That, too, is Pure Country.The earlier “Pure Country” charted the decline and renaissance of Dusty Chandler (Strait), a country superstar who turns his back on glitz and glitter to get back in touch with his roots. In a nice touch, "Heartland" is performed under the opening titles by 13-year-old George Strait Jr. And Warren, the poor woman's Susan Sarandon, makes up for any acting deficiencies by hysterically overacting.Īs for the music, there are some fine songs, notably "Heartland," "I Cross My Heart," "Overnight Male" and "The King of Broken Hearts," a collection that clearly embraces country's many moods. Strait's a bit droll, but one suspects that's less acting than character.
Strait, named Entertainer of the Year in 19, didn't receive any nominations at this year's Country Music Association awards, but he's built a loyal following that will undoubtedly enjoy this venture, which includes some rodeo riding and roping.
This being the '90s, however, at least he doesn't have to kiss the horse. In keeping with the tradition, Strait gets but never kisses the girl. Right from the start, the plot twists and turns are fairly predictable, all leading up to the inevitable happy ending. Though no one seems to recognize Rusty anymore, this doesn't stop Harley from falling in love with him. He heads back home and, after an inspirational pit stop with Grandma and a lot of drinks at the honky-tonk where he got his start, ends up at the ranch house of a woman named Harley, a wholesome rodeo rider (Isabel Glasser). Rusty, meanwhile, clips the ponytail and gets a clean shave. The audience never catches on, and Lula sets out after Rusty. To cover, the conniving Lula disguises an ambitious roadie/boyfriend (Kyle Chandler of ABC's "Homefront") as Rusty and has the impostor lip-sync his way through a show as she gingerly manipulates the lighting and effects. Rusty battles with his hard-driving manager, Lula (Lesley Ann Warren), and, without telling anyone, leaves the show, hitchhiking back to the ranch country he grew up in. Still, the stoic Strait is a gradually engaging figure in a film that has a rating (PG) and a production aesthetic fully in keeping with today's family-values country Establishment.Īt the start, it's obvious Rusty's reached a crisis point: He wants to downsize and simplify his shows, particularly after his fans, and his entourage, don't even notice his failure to sing three bars in the middle of a big production number. This version's more dramatically defined, of course, and Strait himself is more of a Rex Allen type: good-looking, good-natured, blessed with a fine baritone, burdened perhaps only by an acting style that's a tad dry and laconic. But "Pure Country" really follows in a hallowed tradition: the '30s and '40s singing cowboy films of Gene Autry, Tex Ritter and Roy Rogers. Sure, Rusty evokes some of the current stars of the country world - Garth Brooks and the ponytailed Billy Ray Cyrus come to mind - who've found rock-stage showmanship coming in conflict with the simpler values of country. The music perhaps? He abandons the circus to reacquaint himself with his roots - rural, musical, familial and spiritual. Despite the delirious fans who flock to his arena concerts, Rusty decides something's missing. George Strait plays it right to his name in "Pure Country," a pleasant, low-key country-and-western film in which he portrays Rusty Wyatt Chandler, a hirsute, ponytailed country music sensation whose show has become a blitz of rock-and-roll lighting and effects. ‘Pure Country’ (PG) By Richard Harrington
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