Fans of country star Toby Keith and his protégé Lindsey Haun are likely to be drawn to Steven Goldmann's Broken Bridges, which features the duo as a long-separated father and daughter who finally connect during a family tragedy. Keith, who on the evidence of this performance shouldn't give up the guitar, plays a down-and-out C&W singer named Bo Price, who is called back to his hometown after the death of his brother in an army helicopter accident. Reunited with his erstwhile girlfriend, whom he'd abandoned years ago after getting her pregnant, Bo is also introduced to the daughter he's never met (Haun), who has musical ambitions herself. But even Keith's biggest fans are likely to be bored by the sappy, slow-moving story, drab direction, and limp performances from veterans such as Tess Harper and Burt Reynolds. And while Willie Nelson and BeBe Winans appear in late musical number, it's not enough to save this predictable, terribly maudlin film that plays like a bad TV movie. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include a 20-minute “Meet the Actors & Their Characters” featurette, “The Making of Dixie” on costar Lindsey Haun's character in the film (5 min.), a “Military Base: A Salute to Our Fighting Men and Women” featurette (4 min.), a three-minute featurette on the “Muddin'” scene, and Toby Keith's music video for “Alien.” Bottom line: a decent extras package for a disappointing film.] (F. Swietek)
Broken Bridges
Paramount, 105 min., PG-13, DVD: $28.99, Jan. 9 Volume 22, Issue 1
Broken Bridges
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