When I was writing about a song from A Star is Born, I was surprised to learn I hadn’t already reviewed today’s featured movie – Crazy Heart. This is one of my favourite recent movies which earned Jeff Bridges his first Academy award after seven nominations. It was made for just 7 million dollars but grossed 47 million. It tells the story of a once famous country music artist who suffers from alcoholism and tries to turn his life around after beginning a relationship with a young journalist.
For most of my adult life I too have succumbed to alcoholism and I could relate a lot with this story. Apart from The Big Lebowsky, Crazy Heart is my preferred performance from Jeff Bridges who is one of the least self-conscious screen actors I have seen. The song from Crazy Heart called The Weary Kind (presented below) is very moving.
IMDB Storylines:
Bad Blake is a broken-down, hard-living country music singer who’s had way too many marriages, far too many years on the road and one too many drinks way too many times. And yet, Bad can’t help but reach for salvation with the help of Jean, a journalist who discovers the real man behind the musician.
“Bad” Blake has a son, aged 28, with whom he has not had contact in 24 years. I have a daughter Johanna ( & Visions of Johanna) who I also have not had contact with for about the same period of time. I wrote about Johanna in The Kookaburra Moment trilogy. I miss her dearly. She attended my baptism shortly after the passing of my father.
An article which will feature in an upcoming ‘Monday – News on The March‘ called ‘When You Overcome Yourself‘ couldn’t be closer to the truth for me. Here is an excerpt:
Energy is free flowing—concentrated inward, or concentrated outward to concentrate energy outward, is to give up yourself
is to give up greed
is to give up lust
is to give up.
You will be surprised what will come to you..
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
A moving reflection, thanks Matthew.
Thanks Bruce, most kind of you.
Are you reading the world media? Are we now at the behest of China?
NZ has certainly sold its soul to China. For e.g., all the dairy factories and freezing works in the Province I live in are owned by China. We get to eat the leftovers.
Yes in terms of ownership, it’s no big secret, (and sad).
But the narrative of the news articles that has gone astray. It’s as though I’m reading something dictated from an anti-western culture.
Agreed.
Good song Matt….and I have to see that movie now. Great post Matt. I have had some problems myself not with drink…I just can’t drink…something inside of me but when given a huge pain killer supply when 2 discs were out.in my back..it took a few years to get over them.
I had one hernia in a disk recently and my sciatic nerve was in severe distress and they put me on morphine when I was in hospital. But the minor surgery went well and now I’m not on anything and recovering. Yeh they say there is an Opiodes epidemic in your country. I’m glad you are over all that. Good to read it.
Wonderful you like the song. You would love the movie! It’s right up your alley especially with regards to the music. A1 soundtrack.
It’s easy to get there…and you get there without knowing it.
Yes I knew I would like it…I’m a fan of him and the plot looks great.
Yeh, it could easily be addictive and I don’t I know about that lol.
I couldn’t recommend the movie highly enough, based on your tastes in music being from Nashville and what you have written about. Also Jeff Bridges nails this. It never entered my mind I was watching the same actor who played Lebowsky. He’s a talented so and so.
I told Bailey and he knew the movie right away….Matt…I think the boy has seen more movies than you and I put together lol. That is what he is studying so he is in the right field.
I imagine you are right lol. How is Bailey liking his studies? What does he want to do in the movie business?
He really likes it now that he got his core courses out of the way. He is set to graduate in 2023. He has helped film some short films of a hallmark actor turned director and a few others.
Sweet Max. It sounds like he is well on his way. I congratulate you
Thanks Matt…hopefully it keeps going and you and I can go to a premiere!
Yes indeed! Hehe
A lot of my responses don’t come up as responses to people’s comments, but stand alone in the article. I don’t know if my above response come up as a reply to yours.
Oh it is….it came up perfect in this one.
sometimes I click on the wrong button and it features as a stand alone comment.
I do the same thing…
You are going to like tomorrow’s article on Iris Dement, which I think I found from you, but wasn’t sure. It’s a goodie.
Cool …sounds good to me Matt!
Im a fan of Bridges’s work. I did a take on ‘American heart’ a while ago. Another good performance by him. A good film in the same vein is ‘Tender Mercies’ with Duval in the lead role.
Duval appears in this one too. I wonder if his appearance in this one is in recognition of Tender Mercies? I’m just scanning Tender Mercies. Looks good!
Could be a nod. Mercies is a fave film of mine.
A must watch then. Cheers man.