My Review

Rating: 7/10 (9 July 2008)

John C. Reilly plays Dewey Cox, a fictitious singer somewhat reminiscent of Johnny Cash, who takes the music world by storm from the 50's all the way to the present.
When Dewey was a child, he accidentally kills his other brother (in a pretty hilarious way), and his father never lets him live it down that he would rather have Dewey dead than his other son.
Years later, at a talent show (when he's only 14...yet it's Reilly playing Cox...so the humor is even more prevalent in the fact that a 40-something year old man is visibly playing a 14 year old), Cox steals the show, and also alienates himself from the older people in the community who think of his music as the "devil's music." So he goes off with his 12-year old girlfriend (Kristen Wiig, also visibly playing a 12-year old) and starts a music career. One year later he's a father and his now-wife is demanding he quit the music career. But he strikes it big with the song "Walk Hard," which becomes a #1 hit and propels him to the international spotlight.
As the years go on and the hits keep coming, Cox is faced with turmoil (being introduced to drugs, problems with the wife, falling for his singing partner, the death of his mother), which leads him into a downward spiral to destruction...and ultimately restitution thanks to the help of the ghost of his dead brother who tells him what he needs to do to ultimately be happy.
Featuring Judd Apatow's all stars (Jonah Hill, Justin Long, Jason Schwartzman) in uncredited supporting roles, "Walk Hard" delivers in the comedic department as well as tells the faux biopic story of Dewey Cox in not just a comical...but somewhat dramatic...fashion.