There Are Some Good Reasons To See
Jeff Bridges’ Oscar-Winning Turn In Crazy Heart

March 11, 2010


Crazy Heart (2009) (** 1/2)
There's a shot in a scene near the beginning of writer/director Scott Cooper's “Crazy Heart” that's so jarring that it has to have been a choice even if it’s meaning is more than a little unclear. Jeff Bridges, playing forgotten country legend Bad Blake, drunk and down on his luck, cruises into town in his rusty Suburban and empties out his pee bottle, realizing his manager has booked him to play in a bowling alley, where he begins to drink prior to the show. The shot I am referring to is the one of Bridges at the bar that is an exact visual echo of Bridge's most famous character of recent years, the similarly booze-addled Dude from “The Big Lebowski,” famously bellying up to a bowling alley bar, talking to a cowboy. It's odd and unmistakable, considering how Bridges' character from the film, ‘the Dude’ has become so iconic in recent years. His complaints are as firmly lodged in the minds of movie folk as Travis Bickle from “Taxi Driver,” to name one.

Jeff Bridges surprised no one by snagging the best actor Academy Award for his performance as the washed up country singer in the film, “Crazy Heart.” The film has yet to turn up in Hickory area theaters but is playing in several select theaters in Charlotte. After recently screening the Academy Award winner, I thought that it might be appropriate to share some thoughts on the film.

Bridges stars in the film as Otis Blake, known affectionately to his fans as Bad Blake. Blake has had both too many marriages and too many years on the road and now spends his days drinking himself into oblivion. Blake is considered by many to be somewhat of a minor legend as a country/western singer but in spite of this, Blake has now been reduced to playing whatever gig might come his way, even going so far as to play a bowling alley as the film opens.

Photo: Oscar winner Jeff Bridges as Bad Blake

Blake’s life seems destined for a tragic end until he meets newspaper journalist, Jean Craddock, while performing in Santa Fe. Craddock wants to do a piece on him for her newspaper. Blake is a bit hesitant at first but eventually decides to go with it. Over time the two develop a bond and, in spite of their nearly three decade age difference, tentatively begin a relationship. In time, Craddock and her four year old son give Blake stability and the closest thing he’s ever had to a family unit in many years.

All of this coincides with Blake’s career taking an upturn when Tommy Sweet, an immensely popular country singer who is a former protégé of Blake, asks Blake to write some songs for his new album. Blake must now find the strength to control his hard living ways in order to avoid jeopardizing these positive developments in his life.

“Crazy Heart” is neither a terrific film nor a bad one. Its entertainment value lies squarely somewhere in the middle. There is little to no dramatic tension in the film and the film would be best described as a character study if one were forced to categorize it. Its plot could easily be labeled mediocre at best and is very similar to last year’s Oscar contender “The Wrestler,” only, in this case, substituting a broken down country singer for a broken down wrestler.

What makes “Crazy Heart” stand out is the same reason the film generated Oscar buzz in the first place and eventually netted Bridges his first Oscar. That reason would be Bridges’ performance. Simply put, when a memorable performance transcends a mediocre plot, the result is a memorable role flanked by a forgettable film. There was never a better textbook example of this than “Crazy Heart.”

Interestingly enough, the addition of one of the producers of the film, 79 year old Robert Duvall, as Bad's friend and club owner Wayne, is a welcome allusion to Duvall's Oscar performance as a similar cinematic, down on his luck, country singer, Mac Sledge, in the 1983 film “Tender Mercies.” The shadow of that earlier, and much better film, looms large over the proceedings in this one. Still, in addition to Bridges performance, I would also have to make a positive mention regarding music producer T Bone Burnett, who is the chief song writer and producer of the film. Burnett’s behind the scenes presence is another feather in the film’s cap. The songs are befitting to a character such as the one portrayed in the film by Bridges and without them the film would only have Bridges performance to anchor it. The only other positive attributes the film might have, besides Burnett’s songs and Bridges’ performance, might be the New Mexico landscape and cloud dotted blue sky.

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