Crazy Heart Review

Messages: The movie isn't exactly a "feel-good drama," but it does have underlying positive messages. Bad starts out in a rut, his fame and glory faded, but eventually he finds the strength to strive toward something better, overcoming the problems that keep him down. He reaches rock bottom before climbing back up, but the movie celebrates his bravery and dedication.

Role models: Bad starts out the exact opposite of a positive role model. He's a drunk, he has a son he hasn't spoken to in decades, he holds a grudge toward his former protégée, he feels sorry for himself, he neglects his gift for writing songs, and his career is in the dumps. But a new friendship/relationship inspires him to improve himself from the ground up, which is a powerful example. Jean is an admirable character: a working single mother who seems to have her head screwed on straight.

Violence: Some verbal uprisings from time to time -- mostly Jean (and sometimes others) confronting Bad about his drinking. But Bad rarely fights back and never lifts a finger against anyone.

Sex: Jean and Bad do a lot of kissing -- open-mouthed and not shy. There are no sex scenes, but it's definitely suggested that they've slept together. They wake up in the same bed and are apparently naked under the covers (no real nudity is shown). Earlier in the film viewers see Bad leaving a groupie's bed; again, sex is suggested rather than shown. Another groupie openly flirts with Bad in a bar, suggesting a night of wild passion.

Language: Bad frequently uses the kind of language you might expect from a road-weary, drunken, veteran musician, including "f--k" and "f--kin'," "s--t," "ass," "goddamn," "Jesus Christ" (used as an exclamation), "hell," and the abbreviated "sumbitch." That said, the swearing grows less frequent as the movie goes on.

Consumerism: The only real products seen are the various bottles of booze consumed by Bad, though none of it is deliberately or blatantly referred to by brand.

Drinking, drugs and smoking: One of the movie's two main plotlines has to do with Bad's out-of-control drinking. He drinks constantly, mostly hard liquor, and he grows agitated (though never violent) if he can't get it. Viewers see him leaving the stage during a show to throw up in a garbage can; he throws up again later and passes out on his bathroom floor. He drives drunk, and he takes gulps of alcohol to stop his shaking hands. His wake-up call comes when his need for a drink endagers someone he cares about -- a turning point that ultimately leads him down the road to recovery.