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Parents' Guide to

I Saw the Light

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Strong acting, great music in mature but predictable biopic.

Movie R 2016 123 minutes
I Saw the Light Poster Image

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Kids say (3 ):

This biopic about country legend Hank Williams is pretty much the same as any other biopic from the last 20 years, with a strong central performance, a surface-level story, and a series of cliches. Your appreciation of I SAW THE LIGHT will depend on, for you, how much the great music overrides the lengthy yet shallow depictions of alcohol abuse, financial arguments, creative control clashes, extramarital activities, life on the road, divorce, new love, and hospital stays/doctor visits.

Hiddleston, who's English but uses an Alabama accent here and does his own singing, is quite extraordinary, capturing Williams' soul. And Olsen has some strong scenes as Hank's first wife. But overall, even though Williams only lived to age 29, the movie covers too much material and generally skims the surface. Sill, the performances are electric and more or less worth the price of admission.

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