pete townshend

Description

After learning that her husband, an RAF bomber pilot, has been killed, Nora Walker (Ann-Margret) gives birth to a son, Tommy, on V-E Day, May 8, 1945. Growing up, the young Tommy (Barry Winch) idolizes his ""Uncle Frank"" - Frank Hobbs, (Oliver Reed) a holiday camp host who marries Nora and moves into her house. But when the still-living Group Captain Walker (Robert Powell) returns unexpectedly to find Nora in bed with Hobbs, the ensuing fight leaves the heretofore missing pilot dead. The shock of witnessing the entire scene traumatizes six-year old Tommy, leaving him deaf, dumb, and blind. And though he can only sense vibrations or rhythms, he has his own thoughts and fantasies that are punctuated by his plea of ""See me, feel me, touch me, heal me"" -- a silent cry that no one can answer. By the 1970's, Nora and Frank have taken Tommy (Roger Daltrey) everywhere seeking a cure - to a faith-healing preacher (Eric Clapton), a famous psychiatrist (Jack Nicholson), and eventually to the bizarre Acid Queen (Tina Turner) whose unusual healing method involving LSD enables Tommy to see something at last - a red image in a mirror. Then, as Tommy is tortured by his sadistic cousin (Paul Nicholas), a yellow image appears in the looking glass, and still another after he is molested by his eccentric Uncle Ernie (Keith Moon). As a result of these shattering experiences, the three images from the mirror blend into a pinball machine. Instinctively, Tommy begins to play brilliantly, easily defeating the reigning champion (Elton John). Yet, despite the wealth and fame that falls upon him, Tommy remains withdrawn until Nora exorcises her own grief by smashing the mirror, leaving him totally aware and free. Gloriously happy after his miracle cure, Tommy proclaims himself the new Messiah and, as an evangelist, becomes world famous, spiritually reawakening his mother and making Frank a wealthy man. Yet, when his dominance eventually causes his followers to revolt and kill both Nora and Frank, Tommy is once again alone, but free and possessing a new sense of hope. Inspired by Pete Townshend's groundbreaking rock opera, all the words in TOMMY are sung. Watch TOMMY and hundreds of other free full-length streaming movies and TV shows on http://www.crackle.com Crackle Twitter: http://twitter.com/crackledotcom Be a Facebook Fan! http://www.facebook.com/crackle