RiskyBusiness says Fox Searchlight may be planning to pull a last minute jackrabbit out of its cowboy hat. Not to be outdone by cringe-inducing labels like the Jewish Precious, Crazy Heart is being called the Country-Western Wrestler.
After the lukewarm response to one-time hopeful “Amelia” (not to mention boxoffice doldrums for young-skewing comedies “Whip It!” and “Gentlemen Broncos”), the specialty division may be making a fall push for “Crazy Heart,” the country-music drama starring Jeff Bridges…
Company reps aren’t formally saying if there’s a calendar move or awards-push in the offing. But given how much Searchlight has been a fixture on the Oscar circuit the past few years (best pic noms or wins three straight years) — and how high expectations are for this pic (execs have been buzzing about it to reporters for several months), it would almost be odd if they didn’t (assuming the movie is deemed ready, of course — which is likely exactly the point of Wednesday’s screening).
The content of the film: Scott Cooper makes his directional debut with “Crazy Heart,” which is based on Thomas Cobb’s novel and centers on a washed-up country singer (Bridges) who gets his life back on track thanks to the help of a female reporter, and a close but complicated relationship with a younger country star.
Searchlight has scheduled screenings this week to gauge reaction. We’ll assume from the production video above that Colin Farrell is the younger country star. Crazy Heart also stars Maggie Gyllenhaal and Robert Duvall and boasts original songs by T-Bone Burnett who’s doing double-duty as one of its producers. Since Jeff Bridges will be wrangling another western accent this time next year in the Coen brothers’ remake of True Grit, it makes sense to put some distance between the two performances. Good strategy for Fox Searchlight to stay in the game? WWDA? What Would the Dude Abide?
25 Responses for "Fox Searchlight wearing ‘Crazy Heart’ on its sleeve?"
i can get behind his win
Are Colin and Jeff doing their own singing on the video? It would be freakin’ sweet if they were.
I’m all for Bridges, but I like Colin Farrel a little more. If he really IS doing his own singing here, I can’t describe how awesome I think that would be. We all know he’s a terrific actor and great with accents, but being able to sing (and sing COUNTRY no less) would be the icing on the cake.
Kris Tapley at In Contention just tweeted that he thinks Bridges just gave the Oscar-winning performance of the year in it!
That’d make my year, seeing Jeff Bridges finally win it.
Jeff Bridges needs an Oscar. He’s one of the most talented actors around, he can do anything. If this film is any good, and it’s released this year, Jeff Bridges needs a strong push.
If it’s a great performance, Jeff Bridges will EASILY win the Oscar this year.
Beloved actor by both his peers and critics, good guy, comes from a legendary family. Hollywood would love to give him his much deserved due.
Would love to see an indication for Maggie Gyllenhaal!
I really like Jeff Bridges and thought he deserved Academy recognition for “Fearless”. This film sounds interesting and I enjoy T-Bone Burnett’s music. I will see it when it hits theaters.
Jeff Bridges is my favorite actor. Any news about him in a new movie is always interesting to me.
Now this is what I call exciting news. Bridges is one of the actors most overdue for an Oscar, as shown by his filmography, which is just chock full of superb performances.
I believe both Bridges (who is a singer/songwriter) and Farrell did their own singing. I never thought I’d buy Colin Farrell as a country singer but he looks very good as well.
Are Colin and Jeff doing their own singing on the video? It would be freakin’ sweet if they were.
I’m all for Bridges, but I like Colin Farrel a little more. If he really IS doing his own singing here, I can’t describe how awesome I think that would be. We all know he’s a terrific actor and great with accents, but being able to sing (and sing COUNTRY no less) would be the icing on the cake.
Gotta agree here. I’ve thought Colin had all the makings of a great and versatile actor for a long time. If that is him doing his own singing I will be quite beside myself.
If Jeff is doing his own singing I’d have to wonder why we haven’t heard him more. He didn’t sing in that movie with Michelle Pfeiffer did he? (can’t remember)
Seriously if these guys are singing this could awesome. Can we get a confirmation on that?
WOW! Loving this. Somewhere on In Contention it said there might be a Dec. 10 release on this.
After realizing Viggo probably won’t win the Oscar for The Road (I’ve seen it, he’s the great the film not exactly). I was fretting about sitting through a Colin Firth (nothing against him and even looked forward to that film) & George Clooney (who I can’t stand to see win another Oscar) Oscar battle.
Jeff Bridges a multiple past nominee, veteran actor in the business 30+ yrs, well respected & liked makes him a great target to swipe this Oscar.
If for some (or many) unknown reasons Jeff Bridges fails to swoop in and snatch the Oscar out of Clooney’s hands, this will set Bridges up beautifully for a buyers-remorse win next year in the Coen’s True Grit.
I know lots of people are saying Clooney already has his Oscar, but that was for a role and movie so insubstantial (in retrospect) I wonder if the Best Supporting Oscar he got was not some imitation concoction wrapped in gold foil like one of those hollow chocolate Easter Bunnies. Nope, folks, George Clooney is still due.
I’m happy to see we might have a horse race. But I’ll be just a pleased if Bridges wins the Preakness next near for a Coen film, and see somebody else win this year’s Derby.
This is all being written while not having seen any of the potential nominees, so I’m sure I’ll care more in a couple of months. Right now though, I’m not ready to rush into anybody’s arms yet.
[and by the way: "The Country-Western Wrestler" ... imagine my excitement.]
Ryan,
Having an Oscar statistically hurts your chances though, you can’t deny that. If Bridges’ performance is a knockout, and considering he’s a four-time nominee and loved by most, it’s going to be tough for the recently-feted Clooney, even at his very best, to beat him. It’s certainly not out of the question that Clooney could win it (which in addition to Firth’s performance and maybe others will hopefully make this a very exciting, unpredictable race) but we’ll surely know soon enough once the nomination-announcing, award-giving part of the season gets under way.
Personally I believe a Supporting Actor Oscar is just as legit as a Best Actor Oscar and certainly nothing to sneeze at – but –
“Nope, folks, George Clooney is still due.”
No way is Clooney ‘due’, Ryan, and I swear, if Clooney gets a second Oscar for acting, I’m giving up on the Oscars altogether. If they’re going to keep handing out Oscars for moderately talented actors, then it’s Brad Pitt’s turn, or Jude Law’s turn etc.
There are supremely talented actors out there who don’t have one Oscar yet, with Jeff Bridges being at the top of the list.
well, I see you feel strongly about this, moviefan, so I won’t hammer on the subject now. But Clooney was nominated in three categories that year — supporting, writing and directing — and they gave him the least valuable one, for the category he least deserved. George has Jake Gyllenhaal’s Oscar.
Surely Clooney got a big push from having three nominations and a big year, making them want to reward him in some way, but he was in no way undeserving to win Supporting Actor. Great performance, great movie.
And Jake Gyllenhaal will have plenty more chances to win one. Well, as long as he stops doing shit like Prince of Persia, anyway.
Ryan, I was probably a bit harsh about all three of the gents I mentioned, they have talent and have made some good movies. I just get frustrated at the imbalance as well as the politics and favoritism surrounding the awards.
I do agree with you about the year Clooney won, he was more deserving for either of the other two categories. I think it was a bit of a consolation prize, but again I think he may have been given it because he is so popular in Hollywood.
I would have been happy that year if either Jake G or Paul Giamatti had won.
William Hurt, A History of Violence.
Clooney’s Oscar that year, added to Crash’s is why I don’t take the Oscars seriously anymore. They weren’t giving BBM the big prize, so they had to give Ang Lee Best Director or they would have looked like idiots. Because they gave Lee Best Director they couldn’t give it to George Clooney so they gave him Best Supporting Actor. It’s so stupid. But they always do that share the wealth thing. It’s like they bunch up all the Oscars in their mind and just divvy them up between the movies they want to recognize. I don’t even think it had even occurred to me that Clooney could take the award that year, because stupid me, I was guessing based on performances and he was the least deserving. So if he deserves it this year, I don’t know yet, but it won’t matter anyway.
At this point I like Oscar season because it’s when the good movies usually come out. It’s a fun time to talk about those movies and watch the other award shows like they’re the playoffs leading up to the big game. But in the end the actual award winners are usually the worst part about the whole season. Leading up to it however, is great fun.
“George has Jake Gyllenhaal’s Oscar.”
Correction, Ryan. He has Paul Giamatti’s Oscar.
oh rilly? I thought Jamie Foxx had Paul Giamatti’s Oscar
Clint Eastwood had his 2004 nomination, and Ben Kingsley had his 2003 nomination.
No, no , Ryan.
Jamie Foxx has Leo’s Oscar. And you could make the case that Eastwood also stole Carrey’s nomination.
I’ve always felt that Jake was the weak link in Brokeback.
Again, William Hurt should have won.
Joooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooey.
Barbed-wire to the eye? That’s some sickshit, broheim.
I have been on this movie when it was in fliming status. The premise just made me think Oscare for Bridges. It’s a redemption story and you know how the Academy is a sucker for those and Bridges has been peaking with each performace for the last 10 years. He is WAY over do ! And I couldn’t help but think I was just watching Morgan Freeman being himself in the Invictus trailer.
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