The Return of Tanya Tucker: Featuring Brandi Carlile

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1:58

The Return of Tanya Tucker: Featuring Brandi Carlile

R

Released Oct 21, 2022

1h 48m

Documentary

Music

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Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

49 Reviews

94%

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

Trailblazing, hell-raising country music legend Tanya Tucker defied the standards of how a woman in country music was supposed to behave. Decades after Tanya slipped from the spotlight, rising Americana music star Brandi Carlile takes it upon herself to write an entire album for her hero based on Tanya's extraordinary life, spurring the greatest comeback in country music history. THE RETURN OF TANYA TUCKER follows Tanya's richly creative, utterly captivating, bumpy ride back to the top as Brandi encourages her to push past her fears to create a new sound and reach a new audience. The writing, the experimenting, and refining of this new music mixes with all that came before -- using rare archival footage and photographs to delve into Tanya's history, beginning in a single wide trailer in Seminole, Texas. Taking stock of the past while remaining vitally alive in the present and keeping an eye on the future, THE RETURN OF TANYA TUCKER is a rousing exploration of an unexpected friendship built on the joy of a perfectly timed creative collaboration.

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Critics Consensus

Lengthy title notwithstanding, The Return of Tanya Tucker: Featuring Brandi Carlile pays affectionate tribute to the powerful purity of both artists' music.

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Brad Wheeler

Globe and Mail

Tucker’s life is presented as a redemptive story, with sentimentality torqued whenever possible.

Nov 2, 2022

Full Review

Michael O'Sullivan

Washington Post

Mostly “The Return” is about listening to great music getting made by two women representing two generations of country music — Carlile is 41 — who genuinely seem to respect each other, and who have obvious talent.

Rated: 2.5/4

Oct 26, 2022

Full Review

Bill Goodykoontz

Arizona Republic

The real draw is watching Tucker work with Carlile.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 24, 2022

Full Review

Marya E. Gates

Cool People Have Feelings, Too. (Substack)

Those who love the process of making music will fall hard for the early parts of the doc, fans of Tucker will get to see a side of her they haven’t seen before and fans of Carlile will see the pleasure of being able to work with and inspire your own hero.

Feb 13, 2024

Full Review

Benjamin H. Smith

Decider

There’s a sweetness to the film which is rewarding, as the devoted Carlile patiently brings out the best in Tucker and casts the spotlight on her she so richly deserves.

Oct 16, 2023

Full Review

Stephen Silver

Living Life Fearless

I am a lifelong non-fan of country music, but I admit that I absolutely loved this film,

Rated: 4/5

Nov 21, 2022

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Jackie C

I love Tanya Tucker and did not understand why they were saying it was a come back. Most of her fans were still there. Now I do. This movie was fantastic. Not showing enough of Layla though! Lol Scooter nice job also!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/13/22

Full Review

Susan

Very entertaining, and I laughed and was also moved to tears. I loved the old footage mixed with the new story. The music and dialogue were great.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/12/22

Full Review

SteveG

Exceptional documentary that provided a unique perspective into the creative process for a song and album.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/09/22

Full Review

K Barnard

Honest and raw look at a country music legend, Tanya Tucker. Thank you to Brandi Carlisle for giving us this look into her life and struggles.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/09/22

Full Review

SANDY B

I loved that it goes all the way back to her early childhood. It showed the good and the bad in her life. She was so brutally honest about her life. I have ALWAYS been a big fan of her music and cried like a baby while loving every moment of her life. Thank you Brandi Carlile and Shooter Jennings for making this happen for those of us who have loved her music from the "get go"! Job well done!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/08/22

Full Review

lindsay

Must see. Such a beautiful and moving film. The bond built between TT and Brandi is so moving. Brandi’s investment and commitment to the artist who came before her is so beautiful. The music is wonderful. Just a gorgeous come back capture.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/07/22

Full Review

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Kathlyn Horan

Director

Tanya Tucker

Self

Brandi Carlile

Self

Kathlyn Horan

Producer

Julie Goldman

Producer

Christopher Clements

Producer

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The Return of Tanya Tucker: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Trailblazing, hell-raising country music legend Tanya Tucker defied the standards of how a woman in country music was supposed to behave. Decades after Tanya slipped from the spotlight, rising Americana music star Brandi Carlile takes it upon herself to write an entire album for her hero based on Tanya's extraordinary life, spurring the greatest comeback in country music history. THE RETURN OF TANYA TUCKER follows Tanya's richly creative, utterly captivating, bumpy ride back to the top as Brandi encourages her to push past her fears to create a new sound and reach a new audience. The writing, the experimenting, and refining of this new music mixes with all that came before -- using rare archival footage and photographs to delve into Tanya's history, beginning in a single wide trailer in Seminole, Texas. Taking stock of the past while remaining vitally alive in the present and keeping an eye on the future, THE RETURN OF TANYA TUCKER is a rousing exploration of an unexpected friendship built on the joy of a perfectly timed creative collaboration.

Director: Kathlyn Horan
Producer: Kathlyn Horan, Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, Carolyn Hepburn
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Rating: R
Genre: Documentary, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 21, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 10, 2023
Runtime: 1h 48m

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