The Doors
The Doors (1991)

The Doors

2/5
(83 votes)
7.2IMDb62Metascore

Details

Cast

Goofs

As with most biopics, some of the events did not occur exactly as they are portrayed in the film, or may have happened at a different time.

Some did not take place at all and are included purely for dramatic purposes.

When Morrison is on a window ledge in 1971, a billboard advertising _Another 48 Hrs.

(1990)_ (qv) can be seen.

The edition of "The Portable Nietzsche" (Viking/Penguin) that Jim Morrison is shown reading out of in the film school project scene is an edition that was first published in 1982, long after Jim Morrison's death.

As Morrison follows Pam along the boardwalk, a large group of crew members and a boom pole are visible reflected off a shop window.

During the San Francisco concert sequence, the shadow of the cameraman is clearly visible on Jim's shirt.

During the cemetery sequence in Paris, the Steadicam operator's feet can be seen reflected in the grave of 'Marcel Proust' (qv).

The home movie camera being used by the Doors is a super-8 sound model manufactured in the late-'70s, ten years after the scene took place.

During the Magazine photo shoot, Jim begins to wander around the studio with the photographer following him, still taking pictures.

As she is taking pictures, a flash continues to go off, yet there is no flash on the camera - they are still on the stands on the set.

In the UCLA film school scene one of the students stand up to leave and the film shines on his back, but there is no alteration to the film being shown on the screen When the band is playing "The End" at the Whiskey a Go Go, the drums are not in time.

Jim is in the bar drinking Miller Genuine Draft, which was not available until the late 80s.

At the Miami concert Jim Morrison is seen first with a boom stand for his microphone then they cut to an audience shot.

When the camera goes back to Morrison there is no microphone stand.

Another audience shot and then when the camera returns, there is the microphone stand again.

The Doors New Haven concert was held at the New Haven Arena.

In the movie they showed a balcony.

The New Haven Arena did not have a balcony.

Also the New Haven Arena was a broken down hockey rink that was half empty that night not a sold out beautiful theater like was shown in the film.

In the film a female photographer sexily encourages Morrison to take his shirt off, which results in the iconic "Young Lion" photo first seen in the Village Voice, and later used as the cover photo for the Doors 1985 "Best Of" album.

The photographer who took this famous shot was actually a man, Joel Brodsky.

Morrison says "Well we're a sullen group, Ed" without moving his lips.

This was done deliberately to allow the audience into Jim Morrison's thoughts for just a moment.

He could not say "Well, we're a sullen group, Ed!" directly to Ed Sullivan without being thrown out immediately.

Instead, we are allowed to hear him think it, which leads us to the mischief Morrison got up to live on air.

Another example of deliberate audio/visual mismatch is when Jim is approached by a groupie at Andy Warhol's party.

Replying to "Hey Jim, remember San Francisco?", Jim says "Uh no, not really", without moving his lips.

We are allowed to hear him think in his drug addled state.

In the scene where Jim is in Patricia Kennealy's apartment & he is chasing her, he is wearing a covering from the waist down.

When they both fall on the bed and make love, it is instantly gone.

Before the scene where Morrison is arrested on stage, the woman he is with says that he attended the University of Florida.

In actuality, Jim Morrison attended Florida State University.

The Doors manager tells Jim that he is not going to go through this again with him and lose him at the bottom of a bottle of Southern Comfort like Janis.

This is referring to Janis Joplin.

The scene takes place in the studio right before a 1969 concert.

The next scene after that takes place in spring of 1970.

The thing is Janis Joplin did not die until October 4th, 1970.

While singing Five to One, Val Kilmer's beard begins peeling off the right side of his face.

It's clearly visible on the closeup shot.

"The End" is shown being performed using two small organs but the recording used in the film used a Hammond B-3 organ.

Backstage during the "Ed Sullivan Show" appearance, the band can be seen watching the infamous 12 Street Riots in Detroit unfold on TV.

However, the band appeared on the show on September 17, 1967 as where the riots took place from July 23-28.

The concert in New Haven in which the police dragged Morrison offstage was in December 1967, not 1968 as stated in the film.

When the band first rehearses in Venice in 1965, the microphones used are a model (Shure SM58) that was introduced in 1966.

Shortly after the band is first seen rehearsing Break On Through, the guitarist starts to play the beginning of the song Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd.

The song wasn't released until 1975.

Morrison is wearing a pair of Ray-Bans that were not introduced until the eighties.

The London Fog scene takes place in 1966.

When the manager asks Jim's age, Jim claims to be 21.

But if this scene takes place in 1966, depending the month it is, Jim would be either 22 or 23.

If it's before December 8th, he'd be 22.

If it was after December 8th than he'd be 23.

Awards

Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 1992


CFCA Award
Best Actor

Moscow International Film Festival 1991


Golden St. George

MTV Movie + TV Awards 1992


MTV Movie Award
Best Male Performance

Box Office

DateAreaGross
USA USD 35,183,792
UK USD 4,881,275
1991 Australia AUD 2,473,146
Germany EUR 3,548,130
Sweden SEK 2,580,788

Keywords

Reviews

***SPOILERS*** The true an tragic story of psychedelic rock music icon Jim Morrison, Val Kilmer, who together with his group "The Doors" went from the heights of Mt. Olympus to the depths of the Qattara Dpression in less then five years.

I liked the movie as a kid when I was discovering the band. I wonder how I'll go now that I'm older and am a big fan of the band.

Perhaps some people/bands shouldn't have a "biopic". Tis better to listen to the music then take this meandering ride.

Many people have gone on record about the many inconsistencies and problems with the film, but take it for what it is: a heavily dramatized biopic that tries to bring a mood or feeling from the Man, myth, and legend, as well as the wild frenetic music of the band.

A biopic about the 1960-70s rock band of the same name which emphasizes the life of its late lead singer, Jim Morrison, 'The Doors' proves to be a showcase for the under-rated Val Kilmer. As Jim Morrison, Kilmer delivers a knockout performance, that deserved an Oscar Nod, if not a Win.

This movie is not perfect - there are a small handful of things added to the film to make a fun "rock music film". There are however quite a number of things that really did happen that are added to the film - most of the things in the movie really happened (as I mentioned just a small handful of things that didn't happen in reality).

Oliver Stone's homage to one James Douglas Morrison is one of the most brutally nostalgic, emotionally moving, and savagely honest films about a Rock stars fall from grace that I have ever seen.The film itself is two hours plus, and chronicles The Doors rise to fame and fortune on the back of Morrison's charisma, sexuality, darkness, and poetic lyrics.

It's 1965 L.A.

A good biographical film about the life of the lizard king Jim Morrison. For Doors lovers it is a must see.

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