Starring Tom Hiddleston, Elizabeth Olsen, Cherry Jones, and Maddie Hasson
Directed by Marc Abraham
Music and Lyrics by Hank Williams and others
The other country music star we're looking at this week has a far more tragic history. Hank Williams was one of the most influential names in country music during the 40's and early 50's. His songs sold in the thousands, his concerts were legendary, and many of his songs continue to be recorded, revived, and analyzed to this day. His life, however...well, that was more of a mess. Let's begin with Williams' former songwriting partner and publisher Fred Rose (Bradley Whitford), who'll explain to us just how messy Williams' life got...
The Story: We begin near the end of World War II, as country radio star Hank Williams (Hiddleston) and divorcee Audrey Sheppard (Olsen) are about to get married by a justice of the peace. Audrey is a part of his act and band at first, but they get complaints that she's not as good as he is. Hank's mother Lillie (Jones) doesn't like Audrey, partially because she manages the band along with singing.
As it turns out, Lillie has a point about the marriage. Despite them having a child, Hank Williams Jr, it's rocky from the start. Even as Williams is praised as a genius and becomes one of the biggest stars on the Grand Ol' Opry, his constantly being on the road and dealing with pain from a bad back leads to multiple affairs and heavily abusing drugs and alcohol.
By 1952, even as he was in talks with MGM about a role in their upcoming musical Small Town Girl, his performances are beginning to suffer. Audrey divorces him; the Opry fires him due to his constantly missing shows. He gets a spark of hope when he marries 19-year-old Billie Jean Jones (Hasson), but his health has already deteriorated, to the point where his much-vaunted tour around Christmas and New Year's ends up being his last.
The Song and Dance: Hiddleston and Olsen are the main reasons to watch this tepid biography. They apparently worked hard to get the mannerisms and accents for their characters right, and it paid off. Hiddleston nails Williams, a charming, hard-working man who ultimately succumbs to his pain and demons, with Olsen nearly matching him as the wife who's had enough of his drinking and womanizing. Hiddleston does his own singing, and does it well, sounding reasonably like Williams and doing justice to several of his best-known songs.
The Numbers: We open with Hiddleston, in a simple yellow spotlight, performing one of Williams' best-known ballads over the credits, "Cold Cold Heart." He and the Saddle Spring Boys sing "Honky Tonkin'" in, appropriately, a down-home western honky-tonk bar. Audrey's "Blues Come Around" is less well-received. They do better recording "Movin' On Over" in Nashville. We see the tail end of Hank's radio show as Audrey joins them for the railroad-themed "Pan American." Williams and the Saddle Spring Boys are briefly seen recording "Lovesick Blues," which he gets to sing in full when he finally gets on the Grand Ol' Opry.
"Santa Baby" is heard in the background at the Christmas party that Hank spends drunkenly playing with his garage door opener.Hank's introduced by another country legend, Roy Acuff, before he and the Saddle Spring Boys launch into "Hey Good Lookin'." His second Opry number is the lively ballad "Why Don't You Love Me?" right before he meets Billie Jean for the first time. He sings "Your Cheatin' Heart" for the girl at her home. The cast of the concert Williams was supposed to be at when he died sings "I Saw the Light" in tribute. The movie ends with Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" over the credits.
What I Don't Like: Even more than Walk the Line, this is a tepid mess of cliches you've seen a million times in biographical musicals going back to the dawn of sound. The unfocused script and dull direction doesn't help there. It's also very dark. Williams' death at a young age puts this more in line with later stories of musicians who succumbed to fame like The Doors. This is not for people looking for a more uplifting or cheerful story. And frankly, the black-and-white interview sequences with Rose simply weren't necessary. They should have let Williams' story unfold naturally.
The Big Finale: Mainly recommended for Hiddleston and Olsen's sterling performances if you're a major fan of the stars or Hank Williams. Everyone else is probably better off looking for Williams' real-life recordings instead.
Home Media: Easily found in all formats.
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