Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

NEW YORK (CNS) -- A free-wheeling and, at times, genuinely funny satire of the music industry and of recent social trends, "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" (Columbia) too often succumbs to the temptation to be outrageous.

Young Dewey Cox (Conner Rayburn) has some unusual problems. After accidentally cutting his more gifted brother Nate (Chip Hormess) in half with a machete (yes, you read that correctly), he earns the undying enmity of his father (Raymond J. Barry). The resulting trauma also causes him to lose his sense of smell.

Despite these setbacks, Dewey vows to become a rock star and, as a teenager (John C. Reilly in top form, offering a study in arch cluelessness), leaves town with his longtime sweetheart, Edith (Kristen Wiig), to seek his fortune. He forms a band and records a hit song named for his personal credo: "Walk Hard." (Any resemblance to Johnny Cash is entirely intentional.)

When one of his band mates, drummer Sam (Tim Meadows), entices the naive lad into the drug scene, Dewey's life really spins out of control. He develops a number of peculiar habits, like ripping plumbing fixtures out of bathroom walls. Back at home, meanwhile, Edith is trying to cope with her geometrically increasing brood, with no help from her traveling -- and now, as in so many of these biopics, womanizing -- husband.

Dewey moves on to marry his pious backup singer, Darlene Madison (Jenna Fischer), but without bothering to divorce Edith. As the 1960s arrive, he becomes overtly political, championing the rights of "women and midgets and such," while the "Me Decade" of the 1970s finds him jogging, eating fruit shakes and hosting a variety television show. In and out of jail and rehab, Dewey learns life lessons the hard way.

Co-writer-director Jake Kasdan's film, produced and co-written by Judd Apatow ("The 40-Year-Old Virgin," "Knocked Up" and "Superbad"), could have been a recommendable addition to the "mockumentary" genre pioneered in 1984's far subtler "This Is Spinal Tap." But the nudity and crude sexual humor are ultimately excessive.

The film contains graphic sexual activity, full-frontal male, upper female and rear nudity, adultery, bigamy, implied group sexual activity, much sexual humor including risque song lyrics, some irreverent humor, frequent rough and crude and some crass language, drug use, approval of drugs and highly suggestive dancing. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

---

Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops