“Back to Black” opens with Amy Winehouse in her late teens, at the home of her grandmother, where her family has gathered for dinner, wine, cake, and a sing-along. It is clear from the scene that Winehouse’s circle of family and friends is large, but what isn’t mentioned is that she had an older brother, Alex, who was four years her senior and taught her to play guitar. Winehouse’s mother and father are both at the gathering, and it is revealed that her parents are divorced and living separately.
“Back to Black” suggests that Winehouse is still upset about the divorce, but in reality, it was finalized when she was 9 years old, suggesting that she would have been used to the arrangement by the time her career began. The movie also glosses over the fact her father, Mitch, later remarried a woman whom he claimed in his memoir “Amy, My Daughter” he had been in love with for many years during his marriage. Mitch also claims that Winehouse accepted the separation easily.
The opening scene also sees Winehouse talking to her beloved grandmother, Cynthia. During their conversation, Winehouse refers to her being expelled from school. According to legend, this happened at Sylvia Young Theatre School, and was a consequence of her wearing a nose ring. However, the school itself rejects the notion that she was forced out, and insists instead that she simply switched schools when she received an opportunity she couldn’t turn down.
