Crazy Heart (2009)

Director:

Scott Cooper

Writers (WGA):

Scott Cooper (written by)
Thomas Cobb (novel)

Release Date:

5 February 2010 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music | Romance

Tagline:

The harder the life, the sweeter the song.

Plot:

A faded country music musician is forced to reassess his dysfunctional life during a doomed romance that also inspires him.

Plot Keywords:

Country Music | Musician | Journalist | Singer | On The Road

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 25 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Jeff Bridges	...	Bad Blake
James Keane	...	Manager
Anna Felix	...	Barmaid
Paul Herman	...	Jack Greene
Tom Bower	...	Bill Wilson
Ryan Bingham	...	Tony
Beth Grant	...	Jo Ann
Rick Dial	...	Wesley Barnes
Maggie Gyllenhaal	...	Jean Craddock
Debrianna Mansini	...	Ann
Jerry Handy	...	Cowboy (as Jerry Hardy)
Jack Nation	...	Buddy
Ryil Adamson	...	Ralphie
J. Michael Oliva	...	Bear (as J. Michael 'Yak' Oliva)
David Manzanares	...	Nick
Colin Farrell	...	Tommy Sweet
Chad Brummett	...	Young Guy
Jose Jacinto Marquez	...	Older Hispanic Man (as Jose Marquez)
LeAnne Lynch	...	Nurse (as Le Anne Lynch)
William Marquez	...	Doctor
Robert Duvall	...	Wayne
Richard W. Gallegos	...	Jesus / Juan (as Richard Gallegos)
Brian Gleason	...	Steven Reynolds
Harry Zinn	...	Bartender
Josh Berry	...	Security Guard
William Sterchi	...	Pat
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Valerie Adams	...	Rehab Patient / Driver (uncredited)
Chris Bentley	...	Record Company Executive (uncredited)
Cade Borek	...	Restaurant Twin (uncredited)
Luke Borek	...	Restaurant Twin (uncredited)
Tina Borek	...	Woman in Restaurant (uncredited)
Steven Ray Byrd	...	Tommy Sweet Security (uncredited)
Annie Corley	...	Donna (uncredited)
Chad DeGroot	...	Roadie (uncredited)
Hayley Derryberry	...	Fan Taking Photo (uncredited)
Jeffrey Feingold	...	Dirk - Singer (uncredited)
Cliff Gravel	...	Studio Executive (uncredited)
Michael Neal Powell	...	Bar Patron / Bowler (uncredited)
David T. Quan	...	Mall Business Person (uncredited)
J. Nathan Simmons	...	Tommy Sweet Roadie (uncredited)
Blake Williams	...	Bar Patron (uncredited)

Directed by
Scott Cooper

Writing credits (WGA)
Scott Cooper		(written by)
Thomas Cobb		(novel "Crazy Heart")

Produced by
Leslie Belzberg	....	executive producer
Eric Brenner	....	executive producer
Jeff Bridges	....	executive producer
T-Bone Burnett	....	producer (as T Bone Burnett)
Judy Cairo	....	producer
Rob Carliner	....	producer
Scott Cooper	....	producer
Robert Duvall	....	producer
Gina Scheerer	....	associate producer
Michael A. Simpson	....	executive producer
Alton Walpole	....	line producer

Original Music by
Stephen Bruton
T-Bone Burnett		(as T Bone Burnett)

Cinematography by
Barry Markowitz		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
John Axelrad
Jeffrey Ford

Casting by
Lindsay Graham
Mary Vernieu

Production Design by
Waldemar Kalinowski

Art Direction by
Ben Zeller

Set Decoration by
Carla Curry

Costume Design by
Doug Hall

Makeup Department
Enid Arias	....	hair stylist
Tarra D. Day	....	department head makeup artist (as Tarra Day)
Mary Hedges Lampert	....	hair stylist (as Mary Lampert)
Jennifer Santiago	....	key hair stylist (as Jennifer A. Santiago)
Geordie Sheffer	....	department head hair stylist
Sheila Trujillo	....	key makeup artist (as Sheila Trujillo-Gomez)
Danlee Winegar	....	makeup artist (as Danlee A. Winegar)

Production Management
Dawn Todd Curfman	....	production supervisor (as Dawn Todd)
Alton Walpole	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sarah Lemon	....	second second assistant director (as Sarah B. Lemon)
Chemen Ochoa	....	key second assistant director (as Chemen A. Ochoa)
Kaaren F. Ochoa	....	first assistant director (as Kaaren Ochoa)
Marcia Woske	....	additional second second assistant director (as Marcia A. Woske)

Art Department
Wil Albarez	....	set dresser
Eric Arellanes	....	general foreman
David D. Baumann	....	property master
Patrick Boyles	....	paint gang boss
Doug Butts	....	welder
Shawn Caffrey	....	propmaker
Thomas L. Caldwell	....	greens foreman
Lance Cheatham	....	set dresser
Ralph Diaz	....	painter
Steven Fode	....	laborer
Chris Gallegos	....	propmaker (as Chris J. Gallegos)
Lyn Gawron	....	art department coordinator
Linda R. Gore	....	set dresser
Doug Gray	....	propmaker
Graham Griswold	....	set dresser
Paul Harman	....	sign writer
Jean Harrison	....	art department intern
Mary Holyoke	....	buyer
Richard Hughes	....	set dresser
Mari Kempes	....	art department intern
Christopher Martin	....	key greens
Jose Mendoza	....	painter (as Jose L. Mendoza)
Jesus A. Murillo	....	painter (as Jesus Antonio Murillo)
Randy Ortega	....	paint foreman (as Randy E. Ortega)
Scott Plunket	....	set dresser
Macario Rivera	....	paint foreman
Nicole Sahd	....	painter
David Lee Servoss	....	set dresser (as David Servoss)
Randy Severs	....	propmaker
Phil Shirey	....	leadman
Juan Souter	....	set dresser
David Thompson	....	set dresser (as David J. Thompson)
Lawrence Tolle	....	assistant property master
Angelo Tomarchio	....	propmaker
David Trujillo	....	set dresser
Robert P. Trujillo	....	set dresser (as Robert Trujillo)
Alfredo Ventura	....	painter
Robert A. Vigil	....	labor foreman (as Robert Vigil)
Gina Zaritsky	....	graphic artist
Colin Zaug	....	on-set dresser
Carl Zeller	....	construction coordinator
Evelyn Zeller	....	draper (as Evelyn Rios Zeller)

Sound Department
Rick Alexander	....	additional sound mixer (as Richard Alexander)
Rick Alexander	....	dialogue editor (as Richard Alexander)
Robert Althoff	....	sound recordist
Paul Aulicino	....	sound effects editor
Gregg Barbanell	....	foley artist
Joe Barnett	....	sound re-recording mixer
Todd Beckett	....	additional sound mixer
Bayard Carey	....	production sound mixer
Patrick Cusack	....	additional sound effects editor
Patrick Cusack	....	assistant sound editor
Andrew DeCristofaro	....	supervising sound designer
Andrew DeCristofaro	....	supervising sound editor
Paula Fairfield	....	supervising sound designer
Paula Fairfield	....	supervising sound editor
Kimberly Jimenez	....	additional audio support
Jesse Johnstone	....	sound recordist
Rick Kline	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jeff Knudsen	....	boom operator
Carla Murray	....	sound effects editor
Nancy Nugent	....	dialogue editor (as Nancy Nugent Title)
Michael Payne	....	sound effects editor
Troy Porter	....	adr mixer
Zac Sneesby	....	utility sound
Patrick Stoltz	....	additional audio support (as Pat Stoltz)
John C. Stuver	....	dialogue editor
Lucy Sustar	....	foley mixer
Mathew Waters	....	sound re-recording mixer
Russell Farmarco	....	adr editor (uncredited)
Justin Herman	....	sound mix technician (uncredited)
Pamela Kahn	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Jason Oliver	....	adr recordist (uncredited)
John Soukup	....	sound transfer (uncredited)
Greg Zimmerman	....	adr recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Brett Cole	....	special effects technician
Scott Hastings	....	special effects coordinator
Joel Hobbie	....	special effects technician
Danny Maldanado	....	special effects foreman
Mike Rogers	....	special effects technician
Adam Rosen	....	special effects technician
Dusty Webb	....	special effects technician

Stunts
Loyd Catlett	....	stunt player (as Lloyd Catlett)
Edward A. Duran	....	stunt player (as Ed Duran)
Al Goto	....	stunt coordinator
Russell Solberg	....	stunt coordinator
Laurence Chavez	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Edward A. Duran	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
John Koyama	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mark Rayner	....	stunts (uncredited)
Russell Solberg	....	stunt double: Jeff Bridges (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Troy Anderson	....	lighting technician (as Troy K. Anderson)
Liza Bambenek	....	second assistant camera
Free Bear	....	video assist
Chip Byrd	....	first assistant camera
Greg Byrd	....	camera production assistant
Beau Chaput	....	steadicam operator
Morgan Davis	....	grip
Dwight Dollins	....	grip
Harland Espeset	....	grip
Tobin Espeset	....	grip
Ryan Eustis	....	second assistant camera
Frank Eyers	....	video playback
David Hammer	....	technocrane technician
Ian Hanna	....	grip (as Ian J. Hanna)
Greg Hewett	....	key grip
Trevor Howe	....	best boy grip
Trevor Howe	....	key rigging grip
Aubrey Husar	....	grip
Jack C. Jones	....	lighting technician
Steve Jones	....	lighting technician (as Steve B. Jones)
Kurt Kornemann	....	crane operator
Frank Larson	....	loader
Steven Litecky	....	chief lighting technician
Lynn Lockwood	....	camera operator
Jonathan N. Lutes	....	grip
Sean Mallon	....	best boy electric
Brian Malone	....	best boy rigging grip
Barry Markowitz	....	camera operator
Lea E. Miller	....	grip
Taylor Myers	....	camera production assistant
Lee Nakagawa	....	lighting technician
Lorey Sebastian	....	unit still photographer
Josh Steinberg	....	dolly grip
Jim Threadgill	....	best boy rigging grip (as James Threadgill)
Timothy N. Walker	....	first assistant camera
Dale Glenn Waseta	....	key video assist
Cody West	....	grip
Sean Wright	....	grip
Elizabeth Cash	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)
Justin Hartery	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Karin Aragon	....	extras casting assistant (as Karin M. Aragon)
Jo Edna Boldin	....	casting: New Mexico
Lindsay Graham	....	casting associate: Los Angeles
Tina Kerr	....	extras casting
Marie A. Kohl	....	casting associate: New Mexico
Hannah Macpherson	....	casting assistant: New Mexico (as Hannah MacPherson)
Joe Cappelletti	....	adr voice casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Aleah Ames	....	key set costumer
Nancy Ceo	....	assistant costume designer (as Nancea Ceo)
Michelle Duval	....	set costumer
Jennifer Gingery	....	set costumer
Hillary A. Higgins	....	wardrobe production assistant
Cherlyn Schaefer	....	set costumer
Rosanna Dill	....	wardrobe production assistant (uncredited)
Suzanne Scott	....	costume assistant (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Tom Cross	....	additional editor
Greg Curry	....	colorist: high-definition dailies
Paul Lavoie	....	digital intermediate producer
Kiran Pallegadda	....	first assistant editor
Erik Peterson	....	digital conform editor
Rachel Varnell	....	post-production coordinator
Walter Volpatto	....	color timer
Walter Volpatto	....	digital intermediate artist
Dan Muscarella	....	color timer (uncredited)
Pablo Prietto	....	first assistant editor (uncredited)
Bill Schultz	....	digital intermediate executive (uncredited)

Music Department
Paul Ackling	....	guitar technician
Jay Bellerose	....	musician: drums
Ryan Bingham	....	musician: vocals, guitars, Tony and the Renegades
Fernand Bos	....	supervising music editor
Stephen Bruton	....	musician: guitar, mandolin
Tom Canning	....	musician: piano
Dennis Crouch	....	musician: bass
Elijah Ford	....	musician: bass, Tony and the Renegades
Rodney Gurule	....	music playback
Joel Guzman	....	musician: squeeze box
Larry Jenkins	....	music consultant
Greg Leisz	....	musician: pedal steel
Roger Love	....	vocal coach: Jeff Bridges and Colin Farrell
Gavin Lurssen	....	music mastering engineer
Murphy Maddux	....	composer: "Searching (for Someone Like You ")
Buddy Miller	....	musician: guitar
Mike Piersante	....	music engineer
Jeffrey Pollack	....	music supervisor (as Jeff Pollack)
Corby Shaub	....	musician: guitar, Tony and the Renegades
Ivy Skoff	....	music contractor
Ivy Skoff	....	music production coordinator
Matt Smith	....	musician: drums, Tony and the Renegades
Adrian Van Velsen	....	music editor (as Adrian van Velsen)
Patrick Warren	....	musician: keyboards
Sara Watkins	....	musician: fiddle
Mike Knobloch	....	music executive (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Robert Molitor	....	transportation captain (as Robert 'Bear' Molitor)
Marty Radcliff	....	transportation captain (as Norman Marty Radcliff)
Lyle Christensen	....	camera car driver (uncredited)
Jason Doutree	....	driver (uncredited)
Walter J. Russell	....	driver: cast (uncredited)

Other crew
Niki Aukerman	....	office production assistant (as Nicole Auckerman)
Paul Baca	....	set medic (as Paul 'Cow' Baca)
Jon Baran	....	set production assistant
Cory L. Bol	....	travel coordinator (as Cory Lynn Bol)
Robert Anthony Brass	....	office production assistant
Joe Cappelletti	....	loop group
Perry L. Coomans	....	key craft service
J.J. Dalton	....	set production assistant
Donald L. Draper	....	key craft service
Tiffany Dyer	....	production secretary
Susan Foley	....	set production assistant (as Sue Foley)
Darin Foster	....	chase crew: Santa Fe Balloons
Eddie Frierson	....	loop group
Gregory Garcia	....	chase crew: Santa Fee Balloons
Colin Garza	....	set production assistant
Alina Gatti	....	set production assistant
Eric Gotthelf	....	loop group
Dia Hahn	....	studio teacher
Amy Hawkins	....	payroll accountant (as Amy S. Hawkins)
Scott Herrick	....	first assistant accountant (as Scott W. Herrick)
Jeanne Hertz	....	chase crew: Santa Fe Balloons
Kate Higgins	....	loop group
Lisa H. Jackson	....	accounting clerk
Marabina Jaimes	....	loop group
Shea Kammer	....	post-production accountant
Joanna Kennedy	....	script supervisor
Wendy R. Kennedy	....	assistant to producers
Micki Lando-Brown	....	chase crew: Santa Fe Balloons
Johnny Lewis	....	balloon pilot: Santa Fe Balloons
Barbara Long	....	production accountant
David Manzanares	....	location manager
Ismael Martinez	....	key set production assistant (as Ismael 'Mello' Martinez)
Diane Min Fa	....	set medic (as Diane Minfa)
Mamie Mitchell	....	script supervisor
Walter E. Myal	....	set production assistant
Dale O'Malley	....	set medic
Carol Bach y Rita	....	loop group (as Carol Bachyrita)
Cindy Robinson	....	loop group
Al Rodrigo	....	loop group
Louise Spencer	....	unit publicist (as Louise A. Spencer)
Elaine K. Thompson	....	production coordinator
Robert Vertrees	....	production assistant: Los Ageles
Lorenzo Vigil	....	location scout
Carlos Villareal	....	production assistant
Jason Wetter	....	assistant location manager
Claire Caldwell	....	intern (uncredited)
Mateo Frazier	....	film liaison (uncredited)
Michael Haddad	....	craft service (uncredited)
Dan Muscarella	....	laboratory timer (uncredited)
Ante Novakovic	....	assistant: Colin Farrell (uncredited)
Rebecca Pavlik	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Hilton Clay Peres	....	location scout (uncredited)
Adam W. Rosen	....	legal services (uncredited)

Thanks
Andy Bowers	....	the producers wish to thank: The Montgomery Gentry Band
Frank Bowers	....	the producers wish to thank: The Montgomery Gentry Band
Stephen Bruton	....	this film is dedicated to the memory of
Ava Cooper	....	the producers wish to thank
Jocelyn Cooper	....	the producers wish to thank
Stella Cooper	....	the producers wish to thank
Tod Eason	....	the producers wish to thank
Troy Gentry	....	the producers wish to thank
Ernest Hammons	....	the producers wish to thank: The Montgomery Gentry Band
Tobi Elizabeth Ives	....	the producers wish to thank (as Tobi Ives)
Garrett James	....	the producers wish to thank: The Montgomery Gentry Band
Toby Keith	....	the producers wish to thank
Eddie Kilgallon	....	the producers wish to thank: The Montgomery Gentry Band (as Edward Kilgallon)
Kathern Kinsey	....	the producers wish to thank: jewelry design
James Matejek	....	the producers wish to thank: The Montgomery Gentry Band
Eddie Montgomery	....	the producers wish to thank
Kris Rabie	....	the producers wish to thank
Jennifer Schwalenberg	....	the producers wish to thank
Randy Sorrels	....	the producers wish to thank: The Montgomery Gentry Band (as Randy Sorrells)
Lisa Strout	....	the producers wish to thank

Production Companies

• Fox Searchlight Pictures (presents)
• Informant Media
• Butcher's Run Films

Distributors

• Fox Searchlight Pictures (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Australia (2010) (New Zealand) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Netherlands (2010) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (through Warner Bros.)
• 20th Century Fox (2010) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (2010) (France) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (2010) (Japan) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (2010) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (2010) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox de Argentina (2010) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2010) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (through)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2010) (Argentina) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Film1 (2011) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• Odeon (2010) (Greece) (DVD)
• RTL Entertainment (2012) (Netherlands) (TV) (RTL7)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Germany (2010) (Germany) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Behind the Scenes Freight  shipping (uncredited)
• Bernalillo Country Art Board and Public Art Program  commission: "Standing O" by Rome and Gold Creative
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies (uncredited)
• City of Albuquerque  the producers wish to thank (as The City of Albuquerque)
• City of Houston  the producers wish to thank (as The City of Houston)
• City of Los Angeles  the producers wish to thank (as The City of Los Angeles)
• City of Santa Fe  the producers wish to thank (as The City of Santa Fe)
• Converse  the producers wish to thank
• FotoKem Digital Film Services  digital intermediate
• Hear Kitty  additional adr (New Mexico) (uncredited)
• Hugo Boss  the producers wish to thank
• Intelligent Media  international monitoring agency (uncredited)
• JLS Security  set security
• Keep Me Posted  digital conform
• Kodak  motion picture film
• Leonetti Comopany  lighting equipment (as Leonetti Company New Mexico)
• Leonetti Company  Chapman dollies (as Leonetti Company New Mexico)
• Luxottica Eyewear  the producers wish to thank
• New Mexico Film Commission  the producers wish to thank (as The Film Commission of New Mexico)
• New West Records  soundtrack
• Panavision Remote Systems  remote cranes and heads
• Ray-Ban  the producers wish to thank
• Reel Chefs Catering  production catering
• Rosen, Feig, Golland & Lunn  legal services (uncredited)
• Santa Fe Balloons  hot air balloon company
• Soundelux  post-production sound services (uncredited)
• Southern Threads  the producers wish to thank
• Stetson  the producers wish to thank
• Todd-AO Studios  re-recorded at (as Todd-AO Seward)

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language and brief sexuality

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #45721) | UK:15 | Canada:14A (Alberta/Manitoba/Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (British Columbia) | Ireland:15A | Australia:M | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:15 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Brazil:12 | Argentina:13 | Norway:A | Mexico:B | Japan:G | Sweden:Btl | Finland:S | Netherlands:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Peru:14 | Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque BioPark Aquarium - 2601 Central Avenue NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Fox Searchlight Pictures

Trivia:

Jeff Bridges only agreed to play the role if his music producer friend T-Bone Burnett agreed to contribute a track for Bad to play on screen.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Blake re-enters the stage at the bowling center, he puts his hat on loosely with the brim tilted to the front. A second later in the following shot, his hat is on tightly, with the brim tilted to the rear.

Quotes:

Bad Blake:Whole worlds have been tamed by men who ate biscuits.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Late Show with David Letterman: Episode #17.63" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Fallin' and Flyin'

Stumbling toward salvation, one day at a time

'Crazy Heart' is a simple but emotionally resonant movie about a 57-year-old alcoholic country singer whose career is on the skids. There's not much to the story, but not much is necessary with Jeff Bridges as the singer, Bad Blake; Colin Farrell as Tommy Sweet, his handsome acolyte, now a big country music star; Maggie Gyllenhaal as Jean Craddock, a small-time New Mexico journalist with a four-year-old boy who has lousy luck with men, and falls for Bad; and Robert Duvall as Wayne, the singer's clean-and-sober bartender-protector.

Bridges, Gyllenhaal and Farrell have never been better, and Duvall is always pure gold. This movie is Bridges' chance to give a master class in acting, and he does not disappoint for a minute, but he's not alone in the spotlight, and the depth of support he gets is what makes Crazy Heart worth watching.

A lifelong musician and many-talented artist (painting, photography, ceramics) whose thespian preeminence in Hollywood has yet to win him an Oscar, Jeff Bridges inhabits the songs he sings on screen as convincingly and seamlessly as he fits into the shambles of a life and mess of a body that is the film's protagonist. This musical integrity is important because Bad Blake is one of those disintegrating performers whose art has not faltered, though his life has. The songs he sings are his own, and when he's on stage, he's alive. The rest of the time he's lying, deceiving, or numbing out. A great line is when he's asked by Jean where his songs come from and he replies simply, "Life, unfortunately."

A parallel to Bridges' work in 'Crazy Heart' is the similarly lived-in and authentic performance as a waning dance hall singer by Gérard Depardieu in Xavier Giannoli's 'The Singer'/'Quand j'étais chanteur,' a richly atmospheric little film released but barely seen in the US. But the milieu here is very different, and as American as 'The Singer's' is French. First time director Scott Cooper has said this movie tells "Merle Haggard's' story and Kris Kristofferson's and Waylon Jennings'. As Bad Blake, Jeff moves like Waylon, he has Merle Haggard's songwriting ability and Kris Kristofferson's charisma." Of course Bridges looks a lot like Kristofferson, and Bad Blake puts his hard times into his felt, authentic compositions as Waylon and Merle did. The songs are composed by T Bone Burnett, and are fine; more authenticity is added through other songs such as Townes Van Zandt's "If I Needed You" and Waylon Jennings' "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way." Burnett composed the songs with the late Stephen Bruton; and the closing ballad, "The Losing Kind," with Ryan Bingham. Farrell as well as Bridges does his own singing, and his Irishness merges fairly convincingly into a slick country style. Just as Bad Blake is the mentor of Tommy Sweet, in real life Robert Duvall has become a mentor of the actor-writer-director, so his presence anchors the film and presides over it. Bridges knew of the movie but held off from committing to it till he learned his friend Burnett was in, so this is project that must have felt right, ultimately, for all concerned.

Bridges' Bad Blake is so authentically blousy and pathetic he's hard to look at sometimes. He's always drunk and at an opening gig at a Pueblo, Coloradi bowling rink, throws up in a back alley between songs, while the young pickup band he's saddled with has to fill in. In Santa Fe Jean shows up to do an interview, and a May-December romance develops as Bad woos Jean against her better judgment and plies her little boy with homemade pancakes (the boy is hungry for a man in his life and Bad oozes charm, when he's conscious). Gyllenhaal, who played a character struggling with addiction and recovery herself in 'SherryBaby,' gives a performance as a women warring inside with loneliness and need. Her scenes with Bridges are central to the movie, and the chemistry is strong between them.

Blake hasn't written songs for some years, but when he meets up with Tommy prior to a date opening for him to an audience of 12,00 in Denver, Tommy begs him to write some for him. In this way the screenplay manages to steer a course, perhaps a bit too easily, between success and failure. Clearly Bad Blake is still working, even if it's at lousy venues, and to prove it he's always on the phone to a hard-nosed Manager (James Keane) who's finding him the best gigs he can. This eventually leads to a contract to compose songs for an album with Tommy.

'Crazy Heart,' which was written by Cooper from the eponymous novel by Thomas Cobb, is perhaps a bit schematic about the up-down-up trajectory of the talented loser, but it manages to be pretty realistic about the degeneration that is terminal alcoholism. Here, however, it's not a slide into hell like Mike Figgis' Leaving Las Vegas. Though only by the skin of his teeth, and with multiple ailments a car crash reveals, Bad is surviving. So when the moment comes and he hits his bottom, he still has the strength to straighten out. Maybe the fast-forward finale is a bit too upbeat, but the memory the movie leaves is, of course, of Bridges with a bottle, a guitar, and a sad sweet song, and of some of the year's best movie acting.