Retro Film Review: Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)

In the first decade of the 21st century, reality has finally begun to catch up with even such an arrogant and self-sufficient dream factory as Hollywood. The PG-13—a censorship rating responsible for the creative mutilation of so many talented filmmakers and the dumbing down of audiences in the 1990s—could no longer be sustained in a world where suicide bombers and beheadings on camera have become commonplace on small screens. As a result, more films with stricter R ratings are being produced, which has brought a little bit more freedom both in front of and behind the camera.

Among the filmmakers who have best taken advantage of this mini-"perestroika" in Hollywood is screenwriter and producer Judd Apatow. The use of a “saucier” vocabulary, as well as previously uncommon scenes, was enough for even such a notoriously mainstream genre as romantic comedy to be reimagined in a film like Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. Apatow, in this film, shows that even parody—a genre that by its nature should be an antithesis to creativity—can appear fresher and be more entertaining than the films it spoofs.

The script that Apatow co-wrote with director Jake Kasdan, son of the esteemed Lawrence Kasdan, targets films like Walk the Line, Ray, and Dreamgirls—period dramas dedicated to the lives of real and fictional musicians that had become popular Oscar-baits in previous years. The fictional protagonist of this film, played by John C. Reilly, is Dewey Cox (1936–2007), a musician whose long and fruitful career was overshadowed by a tragic event from his childhood. In 1946, while playing with a machete, he accidentally cut his musically gifted brother Nate (played by Chip Hormess) in half. Driven by guilt and a father who cannot forgive him, young Dewey seizes the first opportunity to leave his hometown of Springberry, Alabama, and start a new life with his 12-year-old girlfriend Edith (played by Kristen Wiig). His dream of a music career becomes reality thanks to the song "Walk Hard," but fame and money will not save him from the demons of his past or from temptations such as drugs and loose women.

Walk Hard is a successful parody primarily because it is made with restraint. Unlike the formula established by Jim Abrahams and the Zucker brothers with Airplane!, here the gags do not come at machine-gun speed at the expense of quality and common sense; rather, they are carefully measured. Young Kasdan proves to be a skilled screenwriter who knows the limits of good taste. The character of Cox is ultimately based on real people who have experienced real tragedies. Therefore, the film strives to—and largely succeeds in making—the audience empathise with Cox.

The main reason for this is the performance by lead actor John C. Reilly, a character actor who has one of the rare opportunities to be a true star of a film while also showcasing his brilliant singing talent that was hinted at in Chicago. Reilly is equally convincing and effective in the film as a teenager, an innocent young musician, an arrogant drugged-up star, as well as an old man whose years have brought experience. Reilly is supported in all this by an excellent cast, including Tim Meadows as a fellow musician who unsuccessfully tries to dissuade Cox from drugs, and Jenna Fischer—known to fans of the US version of The Office—as Cox's second wife Darlene.

An additional and important ingredient in the formula for Walk Hard is the authenticity of its musical elements; the songs sound exactly as they would if performed by someone like Dewey. It’s not just about trying to stay true to the styles of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s; some songs can function independently from the film itself. "Walk Hard" and "Beautiful Ride" can thus be understood as personal anthems, while "Let's Duet" stands out as one of the most beautiful love songs ever sung.

The combination of parody and realism is also evident in a series of seemingly insignificant details. One such detail is Apatow's bold decision to challenge early 21st-century Hollywood's censorship standards by depicting a certain anatomical detail associated with the protagonist's surname.

Although the film’s conclusion—where Cox is honoured in his own way by music legends like Jackson Browne, Lyle Lovett, and Jewel—introduces too much sentimentality, Walk Hard offers viewers an hour and a half of brilliant entertainment.

RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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