Songwriter Film (1984) Review

by Richard Powell

The Songwriter Film 1984, according to wiki, it received an Oscar nomination for Best Music (Original Song Score) for Kris Kristofferson at the 57th Academy Awards.

Copies can be hard to find, and availability is erratic but I have found these available at the moment. UK buyers, please make sure you check that any imported DVDs will play in the UK Region, or consider buying a region free DVD player as these are very reasonable in price now – often below 30 GBP

UK

USA

Like many in our group, I revisited ‘Songwriter’ recently when it was shown on British tv on a retro movie channel called ‘Talking Pictures’.

The film is a sheer delight. A terrific feel-good movie choc a bloc with brilliant performances from an array of top actors. To cut a long story short, Kris and Willie Nelson play country musicians (no change there) ducking and diving through the often shark-infested waters of the music industry.

Needless to say, Kris and Willie are at the top of their game in this often serious but frequently funny gem of a film, brilliantly directed by Alan Rudolph who went on to direct Kris in the classic ‘Trouble in Mind‘.

The climactic scene when Willie’s protege, an up and coming singer played by Lesley Ann Warren, suddenly announces, out of the blue, that she’s found Jesus and she’s only going to sing Gospel music from then on is one of the funniest laugh out loud moments in any movie I’ve ever seen.

The film is touching, warm, hilarious… it’s great. I love it.

If anyone here or in the group hasn’t seen Songwriter…dig it out…its pure Kris movie gold. It’s also willie’s best ever film by a mile. Enjoy!