Nashville Blues

Peter Bogdanovich has had an up-and-down career. "The Last Picture Show" is considered his masterpiece, while his career has suffered in many other parts. One of his lesser known movies is this 1993 outing. "The Thing Called Love" is mainly know as River Phoenix's final movie, as he died two months after the release. As for the plot, it's about people's dreams. These young people move to Nashville hoping to make it big in the country music business. There of course will be complications.

The cast members really know how to capture the characters' complexity. All the characters get enough screen time to let their personalities develop sufficiently. The movie has some surprises in store, namely the scenes involving famous people playing themselves. But most importantly, it reminds us that country music is supposed to be about hardship and heartbreak (as opposed to who has the biggest truck). If you have a message for the world, you should sing it.

In the end, I recommend the movie. Phoenix, as well as Samantha Mathis, Dermot Mulroney and Sandra Bullock put on fine performances.

This movie is very good, it is straight and honest and true on human feelings as is miles away from the stereotyped musical comedies. Watching it is just a breath of fresh air.

The music is very good, the acting ranges form good to excellent, and director Bogdanovich displays real class touch in some scenes. Bogdanovich is very good at directing young actors, as it was very clear since his "Last Picture Show" movie of the early 70s.

The actors: Phoenix doesn't do much real acting but his presence has something magnetic to it and it's a real shame that he passed away, he would have become one of the greatest actors of today. Mathis is fresh, unmannered and straight, a real girl not a stereotype. At last! You can't say she's beautiful or sexy but man she has presence and personality, you can't but fall in love with her. Bullock plays the ingenue and she does it very well, even in this early movie she displays the acting qualities she became much appreciated for afterwards.

It is a real shame that "The Thing Called Love" hasn't been released on DVD yet. Paramount announced an October 26th, 2004 release which didn't happen. This must be a cruel joke as it's years that we are waiting for this release. Paramount executives, if you read this, please deliver this movie on DVD. I am sure that you won't regret it.

One of River Phoenix's last film roles was as part of a quartet of performer/songwriters looking to get a break in country music in Nashville. The rest of the quartet in The Thing Called Love is Samantha Mathis, Sandra Bullock, and Dermpt Mulroney. The whole thing kind of reminds me a little bit of Stage Door in the hopes and dreams and the camaraderie shared among the hopefuls.

In the two hour running time of the film there are almost 20 musical numbers, so many the plot almost gets in the way. When the quartet isn't singing, they're acting out the usual angst romantic and professional that are common to the young. And several country stars do some musical bits here, chiefly Tricia Yearwood who sings her hit, She's In Love With The Boy.

Tricia also figures into the plot when Mulroney and Mathis break into Yearwood's car in order to leave a cassette tape of Mulroney's latest song. It sounds like something out of I Love Lucy and it all works out in the Lucy manner with Yearwood being a good sport about it. In real life, those two would have been in court with Yearwood taking a restraining order out.

The plot is pedestrian, but the music is nice, especially if you are a country and western fan.

Not really a story about generation x, although the cast is young and as fresh as it can be for 1992 / 1993. This is the story about youth, music and growing up an Elvis fan. More than that, it is a story about friendship and young love. Kind of like an Elvis movie, without the bad country music. Samantha Mathis gives one of her better performances here as the young girl from NYC who wants to be the next country singer out of Memphis. Much like the rocky career of the later (great) River Phoenix, Samantha Mathis has disappeared. Although she is not dead, like some people, Samantha Mathis fell off the radar screen to be in a number of independent films. Here, she is fun to look at and even more, she is one of the reasons why this movie is still good. Even if you don't like country music, this is worth watching.

This movie is amusing, touching AND captivating the whole way through. River Phoenix' performance, from his excellent singing voice to his southern accent, made me believe he was an up and coming country western singer. Phoenix becomes the insecure yet arrogant James Wright and I believe he played this character perfectly even with the obvious personal struggles in his life. River and Samantha Mathis have palpable chemistry that makes you believe James and Miranda can save their difficult relationship. All the actors in this film did a good job and the story line is enjoyable and unique. There is not one wasted moment of screen time as every scene is filled with continuity and story-driven dialogue.