I didn't think I would enjoy Country Strong. While the trailer made it look like there would be some good performances, I'm not a country music fan. Also, I usually don't like music dramas, which tend to be all about song performance at the expense of story. I like Gwyneth Paltrow, and had heard that she actually sings in the movie, but I didn't think that would be enough to hold my interest. Man, was I wrong. How wrong? As soon as the movie was over I went home and downloaded — uhh, I mean, bought — the soundtrack. A surprising turn of events, to say the least.
Country Strong stars Paltrow as Kelly Canter, a famous country singer who has literally fallen on hard times after taking a header off a stage while drunk and pregnant. Now recovered, Kelly is attempting to return to her old life with a husband (Tim McGraw) who can't forgive her while she's also dragging two rising stars (Garrett Hedlund and Leighton Meester) into the spotlight.
This article appears in Jan 6-12, 2011.