Honkytonk Man (1982)

A boy with a music talent goes on a journey with his uncle for a stage concert.

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers:

Clancy Carlile (novel), Clancy Carlile (screenplay)

Stars:

Clint Eastwood, Kyle Eastwood, John McIntire

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Clint Eastwood	...	Red Stovall
Kyle Eastwood	...	Whit
John McIntire	...	Grandpa
Alexa Kenin	...	Marlene
Verna Bloom	...	Emmy
Matt Clark	...	Virgil
Barry Corbin	...	Arnspriger
Jerry Hardin	...	Snuffy
Tim Thomerson	...	Highway Patrolman
Macon McCalman	...	Dr. Hines
Joe Regalbuto	...	Henry Axle
Gary Grubbs	...	Jim Bob
Rebecca Clemons	...	Belle
Johnny Gimble	...	Bob Wills
Linda Hopkins	...	Blues Singer

Storyline

As this movie opens on an Oklahoma farm during the Great Depression, two simultaneous visitors literally hit the Wagoneer home: a ruinous dust storm and a convertible crazily driven by Red Stovall (Clint Eastwood), Emmy's (Verna Bloom's) brother. A roguish country-western musician, he has just been invited to audition for the Grand Ole Opry, his chance of a lifetime to become a success. However, this is way back in Nashville, Red clearly drives terribly, and he's broke and sick with tuberculosis to boot. Whit (Kyle Eastwood), fourteen, seeing his own chance of a lifetime to avoid "growing up to be a cotton picker all my life", begs Ma to let him go with Uncle Red as driver and protégé. Thus begins a picaresque journey both hilarious and poignant.

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Plot Keywords:

road movie | audition | tuberculosis | ends with funeral | nashville tennessee | 

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Taglines:

The boy is on his way to becoming a man. The man is on his way to becoming a legend.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Music | Western

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

After working with Jerry Hardin (Snuffy) in this movie, Clint Eastwood also worked with his daughter, Melora Hardin, in Absolute Power (1997), also directed by Eastwood.

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Goofs

Ryman Auditorium is used as the setting for the Opry. This venue was not used until the 1940s, and the movie takes place in the 1930s.

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Quotes

Highway Patrolman: [finds Marlene in the trunk of the car] Get out of there! It's against the law to ride in the trunk in this state. I don't suppose you've got any I.D., either?
Marlene: Idee? Idee 'bout what?

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Alternate Versions

ABC edited 7 minutes from this film for its 1986 network television premiere.

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Connections

Featured in The Eastwood Factor (2010)

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Soundtracks

When I Sing About You
Performed by Clint Eastwood

User Reviews

good road trip

The Wagoneer farm in Oklahoma is devastated by a dust storm. The family plans to go out to California. The brother Red Stovall (Clint Eastwood) is a sickly drunkard Honkytonk Man going to Nashville to play in the Grand Ole Opry. Grandpa wants to go back home to Tennessee. Whit (Kyle Eastwood) wants to join Red. Red is looking to be repaid $100 by Arnspriger (Barry Corbin). After some misadventures, Red forces Arnspriger to pay up but Marlene (Alexa Kenin) hitches a ride in the trunk.

This is a fun road trip. I'm not sure that the acting gene passed on to Kyle. He's OK but nothing special. Alexa Kenin gets some fun hilarity. The big mistake is when the group splits up. The group is just gaining chemistry but then they are scattered to the winds. There is no reason why the group couldn't go all the way to the Opry to see Red perform.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 December 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Honkytonk Man

Filming Locations:

Gardnerville, Nevada, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$667,727, 19 December 1982

Gross USA:

$4,484,991

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,484,991

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Malpaso Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1