Country Strong
Last night I went to a screening for Country Strong with my sister (Stephanie), and Garrett Hedlund was the surprise guest <3. BEST. SURPRISE. EVER!
I knew he was in NYC, but I didn't want to get my hopes up that he'd come to the screening.
A former DJ said a few things to the audience first, and then he said he had a special guest. This was about the time when my heart stopped beating. I kept thinking, "Is it Garrett or Tim?" Is it Garrett or Tim?" (Tim McGraw was also in the city). So the DJ said Garrett's name, and I said out loud, "Oh, Jesus." I swear, my brain shut down at this point.
The below video is a quick clip my sister took of Garrett introducing the movie.
Click to viewVideo courtesy of frostbit_sky
So then Garrett left, and my sister and I were lucky enough to be sitting on the side where he entered and exited, and I had an aisle seat, so when he passed us (God, he was sooooo close) my sister - who was somehow and thankfully able to think - said, "Hi Garrett." He heard her and replied, "Hey, how's it going?" GAH! It was a two second exchange, but it was the best exchange. And his voice is sexy. I'm glad one of us said something, and I hope if I ever do see him again, my brain doesn't turn to mush.
I was on a Garrett-high while watching the movie.
The movie reminded me of Walk the Line, especially during a scene when Beau (Garrett) called Chiles (Leighton) on stage to sing with him. They have tons of chemistry and were utterly adorable. I loved all their scenes the most. I actually think they stole the movie from Gwyneth. Thinking back on it, I feel like Garrett & Leighton had more scenes than Gwyneth.
Check out this scene of Garrett & Leighton sizzling up the screen -
I feel like I'm intruding on an intimate moment, watching that.
Gwyneth does have a nice singing voice, though, and she did give a good performance. I felt bad for her and was completely surprised by the ending. I was not expecting Kelly to die. But I guess it makes sense because she was such a mess that it wouldn't be realistic for the movie to show her get over her demons.
One thing I would've liked to see was James {Tim McGraw's) reaction to his wife committing suicide. I mean, we did get to see him cry about it in the hospital, but after that we didn't see him, and I would've liked some more closure for his character.
Despite Kelly dying, I think the ending was somewhat hopeful.
Final Say: It's a good movie and definitely worth seeing. Even if you're not a fan of country music (the songs are good, btw) the story is good enough to draw you in. I will be seeing it again.