Matthews Visits "Winn-Dixie"

Dave Matthews will appear in Because of Winn-Dixie a feature film directed by Wayne Wang (Smoke, Maid in Manhattan), which is currently in post-production with plans for a theatrical release later this year.

"What originally drew me to it, after reading the book and the script, was I thought it was a really sweet story, and it's a small story," Matthews says. "By no means do I think it will have the effect of judging me as an actor as if I've thrown myself into some giant spectacle. It's a small spectacle."

The role is actually Matthews' second, though it might be his first to be seen by viewers nationwide. He had a part in the update of Where the Red Fern Grows, which was screened at the Tribeca Film Festival last May, but due to financial troubles has yet to see a theatrical release.

In Winn-Dixie, based upon the popular young adult novel by Kate Dicamillo, the DMB frontman plays Otis, an ex-con drifter who arrives in Naomi, Florida, and settles in as the owner of a pet shop, where he imparts his wisdom to Opal, the young girl at the film's center.

Matthews also plans to contribute new songs to the film's soundtrack; his character has trouble stringing thoughts together without a guitar in his hand. "I always said that if I ever do a part in a movie, I would refuse to play music," Matthews says. "But I realized that this is the perfect part for me. I got to write some songs and, in a way, try not to be myself. Although I can't really escape the way that I write, it was fun to pretend."

Next for Matthews will be the writing process for the next Dave Matthews Band album, the follow-up to 2002's Busted Stuff.

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Song Stories

“1999”

Prince | 1982

“I don’t consider myself a great poet,” Prince told Rolling Stone. “I just know I’m here to say what’s on my mind.” In the case of the apocalyptic party anthem “1999,” he was worried about then-president Ronald Reagan’s foreign policies. The song’s melody is based on a riff borrowed from the Mamas and Papas’ “Monday, Monday,” and Prince originally envisioned the first verse with three-part harmony but later split the vocals between himself and members of the Revolution. Because Warner Bros., with whom Prince was locked in a contractual battle, owned the original’s masters, Prince rerecorded the song and appropriately released that version in 1999.

More Song Stories entries »

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