Based on The Who's rock opera, it's about a boy (Barry Winch) who goes deaf, dumb, and blind as a result of a traumatic event he witnesses. The boy grows up to be Roger Daltrey, and the film is about what happens to him and his parents (Ann-Margret & Oliver Reed).
The performances, music, and the images are what made an impression on me. Tina Turner is unforgettable as the Acid Queen, who promises to make Tommy grow up. Ann-Margret is better than I ever remember her being; she got a Best Actress Oscar nomination and won a Golden Globe as Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical. Roger Daltrey does well in his first movie. Jack Nicholson as The Specialist has a better voice than Marlon Brando. Oliver Reed's singing skills are debatable, but he acts the part well.
The music is good, especially Tina Turner, Ann-Margret's songs, and Elton John, who sings "Pinball Wizard".
The images that work--the ones I remember best; The Church of Marilyn Monroe, with her statue in the pose from "The Seven Year Itch" (1955), when she stood above a subway grating and her skirt blew upward. The whole scene with Tina Turner. Ann-Margret dressed in white, in an all white room; Daltrey, singing in a church, with a cross as his microphone.
This would be a perfect film for TCM Underground, if it hasn't already been shown there.
