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Honkytonk Man

Play trailer Poster for Honkytonk Man PG 1982 2h 5m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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93% Tomatometer 14 Reviews 64% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
A 1930s country singer (Clint Eastwood) tries to reach Nashville sober, with his nephew (Kyle Eastwood), to audition at the Grand Ole Opry.
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Honkytonk Man

Honkytonk Man

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Critics Consensus

Clint Eastwood succeeds in revealing his softer side in Honkytonk Man, a surprisingly sweet and heartwarming road movie that hums along at a pleasant pace.

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Critics Reviews

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TIME Magazine 10/26/2008
It is a guileless tribute not only to plain values of plain people in Depression America, but also to the sweet spirit of country-and-western music before it got all duded up for the urban cowboys. Go to Full Review
Variety Staff Variety 10/26/2008
Eastwood took great pains in telling this story of an aging, struggling country singer... Go to Full Review
Derek Adams Time Out 02/09/2006
The whole thing veers wildly in quality, and no Eastwood-hater should go within a mile of it; but few lovers of American cinema could fail to be moved by a venture conceived so recklessly against the spirit of its times. Go to Full Review
Jeffrey M. Anderson Combustible Celluloid 05/01/2009
Today it looks much better, and contains one of Eastwood's most openhearted performances. Go to Full Review
TV Guide 10/26/2008
2.5/4
More of a curiosity piece for followers of Eastwood than a truly compelling story. Go to Full Review
Rob Gonsalves Rob's Movie Vault 04/09/2007
A
One of the unnoticed treasures of the '80s. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Eye C 11/24/2023 It's nice… a little predictable and sentimental, but not bad at all. See more Les N 11/17/2023 Didn't like it when it first came out and don't like it now See more Steve D 03/10/2023 Didn't work at all for me. See more r 9 02/01/2022 It kinda meanders solidly for about ¾ of its run time, but honestly that final 30 or so minutes is outstanding. 'Honkytonk Man' isn't, at least to me, the most interesting or enjoyable for the first hour or so, with many satisfactory if meh scenes and even an odd one featuring a minor, but to my proper surprise the concluding moments of this 1982 release really do leave an imprint - I love the ending. Clint Eastwood is solid, as seemingly always, for the majority before really coming up with some big acting chops, though credit also goes to the make-up department for making him look the way his character ought to - which really sells it. Kyle Eastwood can't really act beside him, but as a child actor he brings the necessary innocence etc. It was barely a 3* rating from me until the conclusion, which elevates it up sizeably. See more 09/27/2021 Clint Eastwood's singing ability astounds me. See more 12/05/2018 What can I say about Honkytonk Man except it is a clear indication of Eastwood's reputation as a risk taker. A road movie, it features an interesting boy character who learns the harsh realities of life. In the short space of a couple of days, he will have experimented love (first in a brothel, then probably later with the girl they met along the road) and death (he'll have to cope with a burial). The young female "singer" they -reluctantly-take with them provides the movie with the comic relief it does need: you should hear her sing "My bonnie" in a shrill voice. The ballads Eastwood sings are moving and tuneful(I don't know if he is dubbed for them, but anyway it's made with taste and respect for the audience).The audition is the highlight of the movie, Eastwood seems to sing as if it were a matter of life and death(and it is anyway).The actor/director avoids pathos and melodrama. Once again, it was a very risky move to play such a character at a time when success story was the golden rule. The movie was bound to be a flop, but it deserves to be restored to favor now. See more Read all reviews
Honkytonk Man

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Movie Info

Synopsis A 1930s country singer (Clint Eastwood) tries to reach Nashville sober, with his nephew (Kyle Eastwood), to audition at the Grand Ole Opry.
Director
Clint Eastwood
Distributor
Warner Bros.
Production Co
Malpaso Company
Rating
PG
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 15, 1982, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
May 8, 2015
Runtime
2h 5m
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