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Honkytonk Man
Warner Bros. // PG // September 2, 2003
List Price: $19.98 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
THE MOVIE
Set during The Great Depression, Honkytonk Man tells the story of Red Stovall (Clint Eastwood), a down on his luck musician who is getting one last shot at glory: he's been called in for an audition at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. But he's flat broke, sick and often drunk – so he has to work his way from California to Tennessee the best way he can.
To get there, he enlists the aid of his sister's family, and soon finds himself bonding with his nephew, Whit (Kyle Eastwood, Clint's real-life son). The family agrees to let Whit accompany Red to Nashville – not really because they want him to, but because they don't think Red will ever make it there on his own.
But Honkytonk Man isn't so much about whether Red will get his shot at glory, as it is about the bonding relationship that Red and Whit make with each other as they journey across the country. Red imparts both music lessons and the lessons of life to Whit, while Whit plays almost a surrogate father to his uncle – driving the car, getting him out of trouble and taking care of him when Red's illness gets the best of him.
Directed by Eastwood, if there's a mistake made here it may be in the fact that Clint's just not that convincing as a Country-Western singer. He's great at the drama bits, but if Paint Your Wagon taught us anything, it's that the only thing worse than Clint talking to the trees is trying to sing to them. But let's not be too hard on Mr. Eastwood – Honkytonk Man turns out to be a pretty good film overall, and while it probably won't go down as one of the more popular films Clint has made, this is one of those movies that I appreciate more and more each time I watch it.
THE DVD
Video:
Another volume in the "Eastwood Collection" from Warner Bros., the video here is presented in anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen. It turns out to be a pretty good transfer, with some "dirt" evident on the print, but no real signs of pixilation. The movie has a somewhat "soft" look to it, but that's more a result of the way it was filmed than any problems with the transfer. Set during the Depression, the movie has a lot of browns, grays and very little in the way of bright colors. There's a so-so layer change here that occurs about 50 minutes into this 122 minute film, during the conversation between Red and his double-crossing old buddy Arnspringer (played by Northern Exposure's Barry Corbin).
Audio:
Like all the DVDs in the "Eastwood Collection", this one's been remastered in 5.1 Dolby and it sounds fairly good. There's not a lot going on in the way of action (even most – although not all – of the music is slow and low-key), so I don't know that the film even required a 5.1 track, but it sounds nice and crisp regardless, and fans of the movie should be happy with what they get here.
Extras:
Of all the Eastwood movies I wish had a commentary track on them, this one ranks high on my list. I've heard this is one of Clint's favorite movies that he directed, and I would really love to hear him go through the film shot by shot. Sadly, all this DVD offers is (once again, like the other titles in the "Eastwood Collection") the Theatrical Trailer for the film and a Cast List, which includes a filmography for Eastwood.
THE BOTTOM LINE
I think Honkytonk Man is a must-own for any Eastwood fan. It's one of his better movies, and it's one of those few where he doesn't play an action hero of some sort or another. However, considering the lack of extras on this one, I'm only recommending it as a rental for those who are casual fans. There's just not enough on the DVD to warrant a purchase unless you're really a die-hard fan of Clint's.
Set during The Great Depression, Honkytonk Man tells the story of Red Stovall (Clint Eastwood), a down on his luck musician who is getting one last shot at glory: he's been called in for an audition at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. But he's flat broke, sick and often drunk – so he has to work his way from California to Tennessee the best way he can.
To get there, he enlists the aid of his sister's family, and soon finds himself bonding with his nephew, Whit (Kyle Eastwood, Clint's real-life son). The family agrees to let Whit accompany Red to Nashville – not really because they want him to, but because they don't think Red will ever make it there on his own.
But Honkytonk Man isn't so much about whether Red will get his shot at glory, as it is about the bonding relationship that Red and Whit make with each other as they journey across the country. Red imparts both music lessons and the lessons of life to Whit, while Whit plays almost a surrogate father to his uncle – driving the car, getting him out of trouble and taking care of him when Red's illness gets the best of him.
Directed by Eastwood, if there's a mistake made here it may be in the fact that Clint's just not that convincing as a Country-Western singer. He's great at the drama bits, but if Paint Your Wagon taught us anything, it's that the only thing worse than Clint talking to the trees is trying to sing to them. But let's not be too hard on Mr. Eastwood – Honkytonk Man turns out to be a pretty good film overall, and while it probably won't go down as one of the more popular films Clint has made, this is one of those movies that I appreciate more and more each time I watch it.
THE DVD
Video:
Another volume in the "Eastwood Collection" from Warner Bros., the video here is presented in anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen. It turns out to be a pretty good transfer, with some "dirt" evident on the print, but no real signs of pixilation. The movie has a somewhat "soft" look to it, but that's more a result of the way it was filmed than any problems with the transfer. Set during the Depression, the movie has a lot of browns, grays and very little in the way of bright colors. There's a so-so layer change here that occurs about 50 minutes into this 122 minute film, during the conversation between Red and his double-crossing old buddy Arnspringer (played by Northern Exposure's Barry Corbin).
Audio:
Like all the DVDs in the "Eastwood Collection", this one's been remastered in 5.1 Dolby and it sounds fairly good. There's not a lot going on in the way of action (even most – although not all – of the music is slow and low-key), so I don't know that the film even required a 5.1 track, but it sounds nice and crisp regardless, and fans of the movie should be happy with what they get here.
Extras:
Of all the Eastwood movies I wish had a commentary track on them, this one ranks high on my list. I've heard this is one of Clint's favorite movies that he directed, and I would really love to hear him go through the film shot by shot. Sadly, all this DVD offers is (once again, like the other titles in the "Eastwood Collection") the Theatrical Trailer for the film and a Cast List, which includes a filmography for Eastwood.
THE BOTTOM LINE
I think Honkytonk Man is a must-own for any Eastwood fan. It's one of his better movies, and it's one of those few where he doesn't play an action hero of some sort or another. However, considering the lack of extras on this one, I'm only recommending it as a rental for those who are casual fans. There's just not enough on the DVD to warrant a purchase unless you're really a die-hard fan of Clint's.
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