Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)

Film Title: Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Released: December 21, 2007
Directed by: Jake Kasdan
Written by: Judd Apatow & Jake Kasdan
Starring: John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer & Kristen Wiig

Plot: The epic life story of music legend Dewey Cox.

IMDb: 6.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 75/100
My Score: 4/5

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is a hilarious, star-studded fake musical biopic from Judd Apatow and Jake Kasdan. John C. Reilly brilliantly brings the eponymous character to life as a stupid, self-centered, drug-addled buffoon that we nevertheless root for because he's just so damned lovable. Mainly spoofing the Johnny Cash and Ray Charles biopics Walk the Line and Ray, a bevy of other references are thrown in, too, including a nod to the Jerry Lee Lewis biopic Great Balls of Fire! While watching these other films enhances the humor, you don't need to have seen them in order to enjoy Walk Hard. What I appreciate about Apatow's films is that there is a sweet and endearing center to them that happens to wrapped up in toilet and drug humor and this one is no exception. We are treated to the incredible highs (pun intended) and gut-wrenching lows of a fictional musical legend, who we really believe is a legend due to the phenomenal soundtrack assembled. All of the songs attributed to Dewey Cox are sung by Reilly and he is fantastic. The variety of styles on display range from Johnny Cash-style country, early Beatles-esque pop, and Bob Dylan-inspired folk, with even a little rap thrown in for good measure. Reilly's Dylan impression on the song "Royal Jelly" is classic and I dare you not to at least smile at the double-innuendos in "Let's Duet." The also movie boasts a huge number of hilarious cameos, many of which are uncredited. These include Jack White as Elvis Presely, Frankie Muniz as Buddy Holly, Jack Black as Paul McCartney, Paul Rudd as John Lennon, Jason Schwartzman as Ringo Starr, and Justin Long as George Harrison, as well as Harold Ramis, Jonah Hill, Ed Helms, Jane Lynch, Jack McBrayer, John Michael Higgins, Molly Quinn, Simon Helberg, Gerry Bednob, Nat Faxon, Rance Howard and Martin Starr. There are also a number of celebrities appearing as themselves, too, including musicians Jewel, Lyle Lovett, Ghostface Killah, Eddie Vedder, Jackson Browne, and The Temptations, actors Patrick Duffy, Morgan Fairchild and Cheryl Ladd, and supermodel Cheryl Tiegs (whom Cox marries briefly in the seventies and becomes Cheryl Cox-Tiegs). Co-starring Jenna Fischer and Kristin Wiig as two of his wives, Raymond J. Barry and Margo Martindale as his parents, Tim Meadows, Chris Parnell and Matt Besser as his band, Craig Robinson as nightclub performer Bobby Shad and David Krumholtz as his manager Shwartzberg. Reilly was nominated for a a Golden Globe (Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical) and the song "Walk Hard" was nominated for a Golden Globe (Best Original Song - Motion Picture) and a Grammy (Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media). Much like Apatow's other movies The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up, Walk Hard may be raunchy but it has a heart of gold.