I Saw the Light

Much of the early credit for country music's popularity in America goes to charismatic singer-songwriter Hank Williams. Wearing an oversized, cream-colored cowboy hat, lanky Williams (Tom Hiddleston) emerged from the local Alabama scene in the 1940s and ‘50s. Called “the hillbilly Shakespeare,” he was addicted to whiskey and women, strumming about sorrow, suffering, and shame. Eventually becoming a Grand Ole Opry star, Williams had dozens of hits, including classics like “Cold, Cold Heart,” “Lovesick Blues,” “Hey, Good Lookin'” and “Your Cheatin' Heart.” Inspired by Colin Escott's Hank Williams: The Biography, writer-director Marc Abraham's I Saw the Light unfortunately sets a plodding pace, focusing more on Williams's tumultuous, self-destructive life than his creative genius, including his marriage to ambitious Audrey Mae (Elizabeth Olsen) and her conflict with his overbearing mother (Cherry Jones). But it never illuminates the man behind the legend. When he died on New Year's Day in 1953, at the age of 29 en route to a concert, Williams's last single was prophetically titled “I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive.” While classically trained British actor Hiddleston is generally convincing as he sings Williams's songs, he lacks the latter's distinctive twang. Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by writer-director Marc Abraham, the behind-the-scenes featurettes “Talking Hank” (22 min.) and “Illuminating a Legend” (13 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are deleted scenes (14 min.), “A Night in Nashville” premiere and performance by star Tom Hiddleston (11 min.), and a bonus UltraViolet copy of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a middling bio-pic.] (S. Granger)