Numerootno
A story that's too fascinating to pass by...
Ogosmith
Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.
Roy Hart
If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.
Benas Mcloughlin
Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.
vchimpanzee
When I hear what passes for music in businesses and in movies and TV, I wonder if there is any hope. Then I watch a movie like this. All of the music is so good! The worst song is "Jingle Bell Rock", and that's only because I want my Christmas music very traditional.It's hard to believe a bad boy like Hank Garland can play the guitar in such a mellow style. Of course, he can do rock and roll, too, which is what someone like him would be expected to. But it's the good kind. And he seems happiest when he is playing.And then there is Wes Montgomery. Such a nice, pleasant jazz sound. As portrayed by Tony MacAlpine, he looks like he's mad at someone, or at the very least you don't want to mess with him. But he and his other musicians do easy listening right, with sort of an attitude to keep it from being boring.Nice restaurants also have a pleasant but more generic jazz sound.Mandy Barnett as Patsy Cline (who, ironically, is never shown singing the title song) and Shawn Colvin as Kitty Wells (I did not know who she was supposed to be) give great performances. They never speak lines, but that's not important.Jason Alan Smith as Elvis was a disappointment. He never speaks, but he has that trademark sneer on "Amazing Grace", which goes against the image of Elvis showing respect while singing gospel music.But this is more than just great music. Hank Garland starts out as a clean-cut kid, but later on as a respected backup performer, he has enough money to get what he wants, and manages to be charming with the women he can get, though men better not make him mad. All he seems to know how to do when angered is punch somebody. Fortunately for Evelyn, it's never her. Though once she is married to him, he tells her he cares and never manages to show it. His career is his first priority. There are women, but of course they don't mean anything--right? Garland does love their daughter, but he's hardly ever around. Nevertheless, Evelyn "stands by her man", but she does have needs.And while he claims to have co-written "Jingle Bell Rock", despite what the movie's credits say, he must deal with a system that makes him choose between being a performer and a writer. Garland wants to be both. And the people who don't want Garland going against the system can do more than just punch Garland's lights out. While much of the movie other than the music is unpleasant to watch, the acting performances are good. Ali Larter showed obvious concern, for example, when she noticed another woman looking at her husband. There's a reason for the movie's title (other than the Patsy Cline song that is limited to the closing credits) which I will only say is revealed in the first scene. Other than that, I feel I would be giving away too much. I have to wonder why "Sugarfoot" was not used as a title, since two songs with this name are Garland's trademarks, and this becomes a nickname. The movie deals with racism. Country/rock performer Garland discovers jazz and dares to enter an all-black club where the music is played. He is seen as an outsider, but once he starts playing that kind of music, this is no longer the case. But having a "colored man" in his group backfires once he returns to the South. Hotels won't welcome the man, and Evelyn claims she is trying to raise their daughter with the right values and can't have the likes of him around her. It's worth seeing, for the music if nothing else. Just remember Hank Garland went through so much misery to make us so happy.
communionsong
I was expecting something along the lines of "Coal Miner's Daughter" or "Sweet Dreams" when telling the story of Hank Garland. To me it came across as a "first-time" movie that needed to be re-done to look more professional. I guess it's just me. However, the 1950's ambiance was fantastic with the fashion, furniture and especially the cars. WOW. I just wished they included more of the songs Hank Garland wrote. I did download the MP3 of the album and listen to it often. Spoiler ahead: The guy who played Elvis sings a fantastic version of "Amazing Grace". It sounded just like him. I just wish that was included in the MP3 soundtrack.
peacherpeace
Hi, I saw CRAZY at the Charleston International Film Festival www.CharlestonIFF.com, South Carolina at the Terrace Theater www.TerraceTheater.com, and thought it was awesome on the big screen, the music, the acting was really impressive! I had no idea about the music industry back then and how musicians were treated in regards to contract terms, rights, etc. It really opened my eyes and is interesting to compare how it was then to now. It's really crazy, tragic and also inspiring when you realize this person put music above all else, fought against the system that was completely slanted in favor of the studios and how he maintained after a turn of bad luck. I've had the chance to speak with friends of Hank Garland at the screening, musicians and friends of his. One senior lady came in slowly and mentioned she and Hank were friends. I told her I'd love to hear afterwards if the movie was accurate of his life and maverick personality. Afterwards she said it was just like she remembered him. If you have a chance to see this film CRAZY in a theater somewhere, I'd definitely recommend checking it out....
jenisej-1
I recently had the pleasure of seeing "Crazy" at the Breckenridge Film Festival. It is an awesome movie, and won "Best of Fest" at this Festival. The story centers on the life of Hank Garland, a talented musician who played with the likes of Elvis Presley and Patsy Cline.The costumes and scenes are fabulous and immediately give you the feeling of being in the 1950's. From the beginning, this movie draws you into its characters and you not only care about them, but cannot wait to find out what happens next. There is a good bit of humor mixed into the drama, and between the poignant moments, you will laugh out loud. The lead role, of Hank Garland, played by Waylon Payne, won Best Actor at this Festival. The depth of his emotions and performance amazed me.Besides a great story, fabulous scenes and costumes, and terrific acting, you also get a great soundtrack. I am only minimally versed or interested in country music, and yet I have every intention of buying this soundtrack. The music selections are classics and sure to be an addition to your musical library. When this movie opens nationally, I will pay to go see it again!