Crazy Heart

Loving Her was Easier…

One of America’s most under appreciated actors has long been Jeff Bridges. Born into a Hollywood family that included his father Lloyd and brother Beau, Bridges has fashioned a long and eccentric career that has seen classic films such as 1971’s “The Last Picture Show”, 1991’s “The Fisher King”, 1996’s “The Mirror has Two Faces” and 1998’s “The Big Lebowski”. These pictures along with many others have shown Bridges to be an exceedingly naturalistic actor and someone who can be called upon to realistically play real men, not some Gary Cooper or John Wayne type who is larger than life. 2009’s “Crazy Heart” fits perfectly into this mold and sees Bridges essaying the role of the faded country star Bad Blake.
“Crazy Heart” is a modest character study that manages to be an extremely pleasurable and lovingly presented film about the redemption of a fallen star in the booze-fueled and often cutthroat world of country music. Bad Blake, the fallen star, is widely recognized as one of country’s great talents but because of bad luck and alcoholism, he is now relegated to playing bowling alleys and playing with local bands of teenagers who idolize him but soon learn that he can’t be counted on during the show. Bad also has to deal with the lingering baggage left over from the departure of his former guitarist Tommy Sweet, who has become the new pop-country sensation and who is providing Bad with the chance to be back in the spotlight as his opening act.
Along the way, Bad enters into a May-December romance with a single mom Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who interviewed him. Bad sees with Jean and her son, a chance to rectify some of the wrongs that he made in the past and he tries to act as a father figure with the boy, though his alcohol inevitably causes his failure. He also tries to get in contact with his son from a previous relationship, which doesn’t get too far either but because of Jean’s love and support, he is able to find redemption and get back on the right track. Indeed, redemption is as much of country music as booze and trucks and this film adequately portrays that both in its plot and in the realistic country songs composed by the noted producer T-Bone Burnett. There is also a great turn by the legendary Robert Duvall as a bartender who helps Bad through rehab.
The character of Bad appears to be based on such classic country outlaws as Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings and he does share many of the same characteristics as these singer-songwriters. “Crazy Heart” makes no attempt to say anything new but rather proudly carries on the tradition of films such as “Tender Mercies” and “Coal Miner’s Daughter” which sought to reflect the music they involve in the direct and poetic simplicity of their telling. The film affirms the archetype of the hard life lived on the road but does so without resorting to cliché and anchored by Bridges’ performance becomes a film that will stick with the viewer.