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Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim McGraw, Garrett Hedlund, Leighton Meester, Marshall Chapman ... see more see more... , Lari White , Jeremy Childs , JD Parker , Lisa Stewart Seals , Jackie Welch , Cinda McCain , Gabe Sipos , Sandra Harris , Megan Henderson , Danny Beene , Reegus Flenory , Terri Minton , Ed Bruce , Darrin Dickerson , Alana Grace , Katie Groshong , Candace Michelle Coffee , Katie Cook , Adam Skaggs , Travis Nicholson , Denita Odigie , Jeffrey Buckner Ford , Jeri Sager , Kirt Lahew , Ranjit Bhullar , Tina White , Brett Warren , Olivia Haley , Jim Melton , Holly Watson , Brad Schmitt , Cory Younts , Skylar Wilson , Josh Graham , Chris Scruggs , Loney Hutchins , Ian Fitchuk , Bucky Baxter , John Bohlinger , Neal Casal , Chris Clark , Jim Lauderdale , Doug Frasure , Amanda Shires , John Deaderick , Johnny Gates , Jamie Jarbeau , Matt Scanlon , Michael Ollin Lotten , Smith Curry , Kristen Wilkinson , David Angeli , Gregory Martin , Sara Reist , James Hamlet , Steve Hinson , Fred Eltringham , Gary Nicholson , Beau Stapleton , Danny Flowers , Nancy Amons , Jim Taylor , Jonathan Martin , Katrina Hagger Smith , Nick Beres , Kelly Sutton , Shane Tallant , Christine Maddela , Stephanie Langston

Soon after a rising young singer-songwriter (Hedlund) gets involved with a fallen, emotionally unstable country star (Paltrow), the pair embarks on a career resurrection tour helmed by her husband/man... read more read more...ager (McGraw) and featuring a beauty-queen-turned-singer (Meester). Between concerts, romantic entanglements and old demons threaten to derail them all. -- (C) Columbia

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53% liked it

30,672 ratings

Critics

22% liked it

129 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 52 min.

Directed by: Shana Feste

Release Date: January 7, 2011

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DVD Release Date: April 12, 2011

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Stats: 1,851 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,851)

  • romy861
    November 15, 2011
    romy861
    I'm not really into country music, and there's plenty of it here, but I still enjoyed this one. I never really got why people are so nasty about Gwyneth as an actress - I'm not a huge fan, but I have always found her reasonably convincing on screen. Here she's really quite a sa... read mored figure as a country singer on a downward spiral - sort of how you can see Britney heading if she doesn't watch out! Leighton Meester is also good as an up and coming young singer. As is Garrett Hedlund - I have never seen him in anything else, but he is good here. The characters are all well written, and though it is almost two hours, it never feels all that long or like it is dragging. (Except maybe in the country singing parts, but on the whole, that is not too bad, and for some, it would probably be a plus!).
    There's not a huge story here, and I can't see it appealing to everyone, but I liked it.
  • LWOODS04
    August 15, 2011
    LWOODS04
    Cast: Gwyneth Paltrow, Garrett Hedlund, Leighton Meester, Tim McGraw, Alana Grace, Ed Bruce, Jeffrey Buckner Ford, Jeremy Childs, Marshall Chapman

    Director: Shana Feste

    Summary: While out on tour to revive her stalled career, once-popular country singer Kelly (Gwyneth Pal... read moretrow) falls for emerging newcomer Beau (Garrett Hedlund) and tries desperately to hide their burgeoning romance from her ever-present husband and manager, Ed (Tim McGraw). Written and directed by Shana Feste, this musical drama co-stars Leighton Meester as a former beauty queen trying to break out as a songstress.

    My Thoughts: "In all I liked the movie, but the script just felt unfinished. Just not developed very well at all. There were some great moments in the film but it can't make up for the mess the script was. The acting was good by most. Tim McGraw is really surprising me with his acting skills, thought he was good. I still can't bring myself to care much for Gwyneth Paltrow's acting. I did on the other hand enjoy Leighton Meester's acting along with Garrett Hedlund. I thought they were good on screen together and had great chemistry. They both have good singing voices as well. Gwyneth just wasn't convincing for me as a country singer nor as an addict. The film does try to shed light on how troubled your soul can get from having such a demanding career. There were things I liked and things I didn't, but in the end the film wasn't as put together as the trailers made you believe it was. The best thing about the film was the music. So watch it just for that if not anything else."
  • itsjustme2004
    June 9, 2011
    itsjustme2004
    Strong cast. I enjoyed the music portions, even though I am not a country music fan. I am, however, a Gwyneth fan. I think that she is a wonderful actress, and adds alot to every role she plays. Garrett Hedlund was amazing..so much so that I found myself googling him. Tim McGraw.... read more.well. eh..someone else better could have done his part. But, all in all, a very good film.
  • fb733768972
    April 24, 2011
    fb733768972
    I have never been a huge fan of country music, but this film completely changed my vision of it. You do not need to like country music to like this film, and I have no clue what the critics are crying about, but this film is wonderful! Yes, the story of an ex-rehab country singer... read more making a comeback is in no way original, but combining all of the subplots, the fantastic acting by the entire cast, and the amazing romance filled lyrics, Country Strong comes out on top as a film that I could watch over and over again. This is the most underrated film of 2011 so far. With emotionally charged romance, a script that moves this basic story into perfection, music to cry over, and a cast that will have you cheering, this film is a very "strong" film. It left me in tears, but not enough that I couldn't have a smile of how well paced everything was. Country Strong came out of nowhere, and it is a shame that not many people will end up seeing it. I love this movie!
  • DreamExtractor
    April 22, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    This film was so borrriiinnnggg. Its long, uninteresting, and nothing happens. The music was nice, but pther than that this is a pretty pathetic film.
  • fernandorafael
    April 17, 2011
    fernandorafael
    Beautiful country music and a charming cast are paired with cheesy, poor writing (although quite charming and touching at times). It's a little sad to see such a talented cast struggle against the god-awful script by Shana Feste, where plot holes abound. The cast is certainly imp... read moreressive: while Gwyneth Paltrow is inconsistent, country superstar Tim McGraw proves he's also a pretty good actor. Garrett Hedlund steals the show (after being utterly wasted in TRON: Legacy) and Leighton Meester shines both as an actress and a singer. The soundtrack is way better than the muddled, flaky story.
  • xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    April 12, 2011
    xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    It doesn't matter where you've been as long as you come back strong.

    Not bad at all. It had a good story and some good acting. More than what I expected and that's always good.

    A drama centered on a rising country-music songwriter (Hedlund) who sparks with a fallen star (Paltro... read morew). Together, they mount his ascent and her comeback, which leads to romantic complications involving her husband/manager (McGraw) and a beauty queen-turned-singer (Meester).
  • dunmyer
    January 29, 2011
    dunmyer
    "Country Strong" is not a great film, but it's a wonderful movie. Sure, it's a television-level script directed like a TV movie. Sure, it's at times schmaltzy and conventional as all get out. But like great country music, "Country Strong" is both superficial and in touch with dee... read morep wellsprings of feeling. It may be over-simplified, but it's also profoundly in touch with the kinds of things everyone struggles with in life. Young writer/director Shana Feste will never be mistaken for an intellectual and probably will never win Oscars (or even be nominated), but she demonstrates a Spielberg-esque mastery of conventional filmmaking that could catapult her to the big leagues. She is a filmmaker to watch.

    Gwyneth Paltrow, in one of the biggest casting surprises in years, does a wonderful job playing a country-music superstar just beginning to show signs of age. She sings on her own, but more importantly, Paltrow pulls off the acting in a compelling and seemingly effortless way. It's impressive that at this stage in her career she would stretch herself in exciting new ways. Also surprising is the casting of Leighton Meester as Paltrow's young rival. How does one go from "Gossip Girl" to country music and pull both of them off? All indications are that Meester will have a huge career in the movies. She's a natural.

    Rounding out the cast are singer/actor Tim McGraw ("The Blind Side"), playing Paltrow's husband and manager, and up-and-coming actor Garrett Hedlund ("Troy," "Four Brothers") as Paltrow's May-December boyfriend.

    At the start of the movie, we meet the childless Kelly Canter (Paltrow) as she's getting out of rehab. She has just had some sort of breakdown in public that jeopardizes her career, and her husband (McGraw) is trying to orchestrate a comeback tour for her. She wants the young singer she met in rehab (Hedlund) to be her opening act, but he wants a young female singer (Meester) to open.

    Gradually, we learn more about this complex marriage. Feste does a great job conveying how much they love each other but also reveals the difficulty they have sleeping together. Feste has a gift for exploring the ocean of feelings that can occur in the bedroom. Nothing can cut you in half like a lover who continually turns his head when you try to kiss him. In many ways this marriage is over. But in many other ways it's as strong as ever. What does one do in that situation?

    One of the major sub-plots concerns the development of Canter's young rival, Chiles Stanton (Meester). At first, she's intensely insecure and almost incapable of singing on stage, but with a little coaching from Hedlund her performances begin to soar. One of the most beautiful moments in the film is when Stanton starts to realize that she has touched an audience of thousands. She is at first almost knocked over by their applause, not understanding it. But then it dawns on her what is really going on. This scene has such tenderness that it reduced me and many of those around me to tears.

    Another sub-plot centers on Canter's alcoholism, which is severe. We watch her go through several painful relapses, which do become a bit tiresome cinematically. Finally, there's a huge melodrama at the end that goes way over the top, weakening the film. But my companion and I walked out remembering the wonderful parts of the movie and the great music. This made us feel like we were walking on air. Sometimes it's a non-intellectual movie that hits the spot like nothing else can.
  • hunterjt13
    January 9, 2011
    hunterjt13
    Structurally and in terms of character and story development, Country Strong is a mess. Almost none of the characters' actions is motivated, including the cheap, horridly maudlin ending. Normally, in bad films like these, we look for good performances to save the day, bu... read moret though McGraw actually impressed me with his emotional range and Hedlund is probably considered dreamy by 50% of the population, everybody else, including Paltrow, doesn't do much to impress. There were moments of Paltrow's concert scenes when the character experiences an emotional release, but I suspect that Gwynnie simply didn't have the lungs for it.
    Considering all I've said thus far, you'd expect a lower review than two stars. One star is for one scene, which lasts about three minutes out of the 112, but it is truly good. Kelly visits a child dying of leukemia, and the interaction between these two broken souls who are trying to hold on to hope is quite touching. If only there were a market for three-minute short films, this would have been incredible.
    Overall, one good moment and a dreamy heart-throb does not a movie make. Avoid this emotionally manipulative failure.
  • flickfever
    January 8, 2011
    flickfever
    Gwyneth Paltrow can definitely sing. It seems that this movie is more of a vehicle to showcase her vocal talents; as opposed to those of her acting. Plot-wise, this is definitely a retread of last year's far-superior Crazy Heart. Except Country Strong is artificial, saccharine an... read mored over-the-top. Not once did I feel a shred of sympathy for Paltow's character (a washed-up country singer recovering from a career-crippling addiction to alcohol.) Maybe the real-life coverage of countless celebrities who have gone through this familiar story has desensitized me; but I felt that, by the end of the film, none of the characters had really learned anything or changed for the better. Not that that's always a requirement for a satisfying ending. Still, the way in which the audience is blatantly manipulated with soap-opera theatrics is too much to handle. For a film that is meant to get us to cheer along with a song in our hearts, it ultimately delivers nothing more than a killer soundtrack. Skip the movie, download the songs!

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Critic Reviews

Andrea Gronvall
January 14, 2011
Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader

Shana Feste's screenplay seldom rises above the level of daytime TV; the only actor who triumphs over her trite dialogue is Tim McGraw in a nonsinging role as Paltrow's husband and manager. Full Review

Peter Rainer
January 14, 2011
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

If Feste actually believes that this show is country nirvana, she has no business making a country movie. Full Review

Mary F. Pols
January 11, 2011
Mary F. Pols, TIME Magazine

Unfortunately weak. Full Review

Richard Roeper
January 8, 2011
Richard Roeper, Richard Roeper.com

Catchy tunes, robust performances--but you can see every backstage-melodrama-cliche coming two scenes away. Full Review

Tom Maurstad
January 7, 2011
Tom Maurstad, Dallas Morning News

If the point of Country Strong was to prove that Gwyneth Paltrow can sing, then mission accomplished. You don't need to sit through this two-hour melodrama to confirm that. Full Review

Adam Graham
January 7, 2011
Adam Graham, Detroit News

[A] mixed bag of a country music comeback fable. Full Review

Kate Taylor
January 7, 2011
Kate Taylor, Globe and Mail

Feste struggles mightily to instill meaning and grandeur in Country Strong, but her initial efforts to sidestep cliché often result in confusion before she simply gives up and opts for melodrama. Full Review

Amy Biancolli
January 7, 2011
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

Country Strong has a bit more to recommend it -- the music most of all -- but it's still a tough slog through emotional swamplands. Full Review

Peter Travers
January 7, 2011
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Country Strong is dead on arrival. Full Review

Jen Chaney
January 7, 2011
Jen Chaney, Washington Post

[A] disjointed drama filled with one-dimensional characters and melodrama so Lifetime movie-esque that it careens into unintentional comedy. Full Review

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Facts

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    • Beau Hutton: Fame and love can't live together.
    • Chiles Stanton: How do I look?
    • Beau Hutton: Like a Country Barbie.
    • Chiles Stanton: [happy] Thank you!
    • Kelly Canter: If you see me getting smaller, I'm leaving, dont be grieving, just got to get away from here. If you see me getting smaller, dont worry, and dont hurry, I've got the right to disappear.
    • Kelly Canter: I'm tired......oh......(wobble)........
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