Jeff Bridges could have earned an Oscar nomination just for the scenes clipped from “Crazy Heart.”
The Blu-ray edition of the film, released April 27, features nearly a half hour of deleted scenes and alternate cuts, reminding us why Bridges earned his long-overdue statuette earlier this year.
The extras include a few throwaway moments, the kind that add little to one’s appreciation of a film.
But other sequences deliver, revealing more shades to Bad Blake (Bridges) than we saw in the theatrical version.
The meatiest moment comes when Blake’s estranged son decides to meet the country crooner after all, an about face to what goes down in the movie.
It’s hardly a surprise the reunion goes badly, and that’s likely why the sequence didn’t make the final cut.
It’s still fascinating to watch Blake process the slow motion train wreck, his squinty eyes soaking in the damage left behind by his selfish lifestyle.
The best of the rest include alternate cuts of several song sequences, including jangly versions of “I Don’t Know” and “Be Somebody.”
Writer/director Scott Cooper sure knows how to frame a concert scene, amplifying the gritty side of the clubs Blake plays without a hint of condescension toward the inelegantly attired fans.
And watching the “Bad Relapses” deleted scene, in which the singer picks up a very inebriated woman at a dive bar, is to see Blake literally hit rock bottom. The obviousness of the moment likely killed it, but it’s still haunting to see Bridges’ craggy face collapsing in defeat.
The other extra of note gathers Bridges and co-stars Maggie Gyllenhaal and Robert Duvall sharing what drew them to the project.
The best bit here, of course, comes from Bridges. He talks of being enamored of the script but wary of the musical connection.
“It could have been terrible songs,” he says, which is why T. Bone Burnett’s participation in the film proved so critical – and ultimately helped bring Bridges the Oscar.
One final note: The menu graphic on the Blu-ray edition of “Crazy Heart” is flat-out gorgeous. The folks who design these menu visuals likely get little attention, but their work is often outstanding.
(Photo: “Crazy Heart” not only features Jeff Bridges’ Oscar-winning performance but a crush of deleted scenes. Fox Home Entertainment)
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Curses. Now I have to rent the Blu-Ray! And I’ve already seen it twice!
What song is playing over the Blu-ray menu?
yeah, What is that song on DVD/Blu-ray menu?
I too would love to know the song on the DVD menu…it has a really catchy, hypnotic tone to it. Would LOVE to know what it is and learn in on guitar! Anyone??