Okay, the movie does move slowly - no car chases, no shootouts, no pyrotechnics. And it may be accurate to say it moves slowly even for a slow movie. And the actors are actual musicians, not actors, so this movie won't produce any best actor awards, either. But the story does unfurl with a grace and charm that I found fascinating. It especially resonated with me, though, for a couple of reasons.
First, the story of Kentucky families moving to Ohio during the depression because there were no jobs in Kentucky is the story of my family. My grandfather had not had a full time job in ten years when he moved to Ohio in 1939 for a job with a General Motors supplier in Dayton (Moraine Products, I believe; it certainly went by that name later, although even later it morphed into Delco Moraine and then into Delphi). He found a house to rent in a small village 25 miles west of Dayton, then brought his wife and eleven children over. Grandpa stayed with GM until he retired at age 65, and went on to live almost 30 more years. Like Charlie, he was never a huge success - just another blue collar worker anonymous to all but his family - but he was able to live comfortably in Ohio until the day he passed away. Like Charlie he never stopped missing Kentucky, and up until he became unable to drive, he made many trips back. His last request to me was to take him back to Kentucky one more time - just a few months before he died. I was afraid the trip might end badly and said no, but I have long regretted my refusal.
What I also realized halfway through the movie was that I was watching it on the anniversary of my father's death. My father hated being called a briarhopper, hated Ohio and left as soon as he could, but instead of stopping at Kentucky he moved even further south and, deciding he liked warm weather much better than snow, never returned to live in Kentucky, although he often talked about it and, like grandpa, often returned to visit.
Anyway, the movie's portrayal of farm, of farm chores, of the importance of family, and of the economic necessity that forces some people to leave a home they truly love was all realistically conveyed. The music was a wonderful accompaniment to all that.
