Customer Reviews

Living Proof: Hank Williams Jr Story [VHS]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you are a Hank fan, you will love this movie. It depicts the most important events in his life up until after the fall off Ajax Mountain. I love Hank, and I love this movie. I would love to see a Part 2, because so much has happened with Hank since the movie was made. It does however, leave out some important events in his life during that time-but how can you sum up his life in just 2 hours?

For as long as I can remember I've enjoyed watching real life stories of people. Living Proof was no exception. I felt my heart drop down to my feet when he fell off the side of the mountain. The movie was very touching and Richard Thomas is outstanding!

As a country music lover and one who loves to read and watch biographies of country stars I find this movie way off! (And this comes from a frantic fan club member Hank Jr. fan) Maybe I feel this way because I read the autobiography prior to seeing the movie. The book is way better. Take my advice and read it!! In the movie, Richard Thomas (remember JohnBoy Walton) plays Hank. Good actor....but Hank Jr. he is not. Too.....weenie! The story deletes a marrage, never mentions his son, and understates the fall off Ajax Mountain. Hanks story is to mass for a two hour movie. I'd like to see a re-make to his story. There were good points: Clu Galagher as JR Smith was great.

It is understandable that someone's life cannot be depicted in two hours but the video gives the viewer a lot to see as far as all the obstacles that Hank Williams Jr. had to overcome. Richard Thomas, playing Hank Jr., was what really caught my eye since I am a declared fan of Richard. "Give me that Honky-tonkin".

I had a (very) small role in Living Proof, and I'm so glad it's finally available on video. One of my favorite memories was auditioning for Richard Thomas, whose wife had recently delivered triplets! It was a "cattle call" sort of audition here in Nashville, and I played my guitar and sang a couple verses of "Rollin' in My Sweet Baby's Arms" for him. The hiring call came a couple days later and I spent three days working on the set and in Nashville's Tennessee Performing Arts Center, filming what turned out to be two scenes spliced into one song at the end of the movie. I played guitar in the "hip" band at the very end. Playing other music in between takes to entertain the audience of hired extras (while the balloons were reloaded into the ceiling!) was a blast! I even got to lead a rousing version of "Turn Your Radio On." This was a band composed of professional musicians of extremely high quality (myself excepted, of course, though I do pick a little).

Richard Thomas is a gentleman and a talented actor who puts his whole heart into his performance in this film. All in all, it's a fun t.v. movie and great entertainment, especially the song at the end!

Just how much of this film is true, and how much fiction is probably known only to the actual persons who lived out this story. It's entertaining as most such films are. To those only familiar with Hanks beard and sunglasses look, Richard Thomas may seem an odd choice to play him. But he bears a close resemblance to the young Hank Jr. Although at five eight, he's way off the mark of Hanks six-foot-three. Hank himself was at first disaproving of the choice as he wanted Jeff Bridges to play his part. Thomas carries it off well in this roller coaster ride of Hanks early years as he's caught up in a life of hand me down fame, constant drinking and easy women. Then almost loses his life to the same demons that destoyed his father.

If you do like him (Hank Williams Jr), You will really enjoy this movie and all the great music. It is just amazing to see all that he has been up against in his life and overcomes . The down fall of this movie is the casting of Richard Thomas as Hank .