AllMovie

One of several top-notch musical biographies presented by the VH1 cable service, Sweetwater: A True Rock Story unfolds the poignant saga of the legendary L.A.-based band which "opened" the original Woodstock Festival in 1969. Nearly 30 years after this historic event, Cami Carlson (Kelli Williams), a reporter for the MIX-TV cable music channel, is assigned to produce a "Where Are They Now?" documentary about the long-disbanded Sweetwater. Although she receives the grudging assistance of several surviving members, Carlson does not learn the full story of why Sweetwater seemingly disappeared from the face of the earth after 1969 until she tracks down the group's lead vocalist and guitarist, Nanci Nevins (played by Amy Jo Johnson in the flashback sequences, and by Michelle Phillips in the present-day scenes). As Nanci painfully recalls the devastating tragedy which all but permanently stilled her voice, Carlson comes to terms with her own private demons. Filmed in Los Angeles and Vancouver, Sweetwater: A True Rock Story first aired on August 15, 1999.