12 Times Rocketman Lied To You

Rock star biopics aren't exactly known for their historical accuracy, but Rocketman avoids a lot of Bohemian Rhapsody's pitfalls by specifically setting out to be an "epic musical fantasy" that's not meant to be particularly true to life. Instead of trying to realistically portray Elton John's life between his childhood and sobriety, it opts for brushstrokes that are as broad as they come. Elaborately choreographed musical numbers drive the plot forward and portray the most important beats of John's life via song and dance, with few restraints as to how unrealistic things are going to get. Without going into details, let's just say the movie features a scene where the title is taken extremely literally.

So, yeah, decidedly not a documentary. Still, even this playful portrayal tries to tell us a story about John's life, and unfortunately that's where Rocketman often goes wrong. While by no means as egregious as the aforementioned Bohemian Rhapsody, the movie is oddly full of characters and moments that are so far removed from their real counterparts that they might as well be completely fictional. Here are 12 times Rocketman lied to you. 

Obviously, spoilers ahead.

Rocketman portrays Elton John's early manager Dick James in a less than flattering light. The movie's James is your stereotypical Cockney thug with a nasty, rude facade that only hides more crudeness underneath. Although he ultimately displays some symptoms of a golden heart when it becomes evident that John and Bernie Taupin have some legitimately great tunes in their back pocket, he still spends the majority of his screen time insulting every other character in the room. He says that 99% of John and Taupin's output is basically garbage, celebrates successes by getting massages (that are implied to be "massages") from his secretary, and his last dialogue in the movie has him spit a nasty homophobic slur at John's new manager, John Reid. 

The real Dick James, on the other hand, was pretty much everything his Rocketman counterpart is not. Billboard describes the real James as a disarmingly humble and honest man who constantly praised his associates. What's more, the people who knew the man said the secret of his success was his utmost integrity and solid principles, not to mention his considerable personal charm. His movie counterpart displays basically none of those things, and the movie even downplays his famous ear for a hit — when John tries to play some of his future classics to him, the movie version of James scoffs at each and every one of them.   

The early parts of Rocketman portray Elton John's early band Bluesology as a pub circuit act that is literally hired out of a pub corner to back up some American entertainers. They then proceed to tour England in the back of a tiny van as total, starry-eyed novices who the more experienced U.S. musicians educate on the subject of stardom. 

While Ultimate Classic Rock confirms that at least some version of this tour did really happen, it's only a small part of Bluesology's story. While the Rocketman version of the band never ascended above "virtual unknowns in a tiny van" status, the real group was considerably more successful in their own right. While they never had a hit that would have propelled them to stardom, some of their songs did receive radio airplay, and they got to play some of London's biggest venues opening for acts such as the Animals and Beatles. They even got to tour Europe.

One possible reason why the movie downplays this part of Bluesology's career is that John finds the songs he wrote for them pretty dreadful. The singer calls their 1965 single "Come Back, Baby" both "cheesy" and "moronic," and says that it and "Mr. Frantic" from the same era are great examples of why he doesn't write his own lyrics. 

Rocketman quite correctly tells us that Bernie Taupin has been a constant presence in Elton John's life, but when it comes to the actual timeline of their meeting, the waters get a little muddy. Early in the movie, John experiences a rare moment of hanging out at a bar with the American musicians his band Bluesology is backing, and his writing partner and flatmate Taupin is there having some beers with the crew. When John receives some tough-love advice from the Americans who out him as gay in the process, the lyricist proves to be a loyal companion by being thoroughly unfazed and accepting.

It's a nice scene. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite fit a real-world timeline, unless someone at the table has access to a time machine. Bluesology's stint as a backup band to the Americans took place in 1965, and John didn't even meet Taupin until two years later, by which point the band was backing the extremely British Long John Baldry full time. In all fairness, though, the American musicians may be intended as composite characters that combine all the great artists Bluesology worked with. After all, that table would've had to be a good deal larger if they'd tried to fit Baldry, the Isley Brothers, Patti LaBelle and the Blue Bells, and Lee Dorsey around it.

Rocketman starts the way it intends to keep going. In the beginning of the movie, Elton John storms into rehab wearing an elaborate, winged devil costume. The rest of the movie is told through flashbacks that he experiences during his counseling, and as the plot progresses he gradually sheds the outfit in favor of more normal clothing (yay metaphors!). As a neat twist, the costume is ultimately revealed to be his stage outfit for a major concert at Madison Square Garden. Having finally decided that enough is enough, the weary John had stormed out of the building, leaving his menagerie of handlers behind and making a beeline for a cleaner life. 

Unfortunately, a narrative device is pretty much all this is. Ultimate Classic Rock reports that in reality, John's rehab was inspired by his friendship with Ryan White, a hemophiliac teen who had contracted HIV via blood transfusion. White's sickness and untimely death made John realize what a mess his life had become, and the artist says knowing White and his family was a deciding factor in his resolution to get sober. 

As a cherry on top of this inaccuracy sundae, the movie doesn't even get John's costume right. According to The Guardian, the superstar did enter rehab wearing an outlandish costume ... though it was a decidedly less dramatic chicken-themed one. 

Remember John Reid, the nice manager guy in Bohemian Rhapsody? The one played by Littlefinger from Game of Thrones, who the villainous Paul Prenter coldly manipulated into getting himself fired by Freddie Mercury? Well, he's getting the Prenter treatment in this one. Rocketman reimagines Reid as a suave, calculating monster who Richard Madden (another Game of Thrones alum) plays as an emotionless business beast who is half James Bond, half Bond villain. The Rocketman Reid manipulates Elton John into a relationship and becomes his personal manager, then coldly abuses, ignores, and even physically assaults the artist. When Elton attempts to break his hold, Reid coldly taunts him with ironclad contracts and absolute contempt.

As the Daily Record notes, it's true that the two were quite argumentative, and the Times mentions that Reid has been known to punch a journalist or two in his day. However, the real Reid was a small, neat man rather than a physically imposing force of evil. Although he was definitely the businessman of the duo, his relationship with Elton John was not exactly that of a struggling, abused artist and a villainous, calculating manager. Even after their five-year love affair, they had a near-symbiotic relationship for close to three decades, and they were said to resemble a married couple. While they did eventually part ways on bad terms, The Telegraph reports this was because John had started to suspect Reid was abusing his funds and took his longtime manager to court. 

Rocketman shows Elton John's mother, Sheila Farebrother, as a complex person who straddles the line between being a mother to her boy and following her own instincts and impulses. Because of her nasty comments about John's sexuality, fame, and many personal issues, their relationship is cordial at best and strained to the point of breaking at worst. It looks like they can't avoid cutting all contact, but they eventually reconcile when John gets sober and apologizes for his behavior (via a fantasy sequence). 

While those who have paid attention to gossip within the last decade may be aware that John has indeed had his share of issues with his mother, Smooth Radio notes they appear to be far more recent than the movie's timeline. The two started feuding in 2008, in the aftermath of John shuffling his organization and cutting ties with several old employees, including manager John Reid and personal assistant Bob Halley. Farebrother took offense when John asked her to sever her ties with the men as well. The petty argument escalated into an eight-year-long thing, and the two didn't reconcile until 2017 — the same year Fareweather died.