Pure Country 2: The Gift

You can see this plot a mile away. Young country bumpkin with a good voice goes to Nashville to make her mark. Ends up stepping on everyone's toes, loses her way and finds redemption.

You can smell the cheese in the opening scene of three angels, Bronson Pinchot, Michael McKean and Cheech Marin who gift a random just born child a beautiful voice. Her mother dies at birth and the young girl is raised by an African American woman (Jackie Welch), a friend of the family. She begins singing at her “Aunt” Ella's church and later with a band at fairs and rodeos. She decides to hit Nashville with only $200 in her pocket and no place to go. She manages to get a job in a sushi place where all the employee's just happen to be musicians. They work on some music with her, but the record exec only wants her. The rise to fame is quicker than an American Idol season. Soon she is opening for George Strait who we unfortunately don't see perform. Along the way to the top she manages to forget the rules that her Aunt had ingrained for staying level headed. When she gets too far away from treating people right the angels take back her voice. Humiliated on stage, she returns home to her ailing aunt and must find her way back from the slick music business. The music is the typical overproduced numbers that are supposed to pass as country music. Nothing like the true grit of Crazy Heart.

Christopher Cain directed and wrote the script with his step son Dean Cain who also has a small role as a record producer. It plays like Hallmark movie of the week with syrupy dialogue. It has the stereotypical characters like the drunkard lost father who suddenly appears, the handsome rodeo cowboy boyfriend, who apparently once had autism (but doesn't now?), the insensitive dollar signs as eyeballs manager who leads her astray, and the charity event at the end for that feel good moment. The only thing going for this movie is the voice of Oklahoma singer/songwriter/actress Katrina Elam as Bobbie Thomas. Whether this movie becomes her Kelly and Justin move on her music career remains to be seen. It would have been nice to see some growth in her voice and character as experience changes her. But the only thing that changes is her wardrobe improvements. This may be Pure Country 2, but it's pure country corn.
(Review by reesa)