England Is Mine

In the drizzly, industrial landscape of 1970s Manchester, a brooding and introspective Steven Patrick Morrissey navigates the treacherous terrain of adolescence. A solitary soul with a passion for music, he finds solace in nocturnal excursions to absorb the sounds that course through his veins. By day, he pours out his thoughts and emotions onto paper, submitting his critiques and musings to music publications. However, his parents' divergent expectations only add to his turmoil: his father urges him to find a steady job, while his mother encourages him to pursue his writing ambitions.

The arrival of free-spirited artist Linder Sterling injects a much-needed jolt of creativity into Morrissey's life, inspiring him to transform his lyrics into raw, emotional performances. But as their friendship blossoms, she departs for London, leaving Morrissey to confront the harsh realities of adulthood. The pressure mounts as he struggles to find stability and purpose in a world that seems determined to stifle his artistic inclinations.

Despite fleeting moments of joy and creative fulfillment, courtesy of guitarist Billy Duffy, who collaborates with him on some songwriting ventures and even encourages him to take up singing, Morrissey's frustrations continue to simmer just below the surface. As the years pass, Duffy ultimately distances himself, leaving Morrissey feeling adrift and disconnected.

It is against this backdrop of artistic and personal stagnation that Johnny Marr, a guitarist who would later join forces with Morrissey to form The Smiths, appears on his doorstep in 1982. With Marr's arrival, the stage seems set for Morrissey to finally find his footing and channel his creative energies into something meaningful – but for now, he remains trapped in a state of artistic limbo, torn between the desire to express himself authentically and the crushing pressure to conform.