Ok so I watched Country Strong...
Actually I watched it a few weeks ago but I've only just felt able to put my thoughts into words.
Yeah this is one of my go-to comfort films now. Longgggggggg post coming up!
Spoilers below the cut (obviously 😊)!
WARNING: mentions of sexual themes, alcohol addiction, and drug use / overdose (kind of a major plot point throughout the film)
So first things first, I am not a fan of Gwyneth Paltrow. I can't really explain why, I just don't like her. so thankfully she's playing a character that I had no patience for either 😂
Characters for reference: Kelly (famous singer with a drug / alcohol problem and some traumas in the recent past, married, sleeping with Beau), Chiles (support act and Beau's other crush / bit on the side), Beau (Sweetheart country singer, secretly sleeping with Kelly, just has so much love to give), James (Kelly's husband, obsessed with making money off of Kelly regardless of the damage it does to her).
Anyways, if you're looking for sweet, gentle, soulful Garrett - meet Beau. He spends the entire film just trying to help the people he loves, and he always has this haunted look behind his eyes, like there's something hurting or hunting him. We never find out if there is something in his past he's working through (other than desperately trying to help Kelly recover from some awful things that happened to her - totally of her own making), but the fact that at the end of the film he runs away to settle down in a quiet town somewhere suggests that maybe he's ready to make peace with whatever is in his head.
Beau absolutely pours love from his stunningly-blue eyes - like, damn man. I wish I could get a Beau in real life please. (Ok he's a bit of a jock asshole for less than a minute, but you can see he instantly regrets it and boy does he work to make it right.)
And don't get me started on his voice. He made me fawn over him when he was speaking but nothing can prepare you for when he sings. His voice is deep, steady, smooth, and so full of soul. I genuinely downloaded his entire musical catalogue to my phone because of this film, and I listen to it whenever I need an energy boost, or some comfort, or just to get lost for a while.
This film is a roller coaster ride for all characters, but Beau is hauntingly captivating throughout. Some lovely emotional work from Garrett here, despite the material itself giving him relatively little to work with. And a somewhat sad-yet-hopeful ending for him.
SPECIAL MENTION 1 - When Beau confesses to James (Kelly's asshole husband) that he's been sleeping with her. There's something so confident about it, like he's genuinely trying to express how much he loves and cares for Kelly, how he's trying to help her recover by showing her love in every way he can, without actually saying the words. And he just takes the punch that James lands on him like it's worth it to him.
SPECIAL MENTION 2 - When very drunk (possibly high) Kelly is in the car with Beau and Chiles (both sober), and she says this to Chiles: "Be nice to Beau, okay? He thinks he's so tough. But I ain't ever had a man be so gentle with me. He's one of the good ones. He's one of the only good ones."
----- One bit in particular is just so beautiful and sums up Beau so well - "I ain't ever had a man be so gentle with me." We know it's mostly a reference to how gentle he is with her intimately (more on that in a second), but it has so many meanings, because Beau is just so gentle in general. And the way something passes through his eyes when she says it - sadness? hurt? concern? just wow.
SPECIAL MENTION 3: The intimate scene with Beau and Chiles - we never see any real nudity (both shirtless, but Chiles is wearing a bra and they both clearly have underwear on), and we certainly never see any sex, but it's so goddamn intimate I felt like I was intruding, like I should look away. The way they show how gentle Beau is with every move he makes, the [slightly cliche] way he just barely ghosts his fingers along her bare skin, they way they're giggling as they touch and make out. holy crap it was hotter than most full-on-sex scenes I've seen.
----- And the next scene is the same, with them in bed together naked (clearly after the act, but it's never even referenced. Beau is covered waist-downwards and Chiles is covered chest-downwards). Just phew.
SPECIAL MENTION 4/5/6: The way Beau launches himself at Kelly and tries to wake her up after her overdose. There's barely controlled panic and yet he also sounds resigned. Even at this point he's somehow gentle with her as he tries to wake her up, despite the urgency of the situation and his panic.
The way Beau just bows his head and walks away when he's standing outside the hospital window and sees Kelly's husband receive the news that she's died of the overdose. He doesn't even need to hear it, and none of the paparazzi notice him leaving despite being quite famous himself.
Beau's breakdown in his car after Kelly's funeral as he reads the letter Kelly left for him. The way he just lets the emotions swallow him for a minute, lets himself break completely, then nods, puts the letter in his bag, and just drives away. Garrett's performance is just heartbreaking.
So anyway, I think I've given my new-found-Garrett-obsession enough of an airing for today. 😂
I genuinely love this film and it's now one of my go-to-comfort-or-don't-know-what-to-watch films. If you'd like 2 hours of sweet, gentle, soulful, and slightly-emotionally-battered Garrett, perhaps this film is a good one for you.
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ok honey baby i got to know ->
beau hutton
or
benny miller
Harls baby, why do you have to do me like this?! I wish you could’ve seen my initial reaction to this because I screamed and tossed my phone like the dramatic bitch I am.
Okay, so.. Whilst I love me some Beau and think about him 24/7, if I have to choose, I’m going with Benny. Because WHAT. A. MAN.
Like I know Beau’s a dreamboat cowboy and all but I just know Benny would manhandle me and I’m down for it, okay? Sign me tf up.
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