I'll be honest. I am NOT a country music fan. Nor am I a fan of country music movies, westerns, or anything that has cowboy boots in it. That being said, I just finished watching Country Strong and I have to readjust my views a bit. I still dislike westerns intensely but I now have a country music movie to add to my list of favorites. It could be the very pretty cast of actors, or it could be the engrossing storyline, or it just might be the music that had me swaying in my seat, whatever it was, I left the movie as a devoted fan.
This gripping movie is about a country megastar named Kelly Canter, played by the illustrious Gwyneth Paltrow and her rocky journey through the world of alcoholism. The movie boasts a well put-together cast, starring Tim McGraw as Kelly's husband/manager, James, Garrett Hedlund as her sponsor and opener, Beau Hutton, and Leighton Meester as the up and coming country singer, Chiles Stanton.
The movie starts out in a rinky-dink dance hall in Nashville, Tennessee. You can hear the gravelly voice of Beau Hutton telling a story about wanting to sing like Merle Haggard for his mom's benefit. She tells him that he sounds good but he's no Merle. Beau then launches into a Merle-esque song, Chances Are, and it was the first time that a country song actually made me swoon. Beau is a good ol' boy, wearing his stained and weathered cowboy hat and driving a rusted-out truck. It turns out; he is also Kelly Canter's sponsor in rehab.
Kelly's husband checks her out of rehab a month early, against Beau's better judgment. James believes that getting her "back on the horse," and touring again will get her healthy faster than being in a rehab center. James come across as money-hungry, however, throughout the movie we learn that he does love his wife and only wants the best for her. As Kelly's manager, he is in charge of finding new talent to open for Kelly. He goes to see a former beauty queen with a surprisingly good voice named Chiles Stanton.
Chiles is an extremely pretty, young girl with an exaggerated Texan accent. She wears too much make-up and has her hair full and curly. "I don't know what's bigger, the hair or the dress" is how the stage manager describes her. She seems very confident when you first meet her; however, as soon as she gets onstage, she freezes up. She is rescued valiantly by Beau Hutton, who was the performer before her. Chiles' fresh-faced look appeals to the audience once her stage fright is past. With her glittering outfit, high heels, and make-up, she truly looks like a country Barbie.
After James hears both Beau and Chiles singing, he decides to offer the opening acts to both of them. He also, reluctantly, wants Beau along to help him watch over Kelly. James recognizes that Kelly is going to need a lot of help while on the road. The scene where James asks Beau to tour with them demonstrates just how palpable the animosity is between the two men. The acrimony turns out to be precognizant of the situation because Beau and Kelly are indeed having an affair.
During the tour, we learn of the reason that Kelly is in rehab. Several months ago, in Dallas, Kelly was drunk onstage, tripped over a cable, and fell 10 feet off the stage. She was five months pregnant at the time and lost the baby, as a result of the fall. The guilt she feels over the incident keeps her drinking until rehab. James tries to love her in spite of the miscarriage, but you can feel the blame he places on her. There is a touching scene between James and Kelly where he says "The first time I heard you sing, I knew. I wasn't much of a church man, but I thought that must be what angels sound like. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven." You can sense just how much this couple has been through in their marriage.
The tour starts and stutters along with Beau and Chiles carrying the responsibility while Kelly is drinking herself from town to town. The depression is dragging Kelly down and she makes numerous mistakes. Beau and Chiles start to have feelings for each other because they are thrown together in so many scenes. They have a charming scene where they sing a duet together and just watching them on the big screen, you can feel the chemistry between them. The relationship between James and Kelly, however, is disintegrating bit by bit. You can see the strength and fortitude that Kelly has, even as her marriage and career are crumbling around her. She gears up to go back to Dallas, on a repeat tour, even though that was where she lost her baby and embarrassed herself earlier that year.
In Dallas, Kelly seems a different person. She is driven and confident. The loyalty of her fans seems to boost her esteem and she does what she can to stay sober. There is a scene before the concert between Beau and Chiles, where he informs her that he is leaving the show and heading to California. He asks Chiles to go with him and she is unable to give him the answer he wants. The disappointment on his face is touching.
Some critics may say that Country Strong is cheesy, clichéd, and predictable but I found that not to be true. I felt the desperation of Kelly's predicament and the doomed love of her marriage. I found the relationship between Beau and Chiles to be refreshing and romantic. And most of all, I found the music to be stirring and award-winning. Maybe it will never win an Oscar, but it's still two thumbs up from me!
This gripping movie is about a country megastar named Kelly Canter, played by the illustrious Gwyneth Paltrow and her rocky journey through the world of alcoholism. The movie boasts a well put-together cast, starring Tim McGraw as Kelly's husband/manager, James, Garrett Hedlund as her sponsor and opener, Beau Hutton, and Leighton Meester as the up and coming country singer, Chiles Stanton.
The movie starts out in a rinky-dink dance hall in Nashville, Tennessee. You can hear the gravelly voice of Beau Hutton telling a story about wanting to sing like Merle Haggard for his mom's benefit. She tells him that he sounds good but he's no Merle. Beau then launches into a Merle-esque song, Chances Are, and it was the first time that a country song actually made me swoon. Beau is a good ol' boy, wearing his stained and weathered cowboy hat and driving a rusted-out truck. It turns out; he is also Kelly Canter's sponsor in rehab.
Kelly's husband checks her out of rehab a month early, against Beau's better judgment. James believes that getting her "back on the horse," and touring again will get her healthy faster than being in a rehab center. James come across as money-hungry, however, throughout the movie we learn that he does love his wife and only wants the best for her. As Kelly's manager, he is in charge of finding new talent to open for Kelly. He goes to see a former beauty queen with a surprisingly good voice named Chiles Stanton.
Chiles is an extremely pretty, young girl with an exaggerated Texan accent. She wears too much make-up and has her hair full and curly. "I don't know what's bigger, the hair or the dress" is how the stage manager describes her. She seems very confident when you first meet her; however, as soon as she gets onstage, she freezes up. She is rescued valiantly by Beau Hutton, who was the performer before her. Chiles' fresh-faced look appeals to the audience once her stage fright is past. With her glittering outfit, high heels, and make-up, she truly looks like a country Barbie.
After James hears both Beau and Chiles singing, he decides to offer the opening acts to both of them. He also, reluctantly, wants Beau along to help him watch over Kelly. James recognizes that Kelly is going to need a lot of help while on the road. The scene where James asks Beau to tour with them demonstrates just how palpable the animosity is between the two men. The acrimony turns out to be precognizant of the situation because Beau and Kelly are indeed having an affair.
During the tour, we learn of the reason that Kelly is in rehab. Several months ago, in Dallas, Kelly was drunk onstage, tripped over a cable, and fell 10 feet off the stage. She was five months pregnant at the time and lost the baby, as a result of the fall. The guilt she feels over the incident keeps her drinking until rehab. James tries to love her in spite of the miscarriage, but you can feel the blame he places on her. There is a touching scene between James and Kelly where he says "The first time I heard you sing, I knew. I wasn't much of a church man, but I thought that must be what angels sound like. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven." You can sense just how much this couple has been through in their marriage.
The tour starts and stutters along with Beau and Chiles carrying the responsibility while Kelly is drinking herself from town to town. The depression is dragging Kelly down and she makes numerous mistakes. Beau and Chiles start to have feelings for each other because they are thrown together in so many scenes. They have a charming scene where they sing a duet together and just watching them on the big screen, you can feel the chemistry between them. The relationship between James and Kelly, however, is disintegrating bit by bit. You can see the strength and fortitude that Kelly has, even as her marriage and career are crumbling around her. She gears up to go back to Dallas, on a repeat tour, even though that was where she lost her baby and embarrassed herself earlier that year.
In Dallas, Kelly seems a different person. She is driven and confident. The loyalty of her fans seems to boost her esteem and she does what she can to stay sober. There is a scene before the concert between Beau and Chiles, where he informs her that he is leaving the show and heading to California. He asks Chiles to go with him and she is unable to give him the answer he wants. The disappointment on his face is touching.
Some critics may say that Country Strong is cheesy, clichéd, and predictable but I found that not to be true. I felt the desperation of Kelly's predicament and the doomed love of her marriage. I found the relationship between Beau and Chiles to be refreshing and romantic. And most of all, I found the music to be stirring and award-winning. Maybe it will never win an Oscar, but it's still two thumbs up from me!