Coming home

Last Sunday Glee was on and I was watching it... I don't like the show, but they do nice things to music, and as I love music, I caught myself appreciating it somehow. It was the episode that Gwyneth Paltrow sings "Landslide", by Stevie Nicks (made famous by the Dixie Chicks). That was so amazing that I had to search some other songs sung by her.

I've never been a fan of her work. I always thought she was overrated and I still don't think she should have won that Oscar for "Shakespeare in love". So I found a song called "Coming home", from a movie called "Country Strong". Amazing song with lyrics so beautiful that you may wanna cry. And her voice... perfect to it. Soft but deep. So I figured out I had to watch that movie...

The cast had, as the lead, besides Paltrow, a girl from Gossip Girl, which reduced me to laughter. The movie must be terrible! As one of the supporting actors, Tim McGraw, a country music legend. Then, some respect.

The best torrent I found was giving me a 2 kbps download rating. And by yesterday, after leaving my computer on almost the entire "vacations", I had 30% concluded.

Yesterday, after some soccer game, I decided to take a look at the movies on HBO and Telecine. HBO was making me very happy, because "Disclosure" (a 1994 classic from Demi Moore and Michael Douglas), with no cuts (which means with the extremely strong - and very well directed, by the way - sex scene), was broadcasted... So I was just checking and a movie called "Onde o amor está" would start by midnight. I like those kinds of movies, no strings attached, no tension, just some ridiculous romantic comedy to make my day better. As I searched for the original title... "Country Strong". What a ridiculous translation!

So... torrent deleted and I would stay up till 3AM watching a movie... superb!

I don't wanna spoil the movie. But here's some summary...

A very famous country singer (Gwyneth Paltrow) is married to a producer (Tim McGraw). She is falling apart after losing her baby because of alcoholism. So they try to rebuild her career by any cost. She has an affair with an employee ("Something" Hedlund) - her husband does not want to touch her anymore - and the husband is tired of facing her crazyness.

The script gives me goosegumps at times and makes me so ashamed at others. There's no continuity (something writers should pay A LOT more attention), a lot of scenes are disconected, the intensity between the characters is weird, but the dialogs are fenomenal. Stunning. The singers and the songs are amazing, whether you're a country fan like me or not.

I watch "House", and I know how much it hurts me when he falls. It sickens me! Because I don't need more tragedy in my life, no one needs some more. People can change and I don't want less than that.

So, as any movie, you expect Paltrow's character to rise. She fails to perform (and to stay sober) for most of the movie... but in Dallas, when her tragedy began, she manages to do it. It starts with a very nice song called "Country Strong" and it ends with a powerfull "Coming home".

That was perfect. She stood tall and then she would rebuild her life... She would leave her husband, stay with the nice guy... they would sing together and live happily ever after!

A very strong line is said by Hedlund's character... "You can't have fame and love"... and that line is in my head until now.

Because it's so true. And it's so sad. It made me realize why I don't watch drama movies more often, why I love the romantic comedy genre. There's no thinking, there's no deep meaning attached to the words. The girl gets the boy and it's all good, everyone is happy.


We can't succeed professionally and be loved at the same time. You have to choose. At the same time, as the end comes, you realize love is what matters, the people around you matter...

"Don't be afraid to fall in love... fall in love for the most things you can"

We can't turn back time. And sometimes we can't fight what time throws at us. Life is hard and sometimes it's impossible to live, but as long as we love, as long as we have a reason to go, it's worth it.


You wanna know the end?
After the show in Dallas, she kills herself, she chooses love over fame.