Brent Boyd Movies
- 2008
The true story of one of Nashville's most innovative instrumentalists comes to the screen in this biographical drama based on the life of Hank Garland. Garland (played by Waylon Payne) was a gifted guitarist who rose among the ranks of aspiring country music stars to become one of Music City's busiest session players. Garland performed and recorded with the likes of Patsy Cline (Mandy Barnett), Roy Orbison (Brian Jones) and Elvis Presley (Jason Alan Smith), and Garland's musical interests went beyond country and pop; he loved jazz, and inspired by Wes Montgomery, he intended to bridge the gap between country and jazz, forming a jazz combo and cutting a celebrated album called Jazz Winds From A New Direction. But Garland was also a deeply troubled man; his passion for music could seem obsessive to many who worked with him, he had a short fuse when it came to people he felt were taking advantage of his talents, and his womanizing ways led him into a ill-fated relationship with Evelyn (Ali Larter), who discovered too late that she had many rivals for his affections, with music at the top of the list. However, it was neither a sour relationship nor an unappreciative audience that caused the tragedy that ended Garland's career before its time. Crazy was the first feature film from director Rick Bieber. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Waylon Payne, Ali Larter, (more)
Duncan (Joshua Jackson), a depressed twentysomething living in a rundown section of Minneapolis, has just lost another job. He has another source of income, letting his brother use his apartment for extramarital trysts. On a rare visit to his grandparents, Ronald (Donald Sutherland) and Ruth (Louise Fletcher), Duncan meets Kate (Juliette Lewis), Ronald's spirited home health-care worker. Later, when Duncan learns that there's an opening for a handyman in the building, he takes the job. He begins to spend more time with his grandparents, hanging out with Ronald, who, among his many health problems, suffers from Parkinson's disease. He also has occasion to see Kate, and the two cautiously begin a romantic relationship. Kate is "one of those people," as Duncan puts it, who moved to Minneapolis because of the Replacements. Unlike Duncan, who has never left Minneapolis, Kate has never stayed in any one place for too long. She's anxious to get out and explore the world, while Duncan seems immobilized. Yet they connect, if only for a time. As Duncan reconnects with his grandparents and grows more intimate with Kate, he begins to deal with his grief over the sudden death of his father. Meanwhile, with his health deteriorating, Ronald begins to think of ending his life, and turns to his grandson for help. Aurora Borealis was directed by James Burke from an original screenplay by Brent Boyd. The film had its world premiere at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joshua Jackson, Donald Sutherland, (more)
