Jack Johnson’s music has always invoked a certain vibe. While words such as “chill” or “beachy” might be common, I think it’s far more appropriate to describe it as intimate. Not in the sense of disclosing the hidden, per se, but of celebrating the quotidian, what matters most in the day to day – family, friends, and the vulnerability to takes to dig in deep to sustain them. Sure, it sounds great to throw on while having a drink in the seaside breeze but even more so if you’re wanting to bask a bit in the community that makes time away from it all worth it. Ostensibly, the documentary Surfilmusic (Surf-Film-Music), is about Jack Johnson’s rise from competitive surfer, to innovative filmmaker, to world renowned musical artist but, on a deeper level, this is about the community that helped him achieve any of these things and why they’re the true heart of all that he’s accomplished.
In a more straight forward documentary, this movie might’ve belabored over the childhood trauma or adulthood adversity that forged Jack Johnson into the artist he would become. But while the difficulties, the uncertainties and setbacks, that inevitability arise in a life fully lived are present, they are hardly as interesting as the celebrations that come from enduring them. Filmmaker, and longtime collaborator/friend, Emmott Melloy explained after the film that the original conceit was to document the surf scene that they’d all grown up in, only to later see the story of Jack’s creative life surfacing as the narrative center. And while that’s a good hook for general audiences who love his music, the truth is that it still largely functions more or less as a family film. Jack might be the center but he’s hardly the only figure whose love for surfing, for life, and for those around him gets honored throughout.
Like the title itself, the film follows a three part structure whose interconnectedness shows that they’re not really three distinct eras so much as three churning elements in Jack’s heart that bleed into one another. The film follows a clear metaphor – each scene and era rising, cresting, and crashing into one another like the ocean itself, leaving the audience with a sun-drenched dreaminess as the film ebbs and flows from the wild abandon of beach side youth to the sturdy foundation of raising family through rising stardom. There are no real borders between these waves, inviting the audience to paddle out and ride them as they come. I found myself lulled into a pleasant rhythm, enjoying watching this community bask in the oceanic journey they’d taken together.
And that’s perhaps a disclaimer as much as a selling point for fans of Jack Johnson. While you get delightful snippets of his early recordings and hear a bit about his miraculous rise to fame after linking up with G. Love and Ben Harper, this film feels less like a Jack Johnson documentary specifically as much as it does a North Shore/Moonshine Conspiracy/Brushfire Records celebration where you get a bit about everyone who was involved along the way. It is abundantly clear from this film that this is a community that deeply loves the life they’ve lived alongside one another and that life is lovingly celebrated in every frame of the film. Hearing them reflect back on early surf competitions, or the wild abandon it took to film the now classic September Sessions and Thicker Than Water, or just marveling at how one of their beach side jam buddies turned out to be an incredible songwriter, is a delightful experience if you’re down to enjoy the sunny side of life for a bit (ok, maybe it’s very reminiscent of Jack’s music…)
The film culminates in what I’d say is the real heart of the film – footage from the funeral of one of Jack’s oldest friends, Tomayo Perry. Scenes of hundreds of surfers surrounding the boat as Tomayo’s family casts his ashes into the waves followed by everyone jumping in to swim one last time with their beloved brethren really drives home the beauty of this film. Yes, Jack is the one who helped put this scene on the map for most folks but he’s hardly the center – the ocean is wide, and their love is deep. This is a film for anyone who wants to celebrate our shared human need for community and the creativity that arises therein.