Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party

Released in 1983, Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party originally aired on MTV and hasn’t been seen since – until now. Four decades later, anyone who has the Paramount+ streaming service can watch 33-year-old Tom Petty and 27-year-old writer/director Cameron Crowe discuss music, songwriting, band dynamics, fame, and touring. During this particular time in the band’s career, they had released Damn the Torpedoes (“Refugee,” “Here Comes My Girl,” “Even the Losers,” “Don’t Do Me Like That”), Hard Promises (“The Waiting,” “Something Big,” “Insider”), and Long After Dark (“You Got Lucky”), so they were about 10 years into being a big deal band. While I’ve read books and seen documentaries about Petty, this film matters more to me because it was directed by Cameron Crowe – one of my favorite writers/rock journalists of all time.

According to Rolling Stone (the magazine that launched Crowe’s career), the movie was restored from its original 16mm source film after an archivist found the reels and contacted Crowe about releasing it. While watching all the never-before-seen footage is exciting, my favorite scenes are of Petty and Crowe talking in the back of a limo so, to paraphrase Petty, he can be in whatever state he wants to be in and not worry about it. While Petty sips what looks like a high ball glass of whiskey, babyface Crowe drinks a 7up. It’s gold – and a reminder of why Crowe is my favorite. He’s comfortable interviewing extremely famous people while still maintaining his charming, nerdy demeanor. It’s easy to see why musicians were happy to open up to him.

Watching the footage of the band shooting the Mad Max/Western-themed video for “You Got Lucky,” various recording sessions for Long After Dark (did drummer Stan Lynch seriously always have photos of naked women next to him when he rehearsed and recorded?!), and Crowe’s middle-of-the-night hangout sessions with Petty provide simplistic yet behind-the-scenes access for the viewer. Petty’s laidback, southern drawl draws you in and it’s clear that he loves music and his bandmates. It’s also clear how easy songwriting comes to him. Additionally, the footage of him recording “Insider” with Stevie Nicks is a favorite because their chemistry is undeniable. What the documentary inexplicably spends too much time on is filming the “You Got Lucky” music video. I love that song, and it ends up being a huge hit for the Heartbreakers, but why use so many valuable minutes on watching the band walk aimlessly through the desert carrying six-shooters?

After the credits roll on the original documentary, the addendum – which features Petty’s adult daughter Adria and Crowe (now 67 years old) talking about Petty, the band, and the film –  immediately begins. Although the transition from 1983 to 2025 could artistically be a bit smoother, it’s very cool that Adria and Crowe came back together to discuss the film – definitely a full-circle moment for both of them. Also, unlike many rock and roll documentaries that span the entirety (or many decades of) a band or artist’s career, Beach Party focuses on a singular time in their history. It’s a gem for any rock and roll fan and an even bigger find for Tom Petty fans.