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IMDbPro

Nashville Blues

Original title: The Thing Called Love
  • 1993
  • PG-13
  • 1h 56m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
9.1K
YOUR RATING
Samantha Mathis in Nashville Blues (1993)
Home Video Trailer from Paramount Home Entertainment
Play trailer0:31
1 Video
55 Photos
Coming-of-AgeRomantic ComedyComedyDramaMusicRomance

Newcomers to the country-music business seek love and stardom.Newcomers to the country-music business seek love and stardom.Newcomers to the country-music business seek love and stardom.

  • Director
    • Peter Bogdanovich
  • Writer
    • Carol Heikkinen
  • Stars
    • River Phoenix
    • Samantha Mathis
    • Dermot Mulroney
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.4/10
    9.1K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Peter Bogdanovich
    • Writer
      • Carol Heikkinen
    • Stars
      • River Phoenix
      • Samantha Mathis
      • Dermot Mulroney
    • 67User reviews
    • 25Critic reviews
    • 46Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    The Thing Called Love
    Trailer 0:31
    The Thing Called Love

    Photos55

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    Top cast62

    Edit
    River Phoenix
    River Phoenix
    • James Wright
    Samantha Mathis
    Samantha Mathis
    • Miranda Presley
    Dermot Mulroney
    Dermot Mulroney
    • Kyle Davidson
    Sandra Bullock
    Sandra Bullock
    • Linda Lue Linden
    K.T. Oslin
    K.T. Oslin
    • Lucy
    Anthony Clark
    Anthony Clark
    • Billy
    Webb Wilder
    • Ned
    Earl Poole Ball
    Earl Poole Ball
    • Floyd
    Deborah Allen
    • Deborah Allen
    Jimmie Dale Gilmore
    • Jimmie Dale Gilmore
    Katy Moffatt
    • Katy Moffatt
    Jo-El Sonnier
    • Jo-El Sonnier
    Pam Tillis
    Pam Tillis
    • Pam Tillis
    Kevin Welch
    • Kevin Welch
    Trisha Yearwood
    Trisha Yearwood
    • Trisha Yearwood
    Wayne Grace
    Wayne Grace
    • R.C.
    Micole Mercurio
    Micole Mercurio
    • Mary
    Starletta DuPois
    Starletta DuPois
    • Selma
    • Director
      • Peter Bogdanovich
    • Writer
      • Carol Heikkinen
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews67

    6.49.1K
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    Featured reviews

    caspian1978

    Samantha Mathis at her best

    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.
    6SnoopyStyle

    great young actors in country music soap

    Aspiring songwriter Miranda Presley (Samantha Mathis) takes the bus from NYC to Nashville. She arrives too late for an audition along with James Wright (River Phoenix). One week later, they make it to the audition as well as Kyle Davidson (Dermot Mulroney) and Linda Lue Linden (Sandra Bullock). Only James make it but the foursome start a friendship and more.

    This Peter Bogdanovich film has four great young stars. In fact, River's star dims about a month after this movie's release. This seems to be set up to be a great movie. Although I like Mathis, Phoenix is probably the more compelling actor. It would be even crazier if Bullock got the Miranda Presley role. The stories are a bit soapy. The songs are fine. It's just great to see Phoenix before his early death and an up-and-coming Bullock. Otherwise, it doesn't standout more than that.
    5dfloro

    And introducing ... Linda Lue Linden!

    If you love country music, then this movie will treat you to some real musicians, like Trisha Yearwood and Jimmie Dale Gilmore, as well as some talented young actors like Samantha Mathis and River Phoenix doing their own vocals while in character. But for my money, there is but one real reason to watch the movie, and her name is Sandra Bullock, playing the one and only Linda Lue Linden. In this movie, penned by Horton Foote and directed by Peter Bogdanovich (and not truly the best work of either man), a fairly routine plot of a girl straight off the bus from New York (Mathis) who is chasing her dream to be a successful country singer-songwriter unexpectedly has several firecrackers go off in our faces whenever Bullock bursts onto and into the scene. If you have trouble picking out the performers who will one day rule the screen (big or the small TV screen), then study what Ms. Bullock does with this relatively minor supporting character. She creates a three-dimensional, fully formed, very memorable human character out of whole cloth and bailing wire, and hence she is virtually the only thing about this movie that I do remember all these years later. The movie without her is 3-4/10, but with her I give it 5-6/10. +2 for Sandy!
    Patatino

    Very good movie so why no DVD release?

    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.
    6bkoganbing

    To Be Young And In Love In Nashville

    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.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Final completed film of River Phoenix.
    • Goofs
      The Greyhound bus is shown driving past the Bluebird. The Bluebird is nowhere near the Greyhound station or its route to the freeway, in Nashville.
    • Quotes

      James Wright: This check seems to be made out to "selfish, arrogant dickhead."

      Miranda Presley: Yeah, they'll cash it. They know it's you.

    • Alternate versions
      A Director's Cut with extended footage was released on DVD by Paramount in 2006. It runs for 118 minutes, 2 minutes longer than the original theatrical cut, and it received the same rating: PG-13.
    • Connections
      Edited into The Toys That Built America: Game Night Legends (2023)
    • Soundtracks
      Standing on a Rock
      Written and Performed by Rodney Crowell

      Also Performed by River Phoenix

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    FAQ

    • How long is The Thing Called Love?
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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 27, 1993 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Thing Called Love
    • Filming locations
      • Bluebird Cafe - 4104 Hillsboro Pike, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
    • Production companies
      • Paramount Pictures
      • Davis Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $14,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,029,721
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $433,254
      • Aug 29, 1993
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,029,721
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 56 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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