Jeff Bridges to Finally Get His Oscar Moment?
November 18, 2009
I’m eating crow today, having previously stated how bored I’ve become with Oscar speculation and now having another go at it. I guess I’m a slave to every new development, and the latest is that Jeff Bridges is suddenly getting talked about quite a lot as a Best Actor contender for his role in Crazy Heart. In what looks to be a cross between The Wrestler and Tender Mercies, Bridges plays Bad Blake, an self-destructive country & western singer trying to get his life back on track. The Dude’s already been nominated four times but never clinched it -- something of an asset considering the Academy likes to give Oscars for careers (Russell Crowe, Tommy Lee Jones) just as much as individual performances. Trailer after the jump.
Looking at this, I’m favorably reminded of the underrated Rip Torn film, Payday, in which Torn plays a similarly off-the-rails country star. If you’ve never seen it, it’s well worth your time. Here’s a particularly cruel morsel:
Comments (2)
Posted by lester on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 03.57 pm
The trailer makes the performance look great, but the story seems awfully formulaic. I hope that’s just the trailer. Although Willie Nelson’s Songwriter will always be the country movie to beat for me.
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Posted by Colin on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 02.03 pm
The question is whether there is really a big market out there for a movie about a country/western singer. For whatever reason a washed up wrestler seemed an easier sell. Further, the Rourke career resurgence was a story, whereas the Dude has been maintained a relatively impressive (if never explosive) career for years. I sincerely hope it does finally get him a much deserved Oscar, just not too optimistic about the chances.