Eric Shiveley

Throughout the movie, Shiveley is inexplicably self-deprecating about his own considerable ability (I've always been a fan of his music and production). But finally he comes to grips with the fact that it's okay to feel beaten down. In fact, it comes with the territory. "It's actually natural that most musicians get so insecure and frustrated," he concedes. "If you write songs, you have a few friends who love them, but you can't seem to get anyone else on the planet to take you seriously. So what do you do? Well, eventually, you break down and pay people who are supposed to be experts for advice. One tells you you gotta think outside of the box, another tells you you gotta stay right in the middle of the box and keep doing what you're doing, and still another tells you you gotta cover every inch of the box with advertisements that they'll gladly sell you. But none of them really believe in you. You're not that stupid. So what do you do?"

"You just build your own [bleep]-ing box," responds a neighbor kid, who then glances over her shoulder at Shiveley's notably boxy house.

Everyone But You is a clever and enjoyable flick. Sure, it's a little long, and you can definitely tell that Shiveley made up much of this first film as he went along, but it's also a touching look at an artist and the insecurities we all share. And his music in the film sounds fantastic, as do the songs he recorded/produced, such as "Faithful," by Victoria Woodworth, that are included.

Although there's no date set yet for a Denver screening, Shiveley says he's planning to submit the film to a few festivals. In the meantime, a three-minute trailer is available on our Backbeat online blog, along with an additional Q&A with Shiveley. Which means you don't have to rely on my word alone that this movie is worth seeing.

After all, I'm just a critic.