Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Director: Jake Kasdan
Year Released: 2007
Rating: 2.5
Parody of the rise and fall and rise again of so many music stars because of sex and drugs (and less the rock and roll) - embodied by the been-everywhere, done-everything Dewey Cox (a flexible John C. Reilly, channeling Johnny Cash) - actually has its moments, thanks to the keen wit of screenwriters Kasdan and Judd Apatow. As a parody, however, it has its limitations in terms of depth, but on the surface there's a lot to like, including countless running gags that pay off (the breaking of the sinks, the ghostly presence of Cox's dead brother, the gratuitous penis shots, the Jews Who Control Hollywood and their offspring) not to mention some amazing casting decisions, especially the invaluable Kristen Wiig as Cox's first wife, Jack White (of all people) as Elvis (though I've often complained about White's overexposure, his cameo had me laughing) and Jenna Fischer as his second wife (playing, essentially, June Carter). [Note: I watched the extended director's cut (titled "American Cox") and skipped the theatrical version so I'm not sure what extra parts of this were judiciously trimmed - when it comes to comedies (and not sex or rock and roll), quicker is probably better.]
