"WALK HARD"

WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY
2007
-directed by Jake Kasdan
What an amazing labor of love. Helmed by Kasdan and Judd Apatow, this mock biopic about a tempestuous music legend (taking inspiration from Johnny Cash and WALK THE LINE) was a commercial failure, and a minor critical hit. It deserved both less and more.
It's a bit of a dud. The theatrical release is, at times, forced. You appreciate the effort, but it falls a good deal short of greatness.
And, it's fucking brilliant. The extended version on the dvd is the only way to see this film. It's brimming with cinematic juiciness. It's an hour longer, but feels shorter. It's like they tried to turn a smorgasbord into a takeout combo, with that theatrical release. The cameos are hilarious (including the voice of Dylan, which most theatergoers missed as they vacated the theater). In a monumental performance, John C. Reilly poured out his brilliance, including playing guitar and singing his own songs. Tim Meadows, as Dewey's drummer, has some of the best lines of the film, and doesn't bungle. The standout performance is Justin Long, as George Harrison.
The special features are dripping with gems that are often funnier than the movie itself. If every movie's creative team had the same level of passion as this one, bad movies would be as rare as good ones.
And the soundtrack...another example of that curious cinematic beast wherein the soundtrack outshines the film. There was a special cd release called BOX OF COX, which i am mightily eager to get my hands on. Cash's style is of course lampooned, and so is Dylan's, the rock psychedelic era, disco, rap...like the music in SPINAL TAP, A MIGHTY WIND, THE RUTLES, and ISHTAR, the music has to be comedically derivative, yet subtly brilliant. You have to treat it dismissively, yet it also has to get under your skin. They delivered the goods. And if the movie doesn't quite scale the peaks that several of the aforementioned did, it sure as hell is a beautiful ride watching them try.
Go grab some Cox.