Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)

Director:

Jake Kasdan

Writers (WGA):

Judd Apatow (written by) &
Jake Kasdan (written by)

Release Date:

21 December 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Music

Tagline:

Life made him tough. Love made him strong. Music made him hard.

Plot:

Singer Dewey Cox overcomes adversity to become a musical legend.

Plot Keywords:

Singer | Musician | Elvis | Drugs | Fratricide

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Nat Faxon	...	Awards Show Stage Manager
John C. Reilly	...	Dewey Cox
Tim Meadows	...	Sam
Conner Rayburn	...	Dewey - Age 8
Chip Hormess	...	Nate
Raymond J. Barry	...	Pa Cox
Terrence Beasor	...	Country Doctor
Margo Martindale	...	Ma Cox
Honeyboy Edwards	...	Old Bluesman (as David Honeyboy Edwards)
Gerry Black	...	Harmonica Player
Aron Johnson	...	Teenage Band
Jack Donovan Saperstein	...	Teenage Band (as Jack Saperstein)
Taylor Hubert	...	Teenage Band (as Taylor Jamison Hubert)
Christopher Hurt	...	Teenage Band
Matt Price	...	MC

Also Known As:

Walk Hard (USA) (short title)
Walk Hard: American Cox, the Unbearably Long, Self-Indulgent Director's Cut (USA) (director's cut)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and language.

Runtime:

96 min | 120 min (extended edition)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:R | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) | Ireland:16 | Australia:MA | New Zealand:R13 | Netherlands:16 | UK:15 | Germany:12 | Italy:VM14 | Sweden:11 | Philippines:R-18 | South Africa:16 | Singapore:R21 | Ireland:15 (DVD rating) | Argentina:16 | Iceland:12 (DVD rating) | Iceland:14

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Apatow Productions

Trivia:

Famous musicians that are spoofed by Dewey Cox are: Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, David Bowie, Queen, Meatloaf, David Crosby, Jim Morrison, Harry Chapin, Don McLean, Elvis Presley, The Cars, The Ramones, Nelly, Tim McGraw, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys during his "SMILE" album period and lastly Stevie Wonder's loss of smell, after his 1973 car crash.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: During the black and white concert sequence from the sixties, the cars in the background are modern.

Quotes:

Pa Cox: You're not half the boy Nate was. You're not even half the boy that the top half of Nate was after you cut him in half.
Dewey - Age 8: So you're saying I'm less than a quarter of the boy Nate was?

Movie Connections:

References "Hee Haw" (1969)

Soundtrack:

Let Me Hold You (Little Man)

Apatow nails it again

There is no doubt that Walk Hard is a great parody of the musician biopic as we know it today. The film is filled with rips and references to movies such as Walk the Line and Ray. Walk Hard does all of this very well, but also has its own brand of humor and jokes that stand on their own. From the time that the opening scene rolled, I knew that I was in for a treat.

Judd Apatow and Jake Kasdan show their comedic genius throughout the movie, whether it be through clever dialog between characters or the genuinely funny original songs. The music performed by Dewey Cox does a great job of parodying various styles, from Dylan to Brian Wilson.

John C. Reilly is fantastic in his role as Dewey Cox and establishes himself as a solid leading man. I was also thoroughly impressed that he actually sang and played all of the music in the movie and did it well. Jenna Fischer's performance in Walk Hard may be just what her career needs right now. It's nice to finally see her breaking the mold that she has set for herself as Pam in The Office.

Walk Hard also featured a wide range of current and former SNL stars, such as Kristin Wiig and Chris Parnell. In addition, some of the regulars from past Apatow films are also featured, but I don't want to ruin any surprises here.

All in all, Walk Hard is a really solid comedy and a must see for any Apatow fans. If you are going to see Walk Hard, do yourself a favor and check out Walk the Line and Ray before going. It will make for a much more rewarding experience.