Honkytonk Man (1982)

Clint Eastwood Movie #1. Yes, I have already reviewed CE's Dirty Harry movies, his Westerns, and his Spaghetti Westerns, but I figured it was time to watch some of his other films where he doesn't play either a gunslinger or a cop. Please click the links to read my reviews of Heartbreak Ridge and Bronco Billy.

Synopsis: Coarse crooner Clint combats consumption, counsels kid Kyle, cruises cross-country. concludes career.

Blurb From the DVD Jacket: “Red Stovall (Clint Eastwood) is a Depression-era rascal whose fire-in-the belly passion comes from the whisky he slugs and the dream he chases: singing at the Grang Ole Opry. He takes off on a drive from Oklahoma to audition in Nashville with nephew Whit (Clint’s son Kyle Eastwood) along to help keep the car on the road and Red on the straight and narrow.”

What Did I Learn?: If somebody asks if you need some help with your drinking, the best reply is: "no, I do quite well all by myself."

You Might Like This Movie If: You figure it must be a full-length biography of this guy...

Really?: 1) So wait – Eastwood (the Director) apparently objected to a proposed scene of 14-year old Whit smoking a joint (instead, Whit merely gets high from contact fumes), and yet he was totally ok with Red taking Whit to a brothel to lose his virginity? 2) I realize this film takes place during the Depression, but come on - how far do the characters expect to travel with a 14-year old behind the wheel, and nobody has a driver's license?

Rating: Honkytonk Man is a bit slow-moving in places, and the ending is a bit of a downer, but Eastwood and Eastwood work well together, there's a lot of great music, and overall, it's a nice little film. 8/10 stars.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084088/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1