SHANA FESTE

Bil’s rating (out of 5):   BB. 

USA, 2010.  Screen Gems, Maguire Entertainment, Material Pictures, TVM.  Screenplay by Shana Feste.  Cinematography by John Bailey.  Produced by Tobey Maguire, Jenno Topping.  Music by Michael Brook.  Production Design by David J. Bomba, Bruce Rodgers, Fenton Williams.  Costume Design by Stacey Battat.  Film Editing by Carol Littleton, Conor O’Neill.  

While it means to be a female version of Crazy Heart, bad writing and loose direction prevent this musical from hitting nearly as hard as Scott Cooper’s film despite game work from the entire cast.   Gwyneth Paltrow is appealing but miscast as a superstar country-western singer whose personal life is on a downward spiral, her pill and booze addiction preventing her from achieving effective performances on stage. Her fall is timed quite conveniently with the rise of a charming little lass (Leighton Meester) who has no qualms with taking her place on the big stage. Meanwhile, up-and-coming song and dance man Garrett Hedlund is trying to navigate his feelings between being a great artist and being a big star while giving Paltrow support both on stage and off, support she is not quite getting from her manager husband (Tim McGraw). There are some nice songs and a few effective moments, but for the most part it’s forgettable soap opera silliness, and the impossibility of believing California-privileged Paltrow as southern trash sticks out like a sore thumb throughout the entire thing (not to mention the fact that her pleasant singing isn’t quite outstanding enough to really make the story peak).

Academy Award Nomination:  Best Original Song (“Coming Home”)

Golden Globe Award Nomination:  Best Original Song (“Coming Home”)