Honkytonk Man (1982)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers:

Clancy Carlile (novel)
Clancy Carlile (screenplay)

Release Date:

15 December 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Music

Tagline:

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

Plot:

As the film opens on an Oklahoma farm during the depression, two simultaneous visitors literally hit...

Plot Keywords:

Tuberculosis | Coughing | Bus | Doctor | Whiskey

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	Red Stovall
Kyle Eastwood	...	Whit
John McIntire	...	Grandpa
Alexa Kenin	...	Marlene
Verna Bloom	...	Emmy
Matt Clark	...	Virgil
Barry Corbin	...	Arnspringer
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

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Finland:K-8 | Australia:PG (video rating) | Spain:T | Argentina:13 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | South Korea:12 | Australia:M | Norway:12 | UK:15 | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Birds Landing, California, USA

Company:

Malpaso Company, The

Trivia:

Clint Eastwood's then-girlfirend, Sondra Locke was Kyle Eastwood's acting coach for the film

Quotes:

Red Stovall: What's a girl like you going to do in Nashville? Have you any money or friends? What are you gonna do, live in the streets?
Marlene: The Lord will provide.
Red Stovall: He'd better provide you a way of gettin' there, too.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Clint Eastwood: The Man from Malpaso (1993) (TV)

Soundtrack:

When I Sing About You

Put Your Arms Around This Honky Tonk Man

One of Clint Eastwood's more personal projects is Honkytonk Man where he both gets to do some singing and also to work with his then adolescent son Kyle. Apparently Kyle Eastwood has inherited the musical part of the Eastwood genes because he makes his living now as a jazz musician. I wonder if he ever jams with Woody Allen?

Clint did not exactly set the world on fire in his previous musical outing in Paint Your Wagon. But in Honky Tonk Man he's right in his element as a hard living country singer during the Depression trying to finally catch a break with the Grand Ole Opry.

Arriving at his sister's farm, Clint picks up both Kyle who is playing his nephew here and John McIntire who is Kyle's grandfather on his father's side and the three generations start out from Oklahoma to Nashville.

Eastwood has played some hard bitten characters in his films, but never one as dissolute as Red Stovall. His high living has brought him a case of tuberculosis, a lot more common and a lot less curable back in those days. In any event the peace and quiet of a sanitarium holds no interest for Clint. He'd rather go out drinking and wenching than die of boredom in a sanitarium.

Of course the odyssey of the three bring any number of adventures about life and love in their lives.

John McIntire fits right in with the father and son Eastwoods. Also look for good performances by blues singer Linda Hopkins, young Alexa Kenan who hitches a ride with the travelers, and a cheating Barry Corbin who Clint collects from in the usual Eastwood manner. All and all a nice family project from the clan Eastwood.