Townes Van Zandt: Be Here to Love Me

Starring: Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Townes van Zandt

Directed by: Margaret Brown

RS: 3.5of 4 Stars

2006

"There's heaven, purgatory, hell and the blues," says Townes Van Zandt, "and I'm trying to crawl up from the blues." Through performances and interviews with the songwriter and testimony of friends Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris and Willie Nelson, Margaret Brown's supremely crafted documentary paints a stark portrait of a son of Texas privilege who sniffed a lot of glue, defaulted on his family and was ruined pursuing mastery in song.