Welcome to Things Worth Remembering, our weekly column in which writers share a literary treasure that all of us should commit to heart. This week, after musician Glen Hansard’s death at the age of 56, Spencer Klavan revisits the work that made Hansard internationally famous—the movie “Once”—an emblem of authenticity and artistic genius in a realm increasingly consumed by digital slop.
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Glen Hansard was, first and foremost, a live performer.
The Irish folk rock legend’s life was tragically cut short this week at the age of 56 in a motorcycle crash. But the accomplishments of his career will long outlive him. At 13, Hansard quit school and started busking, playing covers of Van Morrison and Bob Dylan on the streets of Dublin. Seven years later, in 1990, he founded The Frames, a band named for his habit of keeping friends’ broken bicycle frames strewn about his backyard until he got around to piecing them back together.
Then, in 2007, he became an international celebrity—somewhat ironically, for a film.
Once, a sad and shabby little masterpiece shot for €112,000 (just under $250,000 in today’s dollars), features Hansard as a part-time busker referred to in the script simply as the “Guy,” pining for his ex-girlfriend while working for his dad fixing vacuum cleaners. His counterpart is Czech singer-songwriter Markéta Irglová, who plays the “Girl,” a classically trained pianist with a young daughter and an estranged husband back in the Czech Republic. “Guy” and “Girl” quickly bond over their love for music, falling in love as they write and record together. As well as starring in it, Hansard co-wrote the music and lyrics for the film’s songs.
