliver! (1968), for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the age of 16, becoming the fourth-youngest nominee in the category. He also received BAFTA Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for the role.
Something Corporate is an American rock band from Laguna Niguel, Orange County, California, formed in 1998. Their currently active line-up includes vocalist and pianist Andrew McMahon, guitarists Josh Partington and William Tell, bassist Kevin Page and drummer Brian Ireland.
North is the third and final studio album by American rock band Something Corporate. Near the beginning of the writing process for the album, vocalist and pianist Andrew McMahon and guitarist Josh Partington wanted it to "sound like a winter album", in contrast to their second album Leaving Through the Window (2002) which they viewed as a "summer album". After losing focus through constant touring, the group decided to record an album in Seattle, Washington. Recording took place at Robert Lang Studios in Seattle with producer Jim Wirt in May 2003. After relocating to Los Angeles, California, further tracking was done at 4th Street Recording in Santa Monica.
Leaving Through the Window is the second studio album and major-label debut by American rock band Something Corporate. Following the success of the Drive-Thru Records-released Audioboxer (2001) EP, the band signed to their label distributor MCA Records in late 2001 after the EP caught their attention. The three-month recording process for Leaving Through the Window took place in studios across California and Florida, with Jim Wirt acting as producer. A few songs from previous releases were re-recorded for inclusion on the album; the material was anywhere from three months to three years old. A music video was made for "If You C Jordan" in early 2002; the group then embarked on a three-month long US tour.
Kevin Neil Hearn is a Canadian musician who is a member of Barenaked Ladies, and his own group, Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle. He primarily plays keyboards and guitars. He is also a member of Rheostatics.
Andrew Ross McMahon is an American singer-songwriter. He was the vocalist, pianist and primary lyricist for the bands Something Corporate and main songwriter for Jack's Mannequin and performs solo both under his own name as well as his moniker, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. On April 30, 2013, he debuted his first solo work, an EP titled The Pop Underground, which was followed by his debut album Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, released on October 14, 2014. His second album, Zombies on Broadway, was released on February 10, 2017. He released his third album, Upside Down Flowers, on November 16, 2018. His fourth album, Tilt at the Wind No More, was released on March 31, 2023. His memoir, Three Pianos, was published by Princeton Architectural Press on October 26, 2021.
Jack's Mannequin was an American rock band formed in 2004, hailing from Orange County, California. The band originally began as a solo project for Andrew McMahon, the frontman of Something Corporate.
Everything in Transit is the debut studio album by American rock band Jack's Mannequin. Amid rising tensions within Something Corporate, the band went on a break; returning to his home in Orange County, California, frontman Andrew McMahon began working on a new project with producer Jim Wirt. Tracking commenced at 4th Street Studios in California, with additional recording done at other studios. Towards the end of the sessions, McMahon signed with major label Maverick Records; tracking was presumed finished in late 2004. McMahon began playing shows with Jack's Mannequin in early 2005; the group embarked on six-week tour, which coincided with the single release of "Holiday from Real".
"The Lights and Buzz" is a song by Jack's Mannequin. It was released on November 15, 2005, as a music download exclusively through the iTunes Store. In 2006, the song appeared as a bonus track on the Japanese version of Jack's Mannequin's debut album Everything in Transit, as well as on Kevin and Bean's Super Christmas. It was also remastered for the 10th anniversary edition of Everything in Transit.
The Glass Passenger is the second studio album by American rock band Jack's Mannequin. Frontman Andrew McMahon was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in mid-2005 following the recording of their debut album Everything in Transit. While touring, McMahon suffered from writer's block, which did not dissipate until mid-2006; many of the songs that would appear on The Glass Passenger were written mid-to-late 2007. Further writing sessions were held when a number of the dates were cancelled due to McMahon suffering from exhaustion and fatigue. The Glass Passenger was produced by McMahon and Jim Wirt and co-produced by CJ Eiriksson; the tracking marked the first time McMahon worked with the band in the studio.
AbsolutePunk was a website, online community, and alternative music news source founded by Jason Tate. The website mainly focused on artists who are relatively unknown to mainstream audiences, but it was known to feature artists who have eventually achieved crossover success, for example, Blink-182 and Fall Out Boy. The primary musical genres of focus were emo and pop punk, but other genres were included.
"Dark Blue" is the second single by Jack's Mannequin from their first studio album, Everything in Transit. In May 2013, nearly eight years after its 2005 release, "Dark Blue" went gold.
People and Things is the third and final studio album by American rock band Jack's Mannequin. It was released on October 4, 2011, through Sire Records. Following the release of The Glass Passenger (2008), the band's vocalist and pianist, Andrew McMahon, spent time during 2009 and 2010 writing, recording and then scrapping tracks for the follow-up. Shifting focus to his live band in a period during 2010, they began to work on new material. With the aid of producers Jim Scott and Rob Cavallo, the album was recorded at several studios from November 2010 to January 2011. The lead single "My Racing Thoughts" was released in August 2011, followed by the release of "Release Me" in November of that year, which was promoted by an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
"My Racing Thoughts" is the first studio single from the album People and Things by Jack's Mannequin. It was made available as a digital single on iTunes and Amazon on August 2, 2011.
The Pop Underground is an EP by Andrew McMahon, marking his first official debut as a solo artist separated from his prior bands Something Corporate and Jack's Mannequin. It is produced and mixed by Tony Hoffer. It was released on April 30, 2013. The EP received a mainly positive response from music critics, with reviewers praising the release for its upbeat, poppy sound.
"Synesthesia" is a song and the debut single from Andrew McMahon's debut solo EP The Pop Underground, released on April 2, 2013 as a digital download and first physically available in the deluxe preorder package of The Pop Underground as a 7" picture disc. The single marks McMahon's first single release separated from his prior bands Something Corporate and Jack's Mannequin, as well as his commissioned writing for Smash, and also his first single as an independent artist. The single is produced and mixed by Tony Hoffer and written by McMahon and Mark Williams.
Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness is the debut studio album by American rock pianist Andrew McMahon, under the moniker Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. Following the demise of Jack's Mannequin, McMahon released The Pop Underground (2013) EP. He began recording an album between late 2013 and early 2014 at various studios in Los Angeles, California, with producers Mike Viola and James Flannigan. Described as a pop, soft rock and electronic album, it drew comparisons to Fun, the Killers and Passion Pit. Half of the material on the album was co-written with Viola, while the balance was co-written with various musicians.
Zombies on Broadway is the second studio album by American rock pianist Andrew McMahon, under the moniker Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. During a break touring to support his self-titled debut album, McMahon wrote new material with Gregg Wattenberg and Derek Fuhrmann. He began recording the album between May and September 2016 with a variety of producers in Los Angeles, New York City, and London. Described as a pop and pop rock album, several reviewers compared its sound to the band Fun.
ALion in the House is a 2006 American documentary film directed by Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert that explores the impact of childhood cancer on five different families throughout the span of six years in Ohio. The 225-minute long documentary, which took eight years to complete, follows the lives of cancer patients Justin Ashcraft, Al Fields, Alexandra Lougheed, Jen Moones, and Timothy Woods as they are treated at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.