COUNTRY STRONG

US, 2010, 117 minutes, Colour.
Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim Mc Graw, Garrett Hedlund, Leighton Meester.
Directed by Shana Feste.

The world of country and western singing, tours, concerts, recording. And the toll on the singers themselves. And the pressures of fans and the media.

Gwynneth Paltrow is Kelly, a grammy award winning singer, who has had a long career which has taken its toll. She has been drinking and suffered a miscarriage when she fell during a concert. As the film opens she is about to come out of rehabilitation. But, is it too soon?

Her husband, James (Tim Mc Graw) is also her agent but the marriage love has cooled over the years. He still believes in her and sends her on tour. She has met an orderly who offers to be one of her sponsers. He is a young singer who is hired to keep and eye on her and be a supporting singer. Garrett Hedlund is Beau, quite a sympathetic young man. The other character in the picture is an aspiring singer, Chiles (Leighton Meester) who is initially awkward but is saved during performance by Beau.

Country Strong takes us into the day by day life of this group of people. Often, very often, there are more downs than ups. Kelly is more fragile that people thought and makes a mess of concert appearances. Beau is devoted to her but realises that there is little future in a relationship and looks to Chiles. Chiles, with Beau’s encouragement and support from James, goes from strength to strength. We also see the pressures from agents, entrepreneurs and, especially, a pruriently curious and fickle media.

The film is both pessimistic and optimistic. Some succeed. Some fail. There is a fine scene towards the end when Kelly offers Chiles some sound advice about living a career and being a celebrity and then goes out to belt out a range of songs to the delight of fans and of James. Gwynneth Paltrow sang in the film Duets as well as the opening song in the film about Truman Capote. Both Garret Hedlund and Leighton Meester are impressive in their songs and performances.

Not everybody warms to country and western music, but this is quite an effective behind the showbiz facades interpersonal drama.

1. The country and western world, the singers, the bands, the agents, the promoters, the crowds?

2. A focus on celebrity, ambitions, success, achievement? Kelly and her career? Chiles and her hopes? Achievement? Beau and his talent, his success? Kelly’s final advice to Chiles?

3. Kelly and her emphasis on love over and above success? Themes of life? Of death?

4. Texas, the roads, Houston, Austin, Dallas? Authentic atmosphere? Tennessee?

5. The pessimistic tone of the film, especially with Kelly’s life and career? The optimism, her talent and success? Chiles and her final option for Beau?

6. The range of songs, country and western music, its style, the lyrics: Choices Are, Country Strong, Giving to Me, Time is .... The performances, Beau and his ease, Chiles and her development, Kelly and her talent? The concerts, the support, the recording studios?

7. The portrait of Kelly, the home movies of her as a child, her joy? Married at twenty, in love with James? Her choices for her career? On stage, people’s response? Her being energised? The Grammy awards? Her love for James, his falling out of love with her? Alcohol? The fall from the stage, the miscarriage? Her rehabilitation, Beau and his presence in the institution, being her sponsor? James and his visits? Her leaving, getting out too soon, not well enough prepared? The sequences with James, her dependence on him, her love, his seeming indifference? His protestations of love? With Beau, with Chiles and her success? The pills, the preparation for the concert, receiving the doll with the bloodstains and the accusation of murder? Her collapse, alleging food poisoning? The response of the press? The next concert, her collapse, being taken off by James? The failure in Austin? Her dependence on Beau, going out with him, the train ride, the sexual relationship? Her love for James, kissing him, his not responding? Visiting the child with leukaemia, singing with him, dancing? The build-up to confidence, performing in Dallas where the accident happened, her going to Chiles, her words of advice, her strong performance, the range of songs, change of costumes? Her coming out, avoiding the crowd, her death? The media and their speculations about her and their effect on her, the final letter to Beau about the meaning of her life, relationship with him, her death?

8. Beau, driving to the hospital, the ticking off by the head nurse, going to Kelly, singing and playing with her? Being her sponsor? James’s arrival, taking Kelly away? Beau and his singing, the smooth and calm singing? His fans? Taking care of Kelly, concern about her pills, alcohol? Chiles, her attempt at singing, being taunted by Beau? His coming on stage, helping her, singing with her, the bond, the later duets, talking things over, love? His performances as support to Kelly? The fans’ response? The final song dedicated to Kelly? His discussions with Chiles, offering her a possibility of love? Her return to him?

9. James, marrying Kelly out of love, the long marriage, falling out of love, in bed, not kissing, his hard tactics with Kelly? The softer tactics, love? Arguing with the agents, being tough with them, being tough with Kelly, his wariness of Beau? Taking on Chiles, supporting her – and the touch of jealousy for Kelly?

10. Chiles, her story, the false stories, her hesitant singing, her ambitions, the failure on stage, Beau coming to her rescue after taunting her? Overcoming the difficulties? Travelling with the group? Her development, the record, Kelly upset at Chiles singing what seemed to be her song? Her relationship with James, with Beau, James coming to the door and her hurrying him out, the choice that Beau offered her, her choice for career – listening to Kelly’s final advice, coming back to Beau?

11. The staff, the singers, the crew, the press? The sad ending with Kelly’s death? The hopeful ending with Beau and Chiles?