Hard Luck Love Song

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Hard Luck Love Song
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Hard Luck Love Song is a romantic drama based on Todd Snider's song "Just Like Old Times." Incredible country music threads the soundtrack, and the story humanizes characters who are often reduced to labels: a con man and a sex worker. Drinking, smoking, and swearing ("f--k," "f--got," and more) are constant. The plot suggests that the futures of the childhood sweethearts at the movie's center were decimated by addiction, and now they're living through the consequences. But cocaine use is made to look fun, and driving under the influence isn't given a second thought. Artist/actor RZA shows up in a small but pivotal supporting role (the only actor of color in an otherwise White cast) but, like everyone else here, is more of a cliché than a fully developed character. Michael Dorman and Sophia Bush star.
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What's the Story?
HARD LUCK LOVE SONG follows Jesse (Michael Dorman), a charming pool hustler with a passion for songwriting. When he hustles the dangerous ringleader of a local gang, he plans to lie low and get out of town. But when he stumbles upon a key to his past in the back pages of a weekly newspaper, his heart tells him to stay.
Is It Any Good?
This gritty adaptation of lyrics by one of Nashville's most original songwriters is slightly off-note, although the melodies themselves are off the charts. Todd Snider's "Just Like Old Times" is a descriptive country song that doesn't involve a tractor, a truck, or a dog, but it's overflowing with substance use, regrets, and bad choices. Listening to the song's lyrics unwinds a cinematic reel in your mind; it's cleverly written, with a wit that makes you laugh out loud. But this dramatic interpretation is a downer. And, unlike a country single, it's not relatable -- at all. The story follows a pool hustler (Dorman) who drifts into town and sees that his old flame (Sophia Bush) is advertising escort services in the back of a weekly rag. They reconnect in a seedy hotel while drinking, smoking, and snorting a whole lot of cocaine, singing original songs on the guitar while trying to repair their pain. It's more Lou Reed than Garth Brooks. We all have friends in low places, but maybe not this low. Focusing too much on their current situation rather than how they got there, the movie loses the thread that lets many viewers see themselves or their loved ones in the story. Still, getting to know these characters helps expand our empathy and encourages seeing people as more than their labels or circumstances.
While the film isn't as dazzling as the song that inspired it, the music overall is phenomenal. Great songs are played at every opportunity: Bands performing in bars, radio tunes filling a car, and Jesse strumming his own original compositions in his hotel room are all strong musical inclusions that make the journey come alive. But country songs don't always offer happy endings, and this film's conclusion has to make you wonder, too. Can love really conquer all, even alcoholism and a lifetime of iffy choices?
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Hard Luck Love Song's "happy ending." What do you think happens to the characters the next day, the next week, and in the next year?
Is Jesse and Carla's relationship toxic, or true love? Can love conquer all?
Are smoking, drinking, and drug use glamorized here? Are there realistic consequences? Why does that matter?
Hard Luck Love Song is adapted from a song. Which of your favorite songs do you think would make a good movie?
Movie Details
- In theaters: October 15, 2021
- On DVD or streaming: December 21, 2021
- Cast: Michael Dorman, Sophia Bush, Dermot Mulroney
- Director: Justin Corsbie
- Studio: Roadside Attractions
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Music and Sing-Along
- Run time: 104 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: language throughout, drug use, some violence and sexual references
- Last updated: April 16, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
For kids who love great music
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