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| Crazy, Film Inspired by the Life of Guitarist Hank Garland Crazy, an independent feature film inspired by the tragic life and groundbreaking music of legendary 1950s-era guitarist Hank Garland, will have a limited theatrical release – beginning October 17 – at Regal Theatres and Carmike Theatres in Nashville and Malco Theatres in Memphis, TN. The film, which stars Waylon Payne (Walk The Line) as Garland and Ali Larter (Heroes) as his wife Evelyn, has been winning major festival awards throughout 2008. In addition to being a rising film star – his performance as Jerry Lee Lewis in the Oscar-winning Walk The Line drew much acclaim – Waylon Payne is a country music artist with deep Nashville roots. He was named for his godfather, Waylon Jennings, and is the son of Grammy-winning country artist Sammi Smith and longtime Willie Nelson guitarist Jody Payne. There's no doubt that Payne's musical pedigree lends intensity and authenticity to his star turn as Hank Garland, which was honored with the Best Actor award at Colorado's prestigious Breckenridge Festival of Film; Crazy also won for Best Feature. Crazy has been on a winning streak throughout the 2008 festival season, also earning Best Feature honors at the Long Island Int'l Film Festival, Big Island Film Festival and the Hoboken Film Festival, Best of Show at NC's Real To Reel Int'l Film Festival, Best Narrative Feature Audience Choice Award at the Sacramento Film & Music Festival, Best U.S. Feature Film at the Napa Sonoma Wine Country Film Festival and Jury Award for Best Feature at the Charleston International Film Festival. Other recognition includes the Daily News Award for Best Screenplay – for a script co-written by Crazy's director Rick Bieber, Jason Ehlers and Brent Boyd – at the Method Fest in Calabasas, CA, Best Cinematography at the Boston Int'l Film Festival and Best Soundtrack at the Rhode Island Int'l Film Festival. On an especially meaningful note, Crazy won the top Vanguard Award at Florida's Jacksonville Int'l Film Festival – Hank Garland lived the last four decades of his life near Jacksonville with his brother (and manager) Billy Garland and Billy's wife Amy, who attended the festival. Director Rick Bieber was introduced to the project and to the late Hank Garland by Ray Scherr, Executive Producer for Crazy along with guitar hero Steve Vai – who also performs a cameo as Hank Williams – under the Favored Nations Films mantle. Scherr had known the Garland family for over a decade, and Hank Garland consulted on the screenplay and was involved with the project, but passed away before it was completed. Crazy's wonderfully realized period music was produced by multiple-Grammy -winning producer Larry Klein, who was most recently honored for the 2007 Album of the Year, Herbie Hancock's River – The Joni Letters. Crazy chronicles Hank Garland's rise to fame in Music City, from playing on hits for icons including Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, the Everly Brothers and Roy Orbison through his brief but influential solo career as a visionary jazz artist. It also explores his tempestuous marriage and repeated clashes with the Nashville's country music establishment over artist's rights, civil rights and other issues. The car crash and electroshock treatments that eventually ended Garland's performing career and derailed his life are starkly portrayed, and the enormity of what was lost is deeply felt. write your comments about the article :: © 2008 Jazz News :: home page |