True Stories

The video takes a bit of getting used to, but once you are in tune with what is going on you will see that there is great humor embedded in this pseudo-documentary. During the first part of the movie we meet main players. John Goodman plays a man hungry for a stable (or any) lasting relationship. He even advertises! You also meet "The Lying Woman" who tells a better and more unbelievable tale than anyone. There's a woman who hasn't gotten out of bed in years, it's not because she's ill, she's rich enough that she doesn't have to. There's the head of a local computer company and his wife who haven't had a direct conversation with each other for years, a mall full of twins, and a man who can tell a person's emotional state by touching their nose! An incredible, but extremely fun mix of Americana, music, and disjointed deadpan quips from Byrne as he plays the lead and narrator of the story.

You will thrill at the majesty of a fashion show at the mall, experience kareoke at a local bar, and be a mouse in the corner at a computer board assembly line.

Make any sense at all? Well, it will if you give this video a look. This is definitely a comedy, but you have to be ready for it. This is comedy tailor made for people with a dry sense of humor.

This is not a video for people who need a laugh track, or overtly funny bits to see humor to enjoy a comedy.

If, however, you see humor in life's little irony's, you grew up or live in a small town, and like music like that of the Talking Heads you will enjoy the show. It's a treasure.

You should be advised that this is NOT A MUSIC VIDEO, and most of the Talking Head's music on the sound track is performed by someone else. The Talking Heads did, however, release a CD in 1986 called "True Stories" that contains the music from the movie, all done by the Talking Heads.

A highly recommend this video -- give it a try. You may be glad you did.

5 stars.

Alan Holyoak


An ingeniously quirky, funny, meaningful slice of Americana   April 10, 2005
Daniel Jolley (Shelby, North Carolina USA)
11 out of 12 found this review helpful

I have always loved True Stories, but it's not for everyone. This is one ingenious but quirky movie that plays on multiple levels all at the same time. The box cover describes True Stories as "a completely cool, multi-purpose movie," and that's about as good a description as there can be for a film almost impossible to describe. The film takes the form of a documentary of the sesquicentennial celebration in Virgil, Texas, with Talking Heads front man David Byrne cruising into town in his red convertible to narrate the events. Byrne is, in my opinion, an underappreciated genius, and what he managed to do here was to capture a wonderful slice of Americana. Virgil isn't a small town, but it has a small town feel, surrounded by flat land as far as the eye can see - land destined to be developed in the coming years. The townspeople are the true stars of the film, though; most of them are not even given names, and I think this is because they are not so much individuals as representatives of everyday men and women. You have, for example, the Laziest Woman on Earth (Swoosie Kurtz), who has not gotten out of bed for years and years, the Cute Woman, and the Lying Woman (Jo Harvey Allen) - who continually steals the show with some of the most outrageous comments you've ever heard. The silent masses are just regular people going about their regular lives, most of them the opposite of glamorous, just the kind of folks you probably see in your own local shopping malls. The only difference is that here, thanks to David Byrne, you notice these people - and I think that is very important. When these people get up and lip synch to a song like Wild Wild Life, it doesn't matter how weird they are - they are just having fun being themselves.

Of course, the star and central figure of True Stories is a reasonably svelte John Goodman; he plays Louis Fyne, a man desperate to find a woman to share his life with. He pays for ads on television, and even has a Wife Wanted sign in his front yard, but nothing seems to work. This is certainly a character I can identify with. Louis is as excited as everyone else in town over the big doings for Virgil's Celebration of Specialness. And why not? You get to see the world's strangest fashion show, enjoy the big parade featuring such sights as Shriners in little red Mustangs and a precision lawn mower marching team, and end the festivities with a great big local talent show outside of town. The parade speaks volumes; as the townsfolk watch it wind away into the distance, they may well have a sense that life as they have known it will soon disappear as the population swells and modern conveniences trump their connection to one another and the town. Despite a good bit of off-beat humor in this film, it does leave you feeling somewhat sad and nostalgic.

Of course, one has to mention the music of True Stories. It is a pity that plans to release a soundtrack featuring recordings by the actors and actresses in the film fell through because these songs are an integral part of the film (the Talking Heads supplied only three of the songs themselves). You can buy the album featuring the Talking Heads performing all of these songs (and it is an outstanding album), but People Like Us seemingly belongs to Louis Fyne after you watch the movie, and "Kay Culver" gives an unforgettable performance of Dream Operator.

Inevitably, you'll either "get" this movie or you won't, and I don't think you can predict anyone's reaction to the film until he or she actually watches it. It is exceedingly quirky, almost surreal at times, and filled with off-the-wall comments that will not even register with some viewers. I don't think it's possible to hate this movie, though. It either leaves a lasting imprint on your mind or instantly disappears from your memory. For me, True Stories is one of those rare films that I not only enjoy but actually treasure.


Quite possibly one of the greatest movies ever!   July 26, 2000
Sir Deuteronomy McClurkin, esq. (America)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

David Byrne has done it again. This man created this hip little movie that has become my all time favorite movie! It is not funny, per sé.. even though it has some humorous moments. It is an abstract film about a little town named Virgil in the state of Texas. Texas is about to turn 150 years old, so Virgil, a town whose main industry is computers, is celebrating its "specialness" with parades and talent shows. It is narrated by the one and only David Byrne (who drives around in a red convertable).

The movie really has no real plot (except for Louis, played by John Goodman, trying to find a wife). It just explores the lives of people in Virgil. These are the people that everyone knows: the lazy person, the liar, and the love-looker... we know these characters and encounter them in our everyday lives. John Goodman does great acting, there is some great music, and David Byrne says some things that make us laugh... and some that make us think.

As the tagline said, it is a completely cool multi-purpose movie. I love the indy approach to making it.. and the end, when Mr. Byrne talks about how by forgetting all the details we can see something as it really is.. that always makes me stop to think.

Is it comedy, is it drama, is it musical... I guess you have to take it as what it means to you. To me, it is a life-changer!


One of my favorite movies of all-time   January 30, 2002
Rebecca M. Hersh (New Brunswick, New Jersey United States)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

This movie is wonderful, and classic David Byrne -- weird, funny, and fun, with offbeat social commentary to boot.