Caught up in Crazy Heart
There’s something about the twang and sorrow of country music that makes me feel like I’m back home in Ohio, or I’m depressed…or I’m just depressed in Ohio. Crazy Heart tells the story of the country singer, Bad Blake, as he struggles to get back the success he once had. But Crazy Heart is more than just a film about country music. The film takes us inside the life of a man drowning in the frustration of watching his dream evaporate, while his younger protégé lives the life he dreams of coming true. Bad’s only remedies are a bottle of whiskey and the strumming of his guitar, both helping him find the right song that describes every wrong emotion. Crazy Heart is a story of redemption, asking how far must someone fall until they decide to get back up again? How much harder is it to get back up when we’re forced to do it on our own?
Four time Academy award nominee Jeff Bridges is Bad Blake, the country singer that certainly has seen better days. His gigs are bowling alleys and bars, where he’s spending most of his time throwing up backstage. He’s a drunk, an almost has been, and he pees in a Sparklets bottle when he’s too lazy to stop, driving from show to show. But Bad still has enough charm to bring in the ladies…
Maggie Gyllenhaal is Jean Craddock, a local reporter and single mother faced with a checkered past of falling for the wrong guy, and she’s determined not to re-live that mistake. She interviews Bad for her local paper, but that inevitaby grows into something more. As Bad and Jean become closer, she must choose between her instincts and her desire; does she protect herself or must she fall again for the same kind of man that burned her before?
The incomparable Robert Duvall is Wayne Kramer, Bad’s long-time friend, guiding every decision Bad makes. He’s the voice of reason, when Bad won’t wake himself up. “It’s never too late…It’s never too late.”
The film uses country music as a backdrop to tell the story of some very intriguing characters, but the film doesn’t wallow in the cheesiness of a run-of-the-mill good ole’ boy singing the blues. Bad Blake lives a drunken life, but he has the charm and wit of a man that’s getting himself back on track, he’s just going to do it his own way, and take his sweet time doing it. Bridges explores the character all the way to the roots, discovering who he truly is. Bad Blake is a man looking for redemption, who is finally forced into action, when his recklessness impedes him from progressing towards a more promising life. He’s probably known his lifestyle isn’t okay for some time, but he’s never had the motiviation to take the necassary steps. That all changes when Bad and Jean become so close, that the stakes reach the highest they’ll ever be, and Bad has no choice but to take action. Jean is also a deep character that defies conventional norms, and Gyllenhaal gives a great portrayal of the complex character. She offers a refreshing reality that reminds us to trust in our instincts, even if it might mean losing someone you love.
The only drawback of the film is that it might transition a little too quickly for it’s own good. Bad seems to have something of an overnight transformation, and the relationship between Jean and Bad might seem a little artificial due to the age difference (and the fact that Jean is beautiful and Bad walks around with his pants un-done half the time). But the chemistry is so strong between Bridges and Gyllenhaal, and Bridges pulls of the changes and evolutions of his character so well, the flaws don’t take away much from the experience.
It’s an incontrevertible fact that life never goes as planned. Sometimes the greatest gift isn’t knowing what is in store for us, it’s the opportunity to make changes to better ourselves, and have faith we will become stronger individuals for taking the initiative to right our wrongs. When we “pick up our crazy heart and give it one more try,” we will always come out ahead.
