Honkytonk Man

Clint Eastwood's singing is wonderful. His acting is stellar too, although the film is very much flawed.

Charming movie with one of Eastwood’s more interesting roles from the 70s and 80s. The story and acting are clumsy and even failing at times but forgivable because of it’s attempt to be a sincere movie, which it kind of becomes.

Viewed May 11, 2018.

This was a pretty solid drama. Clint showed that he could act and sing and most of the rest of the cast were solid. Tim Thomerson stole the scenes he was in, he made this movie for me.

78.500

jarring, anachronistic music

A road movie about a boy and his uncle -- along with grandpa -- trying to make it to Nashville so Red finally gets a chance at an audition to become famous. A folk singer in the Depression Era drinking, smoking and singing his way to death while trying to teach his nephew something about life -- even though it involves going to a whorehouse and running away from cops and dying how he wants. Eastwood has never been so exposed and sentimental in a film. Such a quietly moving film.

"Though the film is obviously coated with a veneer of nostalgic sentimentality, Eastwood never lets Honkytonk Man veer into maudlin territory." - Eric Henderson

78.500

Like a lot of Eastwood's directorial efforts from the period, this is an amiable, entertaining effort with some pretty fundamental flaws. Clint is not a terrible singer, but his voice is week and he never convinces as a rising star. Kyle is good, but not great. He doesn't let the film down, but he's on screen one heck of a lot for a fairly mediocre actor.

Honkytonk Man has Clint playing a dying country musician in a movie about the American hero being destroyed by his own culture. That is something we never think about as we continue to become increasingly modern. Many traditional figures suffer at the hands of those who they revere, and Clint distills that figure here as an underdog whose journey is witnessed by his protege. Kyle comes through with those glassy eyes just when he needs them to work.