Honkytonk Man (1982)

What makes it different from others?

Touches You

Best movie ever!

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

How wonderful to have a decent, hometown movie, pairing a Western film legend with his own son. Eastwood delivers fine presence in this forgotten classic (originally aired on HBO, in my area) .. While Kyle showed definite promise as a young actor. And brilliant of Eastwood to cast so many fine, talented familiar faces in the supportive and featured roles. Loved seeing Verna Bloom again, after High Plains Drifter. And Tracey Walter left me in stitches with his tasty quips.Perhaps it did poorly at the box-office because Eastwood fans got so accustomed to his signature gun-slinging, cuss-fighting, or bare-fisted films - none of which this one included. It was plain hometown family-style goodness, with some good country singing.

Clint Eastwood has been known for playing macho tough guy roles in the late 60's and 70's. His roles ranged from playing a lone gunfighter in the spaghetti western trilogy directed by Sergio Leone, to playing the street-wise police detective Harry Callahan. Now, he plays a different kind of role. One that is more softer and more touching than ever before. Eastwood stars and directs in Honkytonk Man. Honkytonk Man tells the story of a down and out Depression country singer, who's wounds up taking his nephew on a cross-country road trip to the Grand Ole Opry, where Eastwood wants to try to get a record. Along for the ride is the little boy's grandfather, played by John McIntire. When the trio go on their trek across the country, they stumbles into different kinds of misadventures that teaches Eastwood's nephew lessons along the way. Lessons that include life and death. Even love in that matter. The nephew, by the way, is played by Eastwood real-life son, Kyle. He gives a very fine as Whit. There is a lot of times in this movie that really press gently on the Eastwood persona. This is something that surprises me and any other movie goer who follows Clint Eastwood's movies. Honkytonk Man was the second Eastwood movie to be released. The first was Firefox, in which he plays a air pilot, who hijacks a Soviet spy plane. And, when Eastwood sings in this movie, he really does try to put in a lot of effort when he is performing on stage with the audience. The movie is also bittersweet with the relationship between Eastwood and his nephew. Like I said before, this is a change for Clint Eastwood. He drops his tough guy persona and turns it into a completely character. This may compared to his other film he did called Bronco Billy, in which he plays a rodeo cowboy. That film and this brings back some of those elements that Bronco Billy had and is inserted into Honkytonk Man. One more thing, I was disappointed that this movie didn't get a lot of attention. This film was a box-office flop, compared to his other film, Firefox, which grossed more money than this movie. There are a lot of fine performances in Honkytonk Man coming from Eastwood, Eastwood's son and also McIntire. ★★★ 3 stars.

One of Clint Eastwood's more personal projects is Honkytonk Man where he both gets to do some singing and also to work with his then adolescent son Kyle. Apparently Kyle Eastwood has inherited the musical part of the Eastwood genes because he makes his living now as a jazz musician. I wonder if he ever jams with Woody Allen?Clint did not exactly set the world on fire in his previous musical outing in Paint Your Wagon. But in Honky Tonk Man he's right in his element as a hard living country singer during the Depression trying to finally catch a break with the Grand Ole Opry.Arriving at his sister's farm, Clint picks up both Kyle who is playing his nephew here and John McIntire who is Kyle's grandfather on his father's side and the three generations start out from Oklahoma to Nashville.Eastwood has played some hard bitten characters in his films, but never one as dissolute as Red Stovall. His high living has brought him a case of tuberculosis, a lot more common and a lot less curable back in those days. In any event the peace and quiet of a sanitarium holds no interest for Clint. He'd rather go out drinking and wenching than die of boredom in a sanitarium.Of course the odyssey of the three bring any number of adventures about life and love in their lives.John McIntire fits right in with the father and son Eastwoods. Also look for good performances by blues singer Linda Hopkins, young Alexa Kenan who hitches a ride with the travelers, and a cheating Barry Corbin who Clint collects from in the usual Eastwood manner. All and all a nice family project from the clan Eastwood.

Despite almost every critic I've read, I think this is a real gem by Clint Eastwood. A honest, sensitive effort in the road movie tradition. The minor tone, the naive sequences soothe Red Stovall's journey to his fate. The movie also displays a touching view of the depression era in USA. Like animated Roy Emerson Stryker's pictures the photography is remarkable as well as the sound track. I've learned about lots of singers and musicians that recorded only to give a final testimony of their art. I guess stories like these deserved a movie like Honkytonk Man. Long life to Clint, one of the most underrated talents not only in Hollywood but in the rest of the world.