Take Me Home - The John Denver Story (Biopic)
Whatever one thinks of John Denver's music, this 2000 biopic is an effective, emotionally compelling drama that's hard to shake. Chad Lowe may not look or sound all that much like the late, Colorado troubadour, but his tender performance as the idealistic and troubled singer-songwriter pulls at the heart with unexpected vigor. Based on Denver'sautobiographyof the same title, the film begins in the mid-'60s, when the rising star embarked on a solo career much to the chagrin of his military father (Gerald R. McRaney) and the delight of his new wife, Annie (Kristin Davis). The story of Denver's fame and success is thoroughly covered, but so are behind-the-scenes details about marital strain, Denver's growing alcoholism and curious isolation, and his interrupted dream of developing a world-class retreat for environmentalists. This is a real paradox: a sad tale of a man whose natural high kept so many hurt and doubting people going.--Tom Keogh