Willie Nelson stars in a role that’s close to home, as country singer Buck Bonham, in the musical drama Honeysuckle Rose. Buck is an aging country singer on the verge of breaking through to the mainstream, who happens to fall for his new guitarist Lily Ramsey (Amy Irving), despite having a loving wife (Dyan Cannon) and child waiting for him at home. Buck must decide what he wants more, a new spark of love and life on the road or the domesticated family existence back in Texas that he has come to take for granted. Almost a concert film with a plot, Honeysuckle Rose is chockablock with live footage of Willie & his band performing various hits, including “On the Road Again” which was specifically written for this film. For fans of Nelson and his music, it is a must see.
“It has its charms, and one is certainly the presence of Willie Nelson himself, making his starring debut at the age of 47 and not looking a day over 60. He’s grizzled, grinning, sweet-voiced and pleasant, and a very engaging actor… director Jerry Schatzberg uses an easy-going documentary style to show us life on the band bus, at a family reunion, and backstage at big concerts. All of these scenes are filled to overflowing with colors; this is one of the cheeriest, brightest looking movies I’ve ever seen, starting with Willie’s own amazing costumes and including the spectrum at the concerts, reunions, picnics, etc.” – Roger Ebert
Howard S. Berger writes about director Jerry Schatzberg on the New Beverly blog.
