Pure Country

George Strait -- in his only film role to date -- is a country-western musician who's burnt out with the never-ending play dates, the high production values that obscure the music, so he goes on walkabout, while manager Lesley Ann Warren pulls in another singer to front the band because the show must go on, and she doesn't want to return the ticket money.

Strait is unsurprisingly good playing a character very close to his own. The point of the movie, of course, is the songs he performs, and there are ten of them, often performed with the laser lights and artificial smoke in show venues, and his back-up band in the movie is the one he performs with. It's just the right mix of story to put in a concert film.

Whether you are a fan of country music like I am or not, if you don't enjoy this movie or the story it tells, there's something wrong with you! We need more movies like this one. A man is looking for more simplicity and for love in his life which is something we should all strive for. There are too many movies focused on the hip hop culture today. There are so many country fans out there that would love to see more movies like this one. George Strait did an excellent job as did the rest of the cast. It's topped off with an incredible song, 'Cross My Heart' The soundtrack is also a winner. If you have not seen this, be sure to check it out soon!

This is a good vehicle for George Strait, although it IS a little hokey at times. Some of the dialogue seems to be a bit too predictable, some of the plot lines too hackneyed, but hey, it's only a movie! It's not an Academy Award nominee! This is a good film about a country music star who has had it with all the "stuff" of performing, and has had it with 'performing' itself. He simply wants to sing and play his guitar, he wants to get back to the basics of what pleased him about music in the first place. I wouldn't expect too many people outside of fans of country music to like this movie, or even understand it, but I like it. I understand it. And I accept it as 'Pure Entertainment'...and with a soundtrack like this one has, it can't go wrong. One might want to find a copy of "The Nashville Rebel" (sp) starring a very young and barefaced Waylon Jennings for comparison.

In the old days of the studio system a man like George Strait would have been given a Hollywood contract and put into westerns. That's how it worked for a number of people on the country circuit, most prominently Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. But westerns aren't being done, certainly none for singing cowboys. In a few years George Strait would have handled dialog like a veteran.

Strait's a likable enough guy, but as an actor he's a great country singer. Still he passes muster in a role that's not too taxing, playing a country singer who takes an unscheduled hiatus from his tour and finds true love with a young woman who is the daughter of struggling rancher Rory Calhoun.

Strait's not happy with the way his career is going. It's all about the glitz and glamor of the concert, no one's listening to him sing any more. So he ditches the long hair in a ponytail and beard and just leaves. Manager Lesley Ann Warren seeing all kinds of tour dates canceled with the loss in money, shoves one of the roadies and would be country singer himself and her special boy toy Kyle Chandler in front of the microphone to complete the tour. In the darkened smoke filled concerts with a tape going of the real Strait no one can tell the difference.

In the meantime Strait's falling for Isabel Glasser and gets involved with her family ranch and their real struggles in real life. I think you get some idea where this is going.

This film was the farewell big screen performance of Rory Calhoun and I have to say, I had to look twice even though I saw his name in the credits when I realized he was playing Isabel Glasser's father. He looked terrible, like he had gone through some bad health issues.

For country fans you'll have a full soundtrack of George Strait's hits and he's a great singer. It's the main asset of Pure Country.

Many of the people who criticized and stereotyped this movie are absolutely out of line. This movie was nice. It told a story of a man who had everything except the one thing he really wanted, love. If that is a bad thing, then I think this world really sucks. It is really sad that we Americans can't be entertained unless there is countless amounts of sex and violence. George Strait rules and country music rules!