Crazy heart has an excellent cast and features top notch performances by jeff bridges and maggie gyllenhaal. I sat down beside the fire with crazy heart last night, not expecting much. Mar 04, 2010 cobb talked about the differences between the book and the movie, why chet atkins killed country, and the price people are willing to pay for a hardcover edition of crazy heart. Theres not much to the story, but not much is necessary with jeff bridges as the singer, bad blake. Blakes dedication to, and integrity towards, his country music is more than matched by cobbs moving, respectful evocation of the world of country music, and the life and times of bad blake. Crazy heart is a small intimate story youve seen a few times before. Like a good country song, crazy heart has an appealing, easygoing vibe for most of its running time, despite bads severe drinking problem.
Fox searchlights sudden decision to toss crazy heart into the heat of. Thomas cobbs first novel, crazy heart, is a beautiful irony that both celebrates the rise and fall or vice versa perhaps of a country musicians life through a realistic but reckless portrayal of the modern american west. The characters are cut cleanly out of americathe roadside west, the dance halls and beer joints, the occasional big concert, houston, nashville, southern california, and the endless, eternal hotel rooms that are as. The novel on which the film was based was inspired by country. It wasnt the last time one of kubricks notoriously devastating films pissed off the author of the source material stephen king once said that the shining is the only one of his book adaptations he can remember hating but burgess ire is. Crazy heart author thomas cobb on his character bad. Differences between where the heart is book vs movie page 1. Bruton died from cancer shortly after finishing the.
It would be great if this was shown on turner movie classics. Cobb talked about the differences between the book and the movie, why chet atkins killed country, and the price people are willing to pay for a. For his musical performances, jeff bridges affected a shrewd mixture of. Peik lins family in the books is still distinctly new money, but one of the biggest changes is that theyve never heard of nick of the.
A faded country music musician is forced to reassess his dysfunctional life during a doomed romance that also inspires him. Crazy from the heart dvd will tug at your heart while making you laugh. With jeff bridges, maggie gyllenhaal, colin farrell, james keane. For i think the first time, i am uncertain whether i like the book or the movie better. Maggie gyllenhaal as jean craddock, a smalltime new mexico journalist with a. Let me just say that this is a brilliant soundtrack. Jan 08, 2010 the movies based on a 1987 novel by thomas cobb and samples both the mythos of hank williams and those whove tried to live down to his example. Crazy from the heart dvd is a special tale of romance, race and class differences. Dont be fooled by the description of the movie as the story of a country singer. The soundtrack for crazy heart was produced by t bone burnett and contains 16 songs from the film starring jeff bridges. Crazy heart comes close to being a genuine story of redemption as bad hits rock bottom and starts to put his life back together. To ask other readers questions about crazy heart, please sign up.
A worndown country singer and a burgeoning journalist form an unusual bond in this drama adapted from the novel by thomas cobb. Crazy heart is, essentially, the story of the downfall of the onetime famous country i think after that, its got a very specific type of person who will like it. Crazy heart by thomas cobb meet your next favorite book. Bone burnett has never steered us wrong, and he certainly doesnt here. Maggie gyllenhaal as jean craddock, a smalltime new mexico. Cobb talked about the differences between the book and the movie, why chet atkins killed country, and the price people are willing to pay for a hardcover edition of crazy heart. Crazy heart is a 2009 american drama film, written and directed by scott cooper, in his directorial debut. Ivebeen trying to purchase it but its too expensive for me on ebay. Ever since his breakthrough role in the last picture show in 1971, he has, seemingly without effort, created a series of characters who we simply believe, even the alien starman. The movies pace echoes the life of its main characterunhurried. Crazy heart author thomas cobb on his character bad blake.
In a movie the character can speak their thoughts all day long in a either in their head, or in monlogue to themselves or to anybody else. Sep 05, 2018 in the book, the goh family was more subdued. Raw, real, and imbued with warmth, pathos, and wry humor, the portrayal touches the. Cobbs downbeat novel, some 22 years out of print, crazy heart might. Crazy from the heart dvd has all the ingredients of a wonderful romantic comedy.
With christine lahti, ruben blades, william russ, louise latham. Feb 12, 2010 with some clumsy movie rehab, of course from 28 days to my name is joe, theres a rich tradition of pillpopping, alcoholic, sexaddict film characters getting with the programme for five fluffy. Bad blake jeff bridges is a brokendown, hardliving country music. Crazy heart original motion picture soundtrack original. With some clumsy movie rehab, of course from 28 days to my name is joe, theres a rich tradition of pillpopping, alcoholic, sexaddict film characters getting with the programme for five fluffy. Nov 17, 2009 the official trailer for crazy heart, starring jeff bridges, maggie gyllenhaal, and robert duvall. I dont see the difference between a book and movie in for point 3. Specifically, that youre never too old or too far gone to make significant changes, to break old habits or to shoot for a fresh start. He plays the aging star with a remarkable sympathy, never allowing him.
Once a headlining country and western star, bad blake jeff bridges is now lucky to get a gig at a bowling alley in pueblo, colo. So what fox searchlight has salvaged essentially is a highly watchable performance by bridges, one of many he has furnished throughout a long career. Arriving in manila in 2015, i began hunting the best reads in various book. I was able to identify 29 out of the 30 scenes with songs in them some of the songs are used a couple times. For bad, you couldnt ask for a better actor than jeff bridges. Original motion picture soundtrack is a 2010 film soundtrack album to accompany the film crazy heart directed by scott cooper starring jeff bridges and maggie gyllenhaal. Dec 16, 2009 crazy heart is a movie about redemption, pure and simple.
Bridges, farrell, and duvall also sing in the film. Bridges has said he based the look and feel of the character on his friend kris kristofferson, among other musicians. Its film adaptation with the same title was one of the films which had given me hope back then. Bolstered by his new relationship, bad regains some of the spirit and determination that he once had.
His spirit broken by multiple failed marriages, too much time on the road, and too many nights with the bottle, bad blake jeff bridges had started to feel like he was headed down the path of no return. Out of print for more than two decades, the novel is being reissued next week by harperperennial. Crazy heart ist ein usamerikanisches filmdrama aus dem jahr 2009. Anthony burgess dismissal of the stanley kubrick adaptation of his novel a clockwork orange is one for the ages.
The movie is dedicated to stephen bruton, the legendary texas musician, and a lifelong friend of burnetts, wrote or cowrote most of the original music performed by bridges and ryan bingham. Bruton knew the bad blake lifestyle inside out, and he contributed some key elements to the film that werent in the book. The official trailer for crazy heart, starring jeff bridges, maggie gyllenhaal, and robert duvall. A part from the fact a movie has shorter run time than a book. I think thos book is for those that like country music, extra sympathetic or empathetic people, those that have ever had alcohol problems. But thats a technical and marketing issue not a creative issue.
The characters are cut cleanly out of americathe roadside west, the dance halls and beer joints, the occasional big concert, houston, nashville, southern california, and the endless, eternal hotel rooms that are as close to home as any country singer ever gets. A great story and great soundtrack complement the fine acting. All 26 songs from the crazy heart soundtrack reelsoundtrack. Based on the 1987 novel of the same name by thomas cobb, the film centers around a downandout country music singersongwriter jeff bridges who tries to turn his life around after beginning a relationship with a young journalist maggie gyllenhaal. Thats because jeff bridges, a great actor, plays the singer. Crazy heart has the mellow, believable gait of real life, and sometimes the truth is better than any reassuring fiction. He is 57 years old, an alcoholic and has a history of failed marriages. There isnt much pressing drama in crazy heart, but thats fine because the key to the films success is bridges. He is a damn good reason to see the film, and maggie gyllenhaal and the. Crazy heart is a simple but emotionally resonant movie about a 57yearold alcoholic country singer whose career is on the skids.
Crazy heart won jeff bridges a welldeserved best actor oscar for playing a downandout, alcoholic singer who struggles to pick up the pieces of his shattered life. Houston post blakes dedication to, and integrity towards, his country music is more than matched by cobbs moving, respectful evocation of the world of country music, and the life and times of bad blake. In the movie crazy heart, bad blake was an alcoholic former star whod slid to the bottom of the countrymusic industry. Aug 17, 2011 in the movie crazy heart, bad blake was an alcoholic former star whod slid to the bottom of the countrymusic industry. Raw, real, and imbued with warmth, pathos, and wry humor, the portrayal touches the heart without feeling forced or manipulative. Washington times blakes dedication to, and integrity towards, his country music is more than matched by cobbs moving, respectful evocation of the world of country music, and the life and times of bad blake. The book follows the movie, a few changes, but nothing big. Here are all 26 songs from the crazy heart soundtrack with notes on each scene they were in and in the order they appeared in the movie. Jan 19, 2010 the crazy heart soundtrack album has a good number of the songs from the movie, but you can find them all below. Crazy heart is a movie about redemption, pure and simple. Dec 17, 2009 crazy heart is about a boozy, washedup countryandwestern star, and if you think youve seen it all before, you havent.
Colin farrell as tommy sweet, his handsome acolyte, now a big country music star. This 1987 novel based on the life of hank thompson has an ending much different from the film and several details throughout the the movie either chose to. Bad is entirely sympathetic, and this crazy heart is vivid. Likewise, it never puts the audience through the ringer with too much melodrama. He doesnt do this with mannerisms but with their exclusion. Crazy heart is about a boozy, washedup countryandwestern star, and if you think youve seen it all before, you havent. Whats the difference between where the heart is the book and where the heart is the movie. Crazy heart just might be the finest countrywestern novel ever written, bar none. Crazy from the heart 1991 dvd is a wonderful drama and romance story from an unlikely place.
Crazy heart 2009 cast and crew with too many years of hazy days and boozy nights,former countrymusic legend bad blake jeff bridges is reduced to playing dives and bowling alleys. The movies based on a 1987 novel by thomas cobb and samples both the mythos of hank williams and those whove tried to live down to. And by god, crazy heart does have quite good country music. Looking and sounding a great deal like kris kristofferson, bridges exudes a.
Find out where crazy heart is streaming, if crazy heart is on netflix, and get news and updates, on decider. With it, crazy heart picks up some momentum just when it looks like it might settle into too a lethargic state. Jan 29, 2010 itll be hard to watch crazy heart the same way again. Crazy heart is an american musicaldrama film, written and directed by scott cooper and based on the novel by thomas cobb.
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