The key to this unconventional story is the duet "Funny I'm falling' feels like flying For a little while"

Rating: 8/10 (13 February 2010)

I am reading over and over about the great acting, but run of the mill story, but I had a different experience. The duet between the two party boys, Bad and Tommy outlines the tension in this movie. Can you be free, and unapologetic about it? Will rehab help connect you to authentic passion? THat's part of the story, but there's more.
The story wasn't the washed up alcoholic 'could have been' man finding love and redemption... I think it's the more nuanced story of a man who has a deep calling for emotional honesty, and can't figure out life's rules - but connects to it more honestly than most of us, thus his charisma. We want what Bad has, but judge him and take him to task for having "too much fun". He dutifully does rehab, but still at the end hasn't accepted his passion and joy is not conventional
There's a theme of father and son here... he's a failure at being a father according to the conventions of society, he abandoned his son 25 years ago, and loses the 4 year old son of his lover, thus wrecking that relationship. He was a failure at conventional life and love, but the true father - son relationship was with Tommy. There was tension there, Tommy was proud of being one of "Bad's boys" .... and loves Bad like a father. Bad was both proud and jealous of Tommy.... but begrudgingly acknowledge Tommy was "real country". Part of what Bad comes to accept was happiness at Tommy singing his songs to success, but he doesn't open to this 'father/mentor' role, he watches Tommy sing his song from the sidelines... and leaves to have the bittersweet encounter with Jean. This was his fantasy of finding intimacy and happiness conventionally. Where he should have been is on the stage singing harmony with Tommy. THat's his true relationship and his art.
Why does Bad try to figure out conventional life? He's not a conventional man, he's undomesticated. Tommy is the only one that knows that.