The Country Girl

Starring: Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, William Holden, Anthony Ross, Gene Reynolds, Jacqueline Fontaine, Robert Kent
Directed by: George Seaton
Rating: Unrated
Genre: Drama
1954

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A theater director (William Holden) takes a chance by hiring a washed up actor (Bing Crosby) for his new play. He quickly runs into conflict with the actor's wife (Gene Kelly) and the baggage in their tumultuous relationship.

Review:

Tim: The Country Girl isn't the movie I expected it to be when it started. That's a big plus for George Seaton's film. It seems like it's going in one direction at first, before subtly shifting its approach and ending up somewhere unexpected. I enjoyed the movie and consider it effectively made. It was nominated for 7 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It won 2. Now, I wouldn't say the movie is quite as good as those accolades suggest, but it's still an entertaining film with a surprising amount of depth.

I really appreciated the complexity of the characters- each shows us different sides to their personality. The film centers around Bing Crosby's washed up actor. From one vantage point, he's a man who has suffered the greatest tragedy and is to be pitied, as he struggles to cope with his pain in unhealthy ways. Is the story one of redemption for him? We certainly want him to win over his demons. Or, does he use tragedy as a crutch to do as he likes? Should he be applauded or condemned? And, his wife- is she a controlling manipulator, subtly pulling the strings to get what she wants? Or, she is a selfless saint, sacrificing her own happiness to prop up her man? And, the director- is he a brilliant visionary who is willing to take a chance on a has-been because of the love he had for him early in his life? Or, is he a shrewd player, willing to do anything to achieve his vision? Each of these characters has multiple sides to them. While we do eventually get answers, I enjoyed the lack of a simplistic approach to the characters at first.

It helps that the film assembles a truly impressive cast. Bing Crosby gets top billing. I really appreciated him in this role. I've seen him in a number of his singing-and-dancing performances and it might be easy to dismiss his career to only those types of films (not that they are easy to pull off). This role is very different, though- it's a heavy drama and his character has true darkness in him. He's broken and complicated and it allows Crosby to show a different side to him. There's something remarkable when an actor can capture a man at his lowest points and Crosby is able to bring this to life. It's a strong performance in a substantial role and Crosby brings his best- he even gets to sing throughout the film, too. Crosby was nominated for an Academy Award for his work. Grace Kelly likewise gives a career-best performance. I haven't seen a ton of her films, but this was the best I've ever seen her. She likewise gives a truly remarkable performance- she shows great range- in flashbacks, we see who she used to be as a person. In the bulk of the film, we see her broken down, discouraged, kicked around by life and circumstances to the point where she's barely holding on. Kelly shows this unglamorous side in vivid detail. At times, we want to hug her character- at others, we believes she may deserve our scorn. Kelly is quite a talented actress and this role allowed her to really showcase that talent. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress and it doesn't surprise me. Her performance is a substantial one and it's vital to the film.

I'm a huge fan of William Holden. Every time I see him on screen, I walk away so impressed by what he does. He has this ability to convey such intelligence, but he's also strong, but with a kind heart. He brings that all to this character. I was a bit disappointed he didn't get the accolades that Crosby and Kelly did- but they had the flashy roles. Holden was more of the straight man here. That doesn't take anything away from his performance. He gets a few scenes where he can really plumb the dramatic depths of his character. It's a typically strong performance by Holden. He works well opposite Crosby and Kelly. I really enjoyed him here and it reiterated to me that Holden is one of the all-time greats. I also have to highlight the supporting performance of Anthony Ross. This movie is really about the three stars, but Ross gives an exemplary supporting performance. He's incredibly memorable in his role.

The film also won the Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay (Adapted Screenplay, today). It makes sense, because of the complexity of the characters and the different sides to humanity Seaton shows in his script. It was well adapted from the stage play and you can see the influence of the stage throughout this film. In addition to that nomination, Seaton also nabbed a Best Director nomination, too. Best Cinematography B&W and Best Art Direction-Set Direction nominations round out the categories. This is all evidence that Seaton directed a truly effective film here. The one thing that I believe holds this movie back from greatness is that it doesn't full bring us into these characters' lives. They are complex, but we never really love them- they don't establish quite the emotional connection needed. We're interested, but we're not living and dying with these characters. That distance is why the movie falls short of greatness, in my opinion.

But, we don't only celebrate "great" films. The Country Girl is a powerful drama and it's a worthwhile movie. I really enjoyed it and its depiction of its interesting, unique characters. Seaton doesn't quite deliver the movie we were expecting, but the journey is absolutely one worth taking.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Bells of St. Mary's, Born Yesterday, Sunset Boulevard, Rear Window