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THE CHRONICLE
I NOVEMBER 29, 2010
Hollywood goes ‘Country’ again Paltrow tackles country music in film, similar flicks around for decades by Wade Tatangelo MCT Newswire EVERYONE FROM Clint Eastwood to Reese
Witherspoon has put on cowboy boots and played the part. Gwyneth Paltrow takes her turn in the upcoming film “Country Strong.” She plays a fallen star recently released from rehab. Real-life country superstar Tim McGraw, wearing a beard borrowed from George Strait’s “Pure Country” screen performance, is the fictitious singer’s husband/manager. It’s a glitz-meets-twang tradition that dates back several decades. MGM released the Hank Williams biopic “Your Cheatin’ Heart” in 1964. George Hamilton—yep, he was actually young and free of that faux orange tan at one time—portrayed the legendary singer, or at least made an attempt. Reviews of the movie were harsh, and it apparently didn’t do much at the box
office. The film remains best known for its soundtrack, performed by a then-15-yearold Hank Williams Jr. Robert Altman wonderfully maligns Music City with his 1975 masterpiece “Nashville,” significant for its pioneering use of the multi-character narrative structure. The movie is notable for allowing the Hollywood actors to sing. Keith Carradine, part of the outstanding ensemble cast, won an Oscar for performing his original song “I’m Easy.” “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” the greatest and most influential country music film of its kind, came out in 1980. Sissy Spacek plays Loretta Lynn in an adaptation of the singer/songwriter’s autobiography. A mother of four by age 19, Lynn recorded her first demo at the request of husband Doo Lynn (Tommy Lee Jones). The Lynns toured relentlessly and Loretta became a sequinwearing star. But there’s always that high price of fame to be paid, and the singer suffers a nervous breakdown. Nominated for seven Academy Awards, “Coal Miner’s Daughter” resulted in an Oscar for Spacek.
Courtesy MCT NEWSWIRE
Gwyneth Paltrow stars in “Country Strong,” a country music film, which will be released on Jan. 7.
She impressed critics and theatergoers with a gripping, realistic performance that included doing her own singing—making this the expected norm for future actors playing country singers. America’s love affair with country music films began. Eastwood directed and starred in the excellent, but largely overlooked, “Honkytonk Man” in 1982. The following year found Robert Duvall
as a booze-battling, former country star in “Tender Mercies.” A moving but never cloying story of redemption, the critically and commercially successful film earned its leading actor a much-deserved Oscar. Then came “Rhinestone” in 1984. It starred Dolly Parton as a country crooner teaching Sylvester Stallone how to be a country crooner so she can win a bet. The movie bombed so bad it pretty much ruined Parton’s once-promising acting career and ranked as Sly’s worst outing until the 1992 release of “Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot.” The Department of ASL-English Interpretation in The country music film tradition the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences presents: enjoyed a comeback with “Sweet Dreams” in 1985.The Patsy Cline biopic starred Jessica Lange, who earned an Oscar nomination despite opting to lip-sync the music sequences. Smart move. No one except maybe k.d. lang or Leann Rimes could do justice to Cline’s amazingly emotive, singular vocal style. River Phoenix’s final screen performance, “The Thing Called Love,” came out in 1993. The doomed actor played an aspiring country singer balancing art and love. Critics panned the picture and very few people saw it. A major star would not act in a country music film until more than a decade later when, coincidentally, Phoenix’s older brother Joaquin Phoenix played the man in black. Like “Coal Miner’s Daughter” and “Tender Mercies,” the 2005 Johnny Cash biopic “Walk the Line” appeals to people who profess serious dislike for country music. Phoenix and Witherspoon, in her Oscar-winning role as wife June Carter Cash, won the masses over with their portrayal of the loving couple that must overcome Johnny’s demons, which typically came in the form of little white pills. Perhaps the greatest testament to the film’s popularity came via the 2007 parody, “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.” Jeff Bridges picked up an Academy “Very funny and really, really good...! Rob Roy Award earlier this year for his gritty made a silen[t] world laugh out loud.” -Vibes portrayal of an alcoholic has-been country star in “Crazy Heart,” which was clearly inspired by “Tender Mercies” and features a cameo by Duvall. The soundtrack album, featuring Over the past few years, Rob Roy has managed to take his exciting the Oscar-winning song “The Weary and unique brand of visual theatre, including skits, signed songs, Kind,” also became a hit. The counstorytelling, and jokes (which are all visually imaginative and try music film genre had reached its appealing) to numerous countries. The highlight of Rob Roy’s highest level of popularity since the career was performing in front of 9,000 people at the Deaf Way II early 1980s. conference in Washington, D.C. in 2002. The audience went wild “Country Strong” premiered in after his outstanding performance! Nashville two weeks ago and is scheduled to hit theaters nationwide Jan. 7. Rob Roy has now performed in more than 24 countries. Judging by the uninspiring trailer, the movie probably won’t join the ranks For more information, contact Nina Campbell of “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” “Tender at ncampbell@colum.edu. Mercies,” “Walk the Line” or “Crazy Heart.” But it can’t be worse than Spoken English interpreter available. “Rhinestone.”
THE
Rob Roy SHoW
December 3, 2010, 7 p.m. Sherwood Community Music School 1312 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60605 $10 at door or in advance at the ASL-English Interpretation Department office.
chronicle@colum.edu