“The wrong kid died.”
Dewey Cox had it all, but he pitched it all away due to not having met a drug that he didn’t like. Jake Kasdan loved Cox so much that he finally had to make the film that would chronicle the infamous singer’s life.
Dewey Cox (John C. Reilly) rose from his humble beginnings in Springberry, Alabama. His childhood was marked by tragedy as he cut his brother in half in a machete fight and his father never forgave him for it. At fourteen he left home and embarked on his career and only soared to the heights that rock-n-roll could offer, but with those heights comes the fall.
Dewey was introduced to drugs by his drummer Sam (Tim Meadows) and from then on he never met one that he didn’t like. He was married at fourteen to Edith (Kristen Wiig), fathered numerous children with her, but is attracted to his new backup singer Darlene (Jenna Fischer). The film chronicles his meteoric rise, burning out, and rising from the ashes.
Okay, the whole things made up so don’t go looking for Cox in your local record store. You’ll go in there and ask where all the Cox are and more than likely they’ll call the police. Well, unless you go into one of THOSE records stores.
Walk Hard is Kasdan’s and Judd Apatow’s chance at skewering musical biopic films like Walk the Line and Ray. They do their skewering with gusto and the right amount of humor. I can imagine Johnny Cash, with his antiestablishment attitude, laughing but the whole dead brother aspect might’ve rankled him.
However, I had a good time and the film is full of laughs. Not to mention that they have Dewey run into several notable musical celebs. We have The Beatles played by Jason Schwartzman, Justin Long, Jack Black, and Paul Rudd; Buddy Holly as portrayed by Frankie Muniz; and Elvis as portrayed by Jack White of the White Stripes. Just so we don’t recognize the famous faces they insist on calling them by their full names. Not only that but Lyle Lovett, Jewel, Jackson Brown, and Ghostface Killah perform during the big finale.
The film goes through several decades of Cox’s career and the team has composed appropriate music for each of them. The thing that this parody has in common with its more serious predecessors is that it’s all about the music.
Walk Hard has some great songs, even if they’re parodies, and if you love the film you’ll want to go and pick up the soundtrack. Who knew John C. Reilly could sing? He is a man of many talents.
Walk Hard is presented in anamorphic widescreen (2.40:1) and is enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Special features include a commentary with writer/director Jake Kasdan, writer/producer Judd Apatow, John C. Reilly, and Lew Morton. Next is 23 minutes of Musical Performances, including the full Lil’ Nutsack music video and Cox crooning Bowie’s Starman.
There are also 11 minutes of deleted scenes, including an alternate acid trip sequence. The 6-minute “Line-o-rama” has various improves. The 16 minute “The Music of Walk Hard” – well, it talks about the music composed for Walk Hard of course. They put a lot of effort of composing the parody songs and the results are stellar.
The 14 minute “The Real Dewey Cox” is a mockumentary that acts as if Cox was a real star. It’s hilarious to see Cheryl Crow talk about how much she loves Cox. Finally there are previews for other Sony DVDs. A two-disc, unrated version is available separately.
Walk Hard will make you want to walk boldly down to the music store and snatch up the soundtrack and you’ll be laughing all the way thanks to this biopic parody. I took it in the face and walked as hard as I could.
Walk Hard - The Dewey Cox Story (Two-Disc Special Edition) is now available at Amazon . It is available for pre-order at AmazonUK for a May 12th release. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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