"Country Strong" Movie Review

“Country Strong” Movie Review Table

Rating Scale 1-5 #’s

Category	Rating (#)	Reasons
Suspense & Movement	# # # #	Suspense was little, movie moved along at a reasonable pace.
Acting & Casting	# # # # #	Great acting. Casting was great, the actors fit their characters.
Mood & Emotion	# # # #	Strong emotions, but it was primarily one emotion the whole time. The mood was also strong.
Plot	# # # #	Not advanced or intricate, but enough for a good story.
Meaningfulness of Theme	# # #	The theme was not apparent until the end. It was not very positive; the main character had success but she had had so much strife that the success was not enough for her in her life.

Genre: Drama
Rating: PG-13
Actors: Gwyneth Paltrow, Leighton Meester, Tim McGraw, Garrett Hedlund
Director: Shana Feste
Writer: Shana Feste
Length: 1 hour 52 minutes
Release: 2011

“Country Strong” Movie Review

    Yesterday I watched the movie “Country Strong”. It was released this past January and was directed and written by Shana Feste. The PG-13 drama stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Garrett Hedlund, and Leighton Meester as country singers and Tim McGraw as Gwyneth Paltrow’s wife. The movie is one hour and fifty two minutes in length. Is it worth those one hundred and twelve minutes to watch “Country Strong”?
    Plot, suspense, movement, acting, and casting are all very important elements in creating a good movie. The plot of “Country Strong” is simple. It is enough for a good movie but not that much. Gwyneth Paltrow’s character, Kelly Canter, is a very famous country star who is in rehab. She is ready to come out and continue her career, and does. Conflicts between her, her husband and the two newbies in the music business played by Garrett Hedlund and Leighton Meester come up because of different romances occurring that maybe shouldn’t. Of the three concerts that are scheduled in Kelly Canter’s new tour, some go well and some do not. Will she get back on her feet or will she fall flat and end her career? The suspense of that storyline is minimal, but it moves along well enough to keep you interested. The acting in this movie was fantastic because it was expertly cast; the actors and actresses seem to fit perfectly and actually be their characters. All of the above elements in this movie were well done.
    Mood, emotion, and theme can effect the genre and the joy of watching a movie. All three of those are moderate in this movie. The mood and emotion in this movie are strong, but their is little variation. There is a lot of sadness at the mess that Kelly Canter has gotten herself into. There is happiness at her various large or small successes, though. The theme in this movie showed some messages about how not to live your life, not things about ways to better yourself and your life. Kelly Canter’s life was very messed up, so in a way it showed you the result of fame and bad choices. Another theme idea was not apparent until the end-sometimes success is not enough after so much negativity. Average theme, emotion and mood were shown in “Country Strong”.
    Overall I really enjoyed watching “Country Strong”. As I watched I was thinking ‘I would enjoy watching this a second time’. I rated this movie one through five using the number symbol (#). In the five categories, it had an average of four out of five. It scored a three in the meaningfulness of theme, fours in suspense and movement, mood and emotion, and plot, and a five in acting and casting. I would recommend this, but only to some people. If you do not like country music, or are just not in the mood to hear it, stay away, because there are some really good musical performances that would not be appreciated. This movie is fitting for someone who wants an interesting story, but not necessarily a happy one. As said, there are great music scenes and lots of interesting drama. Overall, I think this is a wonderful, enjoyable movie.