Movie Review: Country Strong (2010)
An absolute mess of a film... with pretty good music
Photo: Screen Gems
Had I only seen Country Strong six days earlier I would have had to include it on my worst of 2010 list, but instead I've now got a jump start on the 2011 edition as this mish-mash of a country train wreck never slows down the madness. The worst part of it all is that it deals with some truly dark aspects of the human existence such as alcoholism and even a torturous epilogue to a Make a Wish scene that you can't even laugh at it for fear of coming across cold-hearted to those around you. It's an unfair ticket to thunder dome and it offers no escape.
The cast includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim McGraw, Garrett Hedlund and Leighton Meester. For more information on this film including pictures, trailers and a detailed synopsis choose from the following menu.
Review
"Country Strong" is a Screen Gems release, directed by Shana Feste and is rated PG-13 for thematic elements involving alcohol abuse and some sexual content. The running time is 1 hour 52 minutes.
Crazy Heart for as good as it is, was mostly buoyed by a spectacular performance from Jeff Bridges. It had its share of cliche moments and played it safe for most of the time; however, it did not venture into soap opera territory or ever just completely give up. Country Strong, on the other hand, is derailed almost from the start with characters that don't add up, are never fully developed or, in most cases, can never seem to figure out what their value to the story is.
Gwyneth Paltrow plays Kelly Canter, a Grammy-winning country singer we first meet in rehab after we're told she fell ten feet off the stage at a Dallas concert. She was drunk and five months pregnant at the time. The child did not survive. (I told you this gets dark.)
While in rehab she strikes up a relationship with Beau (Garrett Hedlund), a young country singer in his own right, but their "getting to know you" phase comes to a quick end as Kelly's husband/manager James (Tim McGraw) ushers her out of rehab a month early and back on the road for a three-city comeback tour.
James, for all intents and purposes, comes across as the film's villain if there's to be one, but it isn't long before you realize there really isn't much good in any of the characters in these films. There is Chiles Stanton (played by "Gossip Girl" star Leighton Meester), a country Barbie whose idols are Kelly Canter and Jesus, but she's so naive it's hard to find much common ground with her character either.
As the tour plays on Kelly gets drunk more than once in scenes you'd expect to see in "All My Children" rather than a legitimate big screen picture. Infidelity will occur and Bo will more than once publicly insult Chiles who decides his bad boy persona is just what she needs. What, what, what?
In the end you suddenly realize James, the person you thought you could count on as the film's villain, turns out to be the only one that isn't literally or figuratively screwing someone else over. And don't get me started on the symbolic baby bird he nurses throughout the film.
Country Strong was written and directed by Shana Feste whose previous film, The Greatest, wasn't very good either, but at least I could look back at that film and point to Michael Shannon's performance as a highlight. All I have here are a group of songs you wouldn't turn off if they came on the radio, and even then Feste can't figure out how to diversify her playlist. She gives the film's title track about 90 seconds of chorus and hammers home the Meester-Hedlund duet "Give In To Me" three times. Perhaps it was her attempt at a subliminal message, but needless to say, I wasn't giving in.
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There's strong. And then there's Army strong…and then Country strong? Are those in the right order?
Ouch. Were McGraw, Paltrow, Hedlund, and Meester any good with their acting?
I found the performancs really bad. The script was amazing until they decided Paltrow could make a good country star. The music is what saves this train wreck.
For the most part, critics just love to bash movies. However, fans – thank goodness – tend to ignore them. Country Strong is definitely worth seeing. The acting is very good, the music is original, and it has a message (fame and love cannot co-exisit) that critic Brad Brevit missed entirely as he was too busy bashing the movie which is certainly above average. Ignore his rantings and go see it. You'll be glad you did.
Now that is funny, this "message" you speak of – fame and love cannot co-exist – wasn't a message as much as it was a line in the movie. Don't worry, I caught it, right on top of the film's tendency to throw Carrie Underwood and her music under the bus, but this film is so atrocious it wasn't worth wasting additional space.
Guess what, it also insinuates being an alcoholic can be detrimental to a career, a pregnancy and relationships. Did you catch that? You didn't mention it so I just wanted to be sure.
Also, it's Brevet, with two Es.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you do it.
Well said Brad.
BOOM! Headshot! sorry couldn't resist it really was one of those comebacks haha
Saw this last night, before reading your review. Boy were you right and then some Brad. But don't insult soap operas, at least they have characters worth rooting for. In Country Strong there's not a likable character in the bunch. In retrospect I realize Gwyneth Paltrow's character was supposed to be clinically depressed after her miscarriage. But that isn't dealt with at all in the movie. Instead you're left with a bunch of extremely weak characters in search of a plot. The scenes with the baby bird are just hokey. What grown man goes around carrying a box with a bird in it? Let alone a man whose surrounding by handlers. The message of "love and fame can't coexist" may be the worst tag line since "love means never having to say your sorry". Both are idiotic and designed to appeal to an immature high school girl's mentality. The music's pretty good, although more pop than country. Don't waste your time or money on this stinker it'll be out on DVD in no time flat.
My local critic said at least it was Showgirls bad. You know, if funny in spots it's not supposed to be. And to skip the movie and buy the soundtrack.
I won't pay attention to any other reviews that Brad writes. This is the best movie that I have seen in a long time. Gwenth is fabulous and I am not a big fan of hers. I am ready to go see it again tomorrow.
Laura what's your favourite film dare I ask?
@Laura, paying attention to a guys opinion of a film meant for women is like banging your head against the wall. For instance, guys usually don't get that for every male who thinks the special effects in Tron were really cool, there is a woman who is looking at the clothes in films like The Last Song, and thinking "this is really cool".
I heard the comment from a girl once that she wished guys would stop talking about cars and sports all the time. The apt reply was "O.K., as long as you girls will stop talking about relationships and clothes".
Men and women have a lot in common, but there are some differences, too.
I think many film critics want "women's" films that can cross the divide and become films that both men and women can enjoy equally, but that is difficult. The more a film panders to women, the less it potentially will attract guys. The answer was supposed to be action films starring women, like Angelina Jolie, Kate Beckinsale, and Buffy The Vampire Slayer. But that hasn't materialized. Partly because many women don't want to be tomboys that risk being banged up physically in films. Angelina Jolie has referenced this(only because of her age), and Kate Beckinsale has stated this explicitly. And Sarah Michelle Geller didn't follow up Buffy with any action movies.
Country Strong was universally panned by both men and women. Out of all of the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes only 17% were favorable. Country Strong's target audience may have been female, but that's not the reason it's getting lousy reviews. It's just an awful movie (see Brad's review and/or my comment above.) Compare this with "Love Story" from 1970 which was clearly designed to appeal to women. Fifty-nine percent of that film's reviews were positive. You cared about the characters in that film and most women (and quite a few men) sobbed when Jenny dies. There are no sad moments in Country Strong – not because the writer/director doesn't want there to be, but because it hasn't been set up so that you care one way or the other what happens to any of the characters.
Disagree. Almost all film critics are male, and many of the women film critics adopt male styles of criticism to survive, just as most american business women wear business suits instead of dresses. (In Venezuela (south america), for example, women leaders in both government and industry wear dresses.)
I agree the movie hasn't crossed over to males. Just as soap operas on television, and Oprah have not crossed over to males (I'm generalizing).
I'm sure there are things wrong with Country Strong, just as there are things wrong with most movies, but with a good cast, and pretty good music, I have talked myself into seeing it tonight. Did you know that Gwyneth Paltrow is married to Chris Martin, the frontman for Coldplay? That, along with Tim McGraw, could be considered enough to give this movie a chance.
Please try to understand that critics are human, and have human characteristics including failings. And that there is no broadly supported professional organization of movie critics, and no professional standards for them. Did you notice that critics almost universally loved "Easy A", even though it broke many rules critics use to bash movies they don't like? If a college professor was grading those critics, he would therefor downgrade his estimate for their work.