I Saw the Light (2015) User Reviews

See ISTL for Tom Hiddleston's great performance and for Hank's eternal songs

[trez1 · 7/10 · 26 March 2016]

It's a shame that some of this film's structural flaws will keep many from seeing one of the best on screen performances I've seen in years. Hiddleston's Hank Williams is a masterful creation: haunting, driven and soulful with the added bonus of Hiddleston doing his own singing and playing (no lip-syncing) including Hank's famous yodel.

While the film would have benefited with less marital squabbling and more music, it nonetheless takes one on an gripping journey of an American music icon's tragic life and short but amazing career.

Elizabeth Olson as Audrey, William's headstrong wife, does a fine job but I could have done with less of their relationship story and more about Hank's musical process. Cherry Jones is also excellent as Hank's bossy mom.

The stellar singing in the opening segment is worth the price of admission.

Great acting could not overcome the bad writing. Worth seeing, but temper your expectations.

[cosmo_tiger · 6/10 · 5 July 2016]

"A man sings a sad song he knows is sad." Hank Williams (Hiddleston) is a country music legend. He has sung and written some of the best song in this and any genre. He also had some demons that destroyed him. Pain and hurt that he felt and caused led to his classic body of work, and ultimately his untimely death. This is a very hard movie to review. After the huge success of Ray and Walk The Line it is a tall order to live up to those two. I wondered why this didn't get a big release, especially considering the Avengers connection. After watching this I can see why. The acting is great. Hiddleston embodies Hank and even does his own singing. Olsen does a spot on job as Audrey and portraying the struggles she went through. The music and performances are a treat to watch. All that said, the movie itself came off as flat and a little uninspired. It was missing something that the other two had and it ultimately ended up hurting the movie and making this a huge disappointment, for me at least. Overall, great acting could not overcome the bad writing. Worth seeing, but temper your expectations. I sadly give this a B-.

From a big Hank fan...

[mizzouram · 7/10 · 1 April 2016]

I'm only 25 years old, but I have almost all of Hank's music and have read multiple books in high school about him (including "Hank Williams: The Biography" by Colin Escott). So needless to say, I had high hopes for this movie.

I feel like my high hopes were mostly met. I thought the movie did a very good job of laying out Hank's life and showing his stardom as well as struggles. I didn't like as much that it was rated R vs a PG-13 for "Walk the Line", but then again, anyone who has studied Hank knows that his life was rough and he wasn't candy-coated by any means.

I think Tom Hiddleston does a very good job as Hank, though maybe not QUITE as spot on as I would've liked. But when a big movie comes out about probably my biggest musical artist of all-time, I won't complain. From what I've read, Mr. Hiddleston was basically trained to be as spot-on as possible, and when I saw the movie, he had me believing it was Hank. Elizabeth Olsen did a very good job as Audrey as well.

Overall, I quite enjoyed the movie and am anticipating any special edition releases when it comes out on DVD in a few months. Of course, there were moments of sadness especially toward the end, but there were also moments of happiness and (at least for me) a few chuckles. Although I wouldn't rank this as high as "Walk the Line" in my list of biopics, it was definitely worth the price of admission to me and I would totally see it again if given the opportunity.

Hiddleston does Hank admirably--the movie no so much.

[JohnDeSando · 25 March 2016]

"I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" or "Your Cheatin' Heart" might have been better titles for the Hank Williams biopic, "I Saw the Light." The story written and directed by Marc Abraham has too much emphasis on his lonely, cheating persona that led to divorce and broken hearts along the arc of this film's 1944 to 1953, when he died of too much drugs and alcohol. After seeing Amy, about Amy Winehouse, I'm waiting currently for a softer biography, say of Perry Como.

Anyway, Tom Hiddleston's turn as Williams is hypnotically spot on from tics and Southern drawl to hats and all the charm in between. Hiddleston is a good singer who seems to have captured Williams in a masterful interpretation of a manic depressive genius. That's my major concern with the story: I want more of the music, its creation and its challenges, and much less of the personal and domestic warfare, led by his wife, Audrey (Elizabeth Olsen).

Olsen's Southern accent is impressively accurate without being too twangy although her singing is not up to Huddleston's level of smoothness. Audrey was apparently a strong woman who interjected herself into the studio as well as the home. Although she isn't as memorable as June Carter Cash, she is a force in Williams' life. At a point I was sympathetic to her and her children, who were small players in Williams' life.

I guess if you really want to know Hank Williams, listen to his songs. If you want to see what Loki can do outside of science fiction, see him play Hank Williams in I Saw the Light.

Great Acting, Fun Music, But Too Little Heart

[zkonedog · 6/10 · 25 February 2017]

When I see a film like "I Saw The Light", it reminds me of how fine the line is between being "great" and being "just okay". This film has great acting, wonderful song numbers, and tells a dramatic story…all things that it's "spiritual" successor "Walk The Line" does. However, there is one key difference (that makes all the difference): That earlier Johnny Cash flick had a lot of heart. This Hank Williams biopic? Not so much.

For a basic plot summary, "I Saw The Light" tells the story of Hank Williams (Tom Hiddleston), the mega-popular but also severely troubled country music superstar. The film begins with his rushed, low-key marriage to Audrey (Elizabeth Olsen), then chronicles his rise to stardom in line with the promiscuity and alcoholism that defined his personal life.

The problem that holds back "I Saw The Light" is simple to identify, yet tough to disseminate: it lacks that "spark", or heart, that previous biopics on other topics have provided. I think the primary culprit in this case is that it doesn't include much of a personal narrative for any of the featured characters. It's about as "straight" of a biopic as one will ever see, not providing any "editorializing" (for lack of a better word) on Hank or his life. Simply put, there is no backstory given, so how can we ever really feel for the events on screen without that context?

Fortunately, the acting in this film is terrific…every bit as good as "Walk The Line", to be completely honest. Hiddleston captures the awkward skinny-ness of Hank's physical presence, while Olsen often steals the show as Audrey. Usually, acting like this can propel a film to great heights, but (as previously mentioned) there just isn't enough meaty material to create the kind of dramatic tension needed to make that happen.

The musical numbers are a treat, as Hiddleston does a remarkable job of mimicking Hank's unique sound. I like it when films like this let the actor cover the songs…so long as the performance isn't totally butchered. Hiddleston shines in that regard.

Overall, though, the lack of drama/energy in "I Saw The Light" ultimately doom it to its 3-star rating. It's a bit sad, as all the other components are firmly in place, but it just lacks that dramatic narrative that needs to drive any biopic. A film like this can't just "portray real life" (as where is the spectacle in that?). It has to tell its own story, and that is where "I Saw The Light" fell short.

Hiddleston, despite not being an American actor, gives an awesome performance in the film, but the movie is just OK.

[Hellmant · 6/10 · 17 March 2017]

'I SAW THE LIGHT': Three Stars (Out of Five)

A biopic based on the life, and death, of country and blues music legend Hank Williams. The movie stars British actor Tom Hiddleston, as Williams, and it costars Elizabeth Olsen, Cherry Jones and Bradley Whitford. It was written and directed by Marc Abraham, and it's based on the book 'Hank Williams: The Biography' (by Colin Escott, George Merritt and William MacEwen). The film underperformed at the indie Box Office, and it's gotten mostly negative reviews from critics and fans alike. I think it's about average for a biography, which means it's pretty boring stuff (despite it's involving subject matter).

The movie begins when Hank Williams (Hiddleston) was already a well known country and blues singer, and songwriter. He was also already unhappily married to Audrey Sheppard Williams (Olsen), who was also his duet partner and manager. He also already had a serious alcohol and drug problem as well. The movie chronicles his rise to fame, and further descent into health and relationship troubles, up until his very young death at the age of 29.

Hiddleston, despite not being an American actor (or especially from the South), gives an awesome performance in the film (he also did all of his own singing in it)! His performance is actually the highlight of the movie, but the character (and the music legend that he plays) should be a lot more fascinating. The movie recounts the details of his short life, and stardom, but it doesn't actually breath any real life into them; it's just not very involving at all (like it should be). Most biopics have this too annoying flaw though. The film is OK, especially for a Hank Williams fan, but then again, Hank Williams fans are the ones who should be the most eager for more.

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I've Lost My Heart it Seems

[ferguson-6 · 5/10 · 31 March 2016]

Greetings again from the darkness. Most Hollywood musical biopics follow a similar and predictable structure, which is why Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story was so easily able to parody the genre. Of course, the legendary singer/songwriter Hank Williams deserves more than predictable storytelling … but unfortunately, that's exactly what he gets here.

Tom Hiddleston delivers a spot on physical impersonation of Hank – right down to the slightly hunched over (due to Spina Bifida Occulta) posture and bouncy onstage waggle. Yes, the very British Tom Hiddleston, who plays Loki in The Avengers and Thor movies, has managed to capture the presence of one of the all-time great Country and Western icons. Mr. Hiddleston worked on the beloved songs with Rodney Crowell and delivers some very nice singing - so nice in fact that the singing is distracting and misleading. Hank Williams sang his songs in angst … a tortured soul seemingly without choice in his need to share his art. No one could be expected to perform with that emotion, and the void is obvious.

As source material, director Marc Abraham (Flash of Genius, 2008) utilizes "Hank Williams: The Biography" co-written by George Merritt, Colin Escott, and William MacEwen. It may be the least creative title possible for a biography, and the movie correlates perfectly. We track Hank's early days as a struggling singer whose dream is to someday perform on the hallowed stage of The Grand Ole Opry, to his gas station marriage to Audrey May (Elizabeth Olsen), through his alcoholism, drug use, womanizing, superstardom, fall from grace, and ultimately tragic death at the age of 29.

Despite the nature of Williams' short life, the film only skims the surface and rarely digs too deeply. The steady stream of women/wives is difficult to track … perhaps that's the point. Audrey is the only one who gets much screen time and Ms. Olsen plays her as an ambitious shrew who comes across as impossible to like and as unwilling to work at the relationship. A staggering number of Hank Williams songs are embedded as merely interludes separating scenes of misery for all involved … especially Hank, who seems to find little joy in life.

We've all seen the destruction that fame often leads to, and when combined with Hank's painful back disorder and relentless alcoholism, it's little wonder his body simply surrendered at such an early age. The movie just seems a bit too high-gloss for such a tortured soul, and despite the best efforts of Tom Hiddleston, the film is not worthy of someone who left the musical legacy of Hank Williams.

Some outstanding performances make up for a flawed film

[jen-lynx · 7/10 · 3 April 2016]

The best part about going into a film with low expectations is being pleasantly surprised. "I Saw the Light" is Marc Abraham's biopic about country music legend, Hank Williams, starring Tom Hiddleston and Elizabeth Olsen as Williams' first wife, Audrey. I am no fan of country music, but I'll be honest, I am a big fan of Tom Hiddleston.

Despite living a very short life (Williams died when he was only 29), Williams managed to write and release dozens of hit singles and leave an everlasting mark on the history of music. "I Saw the Light" attempts to capture this short, but brightly burning star, in his entirety and in doing so, manages to miss on most everything. There is no denying that both Hiddleston and Olsen give remarkably nuanced performances and Hiddleston's transformation from English gentleman to smalltown Southern boy is nothing short of brilliant, but sadly not even their acting can make up for a poorly conceived and executed story. The story, while apparently linear, jumps from place to place, with little explanation, thus leaving the audience to try and fill in the missing pieces, which is an impossible task for those who do not know Hank Williams' life.

"I Saw the Light" is a flawed film from the structure, to the script, with some truly cringe worthy lines, to some terrible use of hand held cameras, yet I still enjoyed myself. Knowing that it was not a great film, I was able to just focus on what were Oscar worthy performances by both Hiddleston and Olsen. I left with little understanding of Hank Williams, but perhaps a better appreciation of his music. It was a fine way to spend a few hours on a Sunday afternoon. If you like Olsen or Hiddleston, it is worth seeing, otherwise wait for streaming or other media.

Missed opportunity for epic scene

[jpblair-07110 · 4/10 · 11 February 2018]

I don't think I've ever caught a movie on opening day, but I couldn't resist fighting the crowd to see "I Saw The Light" on opening night. Wasn't much crowd to fight. I was the first to purchase tickets for the 7:15 show at the Warren. The reviews haven't been good, but I want to start out and say if you are a fan of Hank Williams, go see the movie. I read all the books and watch all the movies. I appreciate any attempt to keep the music of Hank alive and on the forefront. The last few days, there has been a lot of talk about Hank and this latest film. Sixty-three years after his death, and we are still talking about him and the media is putting out stories on this latest biopic about the greatest hillbilly singer ever. Over sixty studio recordings of which over 30 charted. No one else has done that! It was a short career, but will probably require a mini-series to actually tell the story to meet our expectations. Tom Hiddleston's performance is commendable. He has the look and is a great actor. He also had the benefit of working with country legend Rodney Crowell to prepare for the film. With today's recording technology, the music will be perfect. However, Tom fails to capture that "tear" (as in crying tear) in his voice that Hank had. He didn't appear to be about to lose control of his emotions when singing "Lovesick Blues" or "Cold Cold Heart". The music is great, with some of the best sidemen in Nashville contributing. Tom's movement while singing seemed a bit awkward. It seemed instead of bouncing up and down, like Hank did from exerting the emotion in his music, Tom had a choreographed circular motion. However, he looked like Hank. I became immediately jealous of his perfect "Hank" nose (which makes mine look like Jamie Farr). I give Rodney an "A" for his production of the music. The movie tends to jump around all of the dark characteristics of Hank without fully exploring them. These "dark" areas haunted Hank during about 5% of his time of stardom (in my opinion) while the other 95% was great music and good times (albeit in pain). While the Colin Escott autobiography is considered one of the best, other books by band members Jerry Rivers and Don Helms give a more accurate allocation of the fun Hank vs the dark Hank. The film missed an opportunity to create an epic moment during Hank's opry debut when he reportedly performed numerous encores of Lovesick Blues (and I've heard first hand reports from Martha White, who happens to be my Mom, who was there that night). I'm not a director of any sorts, but I would have used the title song performance of "La Bamba" as my example of creating such an epic moment. I think they also missed an opportunity to tie in the hospital scene of Hank bringing Audrey roses resulting in his writing Cold Cold Heart. And why not some drama surrounding Lilly boarding a pregnant Bobbie Jett and Billie Jean at the same time? Or the drama of the three way fight between Lilly, Billie Jean, and Audrey after Hank is dead, resulting in Lilly and Audrey "tag teaming" against Billie Jean. Or the birth of Bobbie's baby, Cathy, just days after Hank's funeral with Bobbie turning over custody to Lilly before moving to California? I didn't see any glaring inaccuracies, probably due to Colin Escott being an advisor. They give a disclaimer at the end of changing some timelines for dramatization, but none immediately stood out to me (possibly leaving out The Willis Brothers as the first band he recorded with on Sterling instead of Red Foley's band?). The wardrobe, instruments, amps, and cars were fun to watch in the film along with the vintage scenes from the opry. Audrey's (Elizabeth Olsen) vocals were very close to real, in my recollection of her recordings, so I'll give Elizabeth an A also. I'm not a professional movie critic, but if I were directing it, I would have added a "National Lampoon" ending like Animal House and Stripes where a short bio tells what happened to each character after Hank's death. Toby Marshall, Audrey, Bobbie's baby, Bocephus, and Billie Jean are stories in themselves. Again, please go see the movie. Maybe the movie's success will inspire other artists or even a mini-series (I'll nominate Jason Petty to play Hank and maybe he will let me play Big Bill Lister or George Morgan). Or better yet, go buy Colin's book, and Jerry's and Don's and check out Brian Turpen's books. For what it's worth, that's my review. Couple more things. Tom's version of the Luke The Drifter recitation was very good. He did better at mimicking Hank's vocal intonations on that number than he did with the regular speaking role. Also, another interesting scene that I would have added would have been Hank's dealings with Jack Ruby in Dallas (and using his alias, Herman P. Willis to avoid him).

Brilliant performance by Tom Hiddleston but average film

[njboden · 7/10 · 12 August 2020]

Tom looks and sounds remarkably like Hank Williams here. If you listen to 'Hey good lookin'' performed by Tom he pronounces 'new' with yod retention ('nyoo') but that's not a mistake due to him being English as if you listen to the Hank Williams recording he does the same! The only problem is the absence of a back story to the central characters, even Hank himself, means you don't particularly care about them or root for them, which is a shame.

Great performance from Hiddleston but the movie was quite boring! 3/10

[leonblackwood · 3/10 · 7 December 2016]

Review: For a movie that's about an iconic musical star, Hank Williams, it certainly was small in scale and the plot seemed to be going round and round in circles. You don't get to see how famous Hank Williams (Tom Hiddleston) really became, because his life seemed the same throughout the film, even though he had over 35 top selling records and quite a bit of money in the bank. He made a majority of his earnings from touring, so when he was diagnosed with having severe back problems, he became depressed and he turned to alcohol for comfort. His womanising ways also put a heavy strain on his long time relationship with Audrey Williams (Elizabeth Olsen), and with the studios putting pressure on him to produce new songs, his life in the big time was quite depressing towards the end of his life. At 29 years old, his illness gets the better of him, and he dies in a car whilst heading towards a live performance. Its quite a sad movie about a talented man, even though I didn't really like his music but his yodelaying style, was truly unique and it always got the crowds going. Hiddleston put in a top performance, especially as he sung a lot of the songs himself but the film is quite boring because the director chose to concentrate on his relationships, more than his music. You don't get to find out that much about the man and his music, and although he had so many top hits, he didn't seem to change, in terms of the response from the public and his life style. Anyway, I wasn't that impressed with the structure of the end product but it's still worth a watch to see Hiddleston's performance. Disappointing!

Round-Up: With such a lose at the box office, Hiddleston seems to be struggling to hit the big time away from the Thor and Avengers franchise. At 35 years old, he has definitely become an household name as Loki, which he played quite well but Crimson Peak, High-Rise, Only Lovers Left Alive, War Horse and the Deep Blue Sea, have all been pretty mediocre after his new found fame. With 4 movies in the pipeline, which include Hard Boiled, Thor: Ragnarok and Kong: Skull Island, he has plenty of time to prove that he can make it without the Avengers team behind him, and I can't wait to see a return of the Night Manager series, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Anyway, this movie was written and directed by Marc Abraham, who also brought you Flash of Genius in 2008, starring Greg Kinnear. He's mostly known for producing movies, with hits like the Commitments, Air Force One, The Hurricane, End of Days, Spy Game, Children of Men, the Thing 2011, In Time, and Robocop 2014, tied to his name, so he obviously has worked on some big budget movies in his career but this movie was pretty poor. With Hank Williams music making such an impact around the world, this project really did need an established director to portray his interesting story, which was cut short due to illness.

Budget: $13million Worldwide Gross: $1.8million

I recommend this movie to people who are into their biography/music/dramas, starring Tom Hiddleston, Elizabeth Olsen, Bradley Whitford, Cherry Jones, Maddie Hasson and Wrenn Schmidt. 3/10

Tom Hiddleston is magic in this performance!

[johnfbyers2010 · 9/10 · 2 December 2020]

I never appreciated his range as an actor but Tom Hiddleston pours everything in to this and it was wonderful. The movie moves quickly and that may be the only drawback but you won't be disappointed.

It was a great vehicle to prove what a great leading man Tom Hiddleston is

[subxerogravity · 6/10 · 31 March 2016]

Chris Hemsworth may have gotten the lead in Thor but it was Mr. Hiddleston who became the movie star.

I don't know much about Hank Williams other than his name is legendary in country music, but I do know Hiddleston and I loved his performance in this movie. He was charming,charismatic and very different from a lot of things I've seen him it (quite possibly due to his weight loss for the part). I Saw the Light if anything, is a testimony of his skills.

Elisabeth Olsen was great in the film too in her supporting role as Hank's first wife. Olsen and Hiddleston show they were great together on screen.

The movie takes some getting use to as it's not your typical biopic. It takes a low tone on how the story is told and somehow is all over the place without being all over the place. It relies greatly on Hiddleston's personality to tell you the story of Hank Williams the the movie itself is not saying much of.

I saw that a few country music fans did not like the movie and what it says about Hank Williams, and I get that. If you are a fan of Tom Hiddleston however, it's not a bad watch.

I Didn't Dislike It, but the Script Could Have Been so Much Better

[VintageSoul56 · 5/10 · 21 March 2019]

The performances were top notch. Tom Hiddleston is way better looking and can sing way better than Hank Williams ever could. The songs were Hank Williams' art, not his voice. Tom Hiddleston does have a resemblance to Hank Williams and I can see why he was tapped to play this role. He was excellent. The down side is, the script and the direction, I just didn't have any compassion for the character. I thought that Elizabeth Olsen was very good as well, but again, no compassion. I found myself not caring about what happend to any of the characters. That is a fault that lays with writer and the director. This should have been a way better movie than it was. I kept thinking of "Coal Miner's Daughter" that explored both the private and public life of Loretta Lynn and how well done that whole project was.

I wonder if I would have liked the real Hank Williams as much?

[neil-476 · 7/10 · 13 May 2016]

Country singer and songwriter Hank Willims achieves success, but has ongoing battles with alcoholism, substance abuse, womanising, his wife, and disease.

Tom Hiddleston stars as Williams, and in him lies the film's main strength and also weakness. It is a good performance, with Hiddleston showing considerable musical chops (the number against which the opening titles are shown is simply stunning), but at its heart is Hiddleston's innate likability. Willims had to be likable on stage and on radio, but I strongly suspect – and the events of the film bear it out – that he wasn't that likable when out of the public eye, yet he always seems likable here, whether drunk, womanising or generally being a bad husband. For that reason, I'm not sure that we saw a fair portrait of the artist.

The period detail is good, the music is presented well, and Elizabeth Olsen as wife Audrey is (as usual) wonderful. There were times when the dialogue was either lost in the mix or incomprehensible to a non-Southerner, but not to the extent that I couldn't follow it.

It's an enjoyable film (especially if you don't know much about Williams, as I didn't), but it may not be as true as one might wish.

Alabama Native That Left His Mark

[Foutainoflife · 7/10 · 27 January 2019]

I've grown up in Tuscumbia, Alabama. Home to Helen Keller and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, our little town sits shoulder to shoulder to both Sheffield, home of Muscle Shoals Sound Studios and Muscle Shoals, home of FAME Recording Studios. We are not a community that is well known outside the music industry but we have seen our share of big names making comfortably quiet stops in our area to work on some of their releases. Needless to say, our area has an affinity for music and when I recently came across this film, I had to check out this flick about one of Alabama's boys.

Hank Williams truly played one of the most significant roles in country music. While his life was brief, the impact he made speaks volumes to his gift of musical creativity and delivery. The scope of what he could have achieved had his life not ended is something to think about.

While this film is wonderfully acted and filmed, I must admit that I was a bit disappointed. I thought that for a biographical movie about the demise of a musical icon this film was shallow. It seemed to only scratch the surface of Hank Williams life, music, relationships and addictions. If I had to choose what it was most focused on I would say it was mostly about his first marriage. It was still, as I said, very shallow and didn't really dig into their struggles and they didn't have many scenes together in the film.

I was disappointed that his music wasn't showcased more. There were some honky tonk scenes, some Grand Ole Opry scenes and a couple acapella moments but it was just missing something and didn't seem to do him much justice. It would've also been nice to have seen some about his childhood and how he came to realize his musical talent.

Don't get me wrong, I liked this film. Hiddleston did a great job filling this role and I'm not sure that you'd find many fans that would disagree with that. I guess I was just hoping for more than I got. It was nonetheless a decent film and worth the watch.

thin biopic

[SnoopyStyle · 4/10 · 11 August 2016]

Hank Williams (Tom Hiddleston) marries recently divorced single mom Audrey (Elizabeth Olsen) in 1944 in an Alabama gas station. He's a hard drinking country singer with some small success. She starts singing with him despite objections from the band and his mother (Cherry Jones). Audrey's constant calling gets Fred Rose (Bradley Whitford) to sign them. They stop Audrey's singing as Hank strives to perform in the Opry. His constant back pains leading to alcohol and pain killer use is finally diagnosed as chronic spina bifida occulta. After his divorce from Audrey, he has a brief affair with Bobbi Jett resulting in a daughter. He meets teenager Billie Jean Jones (Maddie Hasson) and later marries her. He would die on January 1, 1953.

There is nothing substantive here. One would be better off to listen to Hank Williams music while watching a documentary about his life. It's very thin and I'm not talking about Hiddleston's physicality. One rarely gets a sense of the man or his marriage. There is no tension. There is no sense of his life or his work. His struggle with his back and alcohol is the obvious path but the movie doesn't elevate his pain. This is a waste of perfectly good talents. I laid all the blame on Marc Abraham who is more a producer than a writer or director.

Hiddleston was great

[haylodad-18606 · 7/10 · 17 November 2020]

Great acting. Script could have been written better

There is a reason this film was pulled from release

[vthomas-02523 · 2/10 · 17 February 2016]

I saw the movie last fall, just a few weeks prior to the original release date. I was happy with the choice of Tom Hiddleston as Hank Williams. He had the physical look to carry it off and I know he has the talent. I just wish I could say the same with the script.

This story seems to focus on his first marriage and that relationship. Out of everything Hank Williams did, this is what they focus on? Other than the music, they barely touched on everything that made him such a colorful character. It didn't help that there was little chemistry between two lead characters. Lifetime movies have better stories and chemistry.

Tom Hiddleston did a nice job with his singing but that isn't worth watching this movie. Hopefully, this will get buried and someone with more knowledge of Hank Williams can bring more deserving movie to the screen.

Hiddleston IS Hank

[kirbylee70-599-526179 · 14 September 2016]

I've been a fan of Hank Williams since I was a little boy. One of the first LPs I ever owned was a collection of songs performed by Williams from 1965 that I still have to this day. When the Williams biopic YOU'RE CHEATIN' HEART aired on TV I was glued to the set. As I grew up I moved on to rock music but that LP remained in my collection though not listened to quite as often. Thus when new movies about Williams arrive I am still interested. I SAW THE LIGHT is perhaps the best representation of the man and his music as I've seen.

Tom Hiddleston, Loki in the recent Marvel hero movies, stars as Williams going from the early start of his career to his first marriage to wife Audrey (Elizabeth Olsen) to his death in 1953 at age 29. Though his time here was short Williams led a colorful life that was cut short by his alcohol abuse as well as the tempestuous nature of his romantic inclinations. Much of that is touched on here but never to the point of exhausting these items. Instead the movie moves at a methodic pace that some will find slow and others will appreciate rather than the usual flash bang boom most biopics offer. The times were different then and so was the world of country music.

Shown beginning at a small station with a weekly program Hank dreams of the day he can play at the Grand Ole Opry, the pinnacle for country music stars. Hank meets and falls in love with Audrey but his influential mother builds a barrier between the pair, even after they marry. Audrey has dreams of her own as a performer but her talent is far less than her desire. This among other things drives a wedge between the couple.

As Hank's star begins to rise so too does the constant touring that it engenders. With Audrey at home tending to their just started family Hank does what many touring stars do. He imbibes far too much and finds himself with a different woman each night. Couple that with the already deep wedge between the two and his mother's influence and a parting of the ways seems inevitable. But even then there remained a love between these two.

The damage done and the chosen lifestyle of Williams as a touring musician influenced not just his life but the songs he wrote as well. The pain of loss, the demons faced with his addictions all found their way into his music. All of that is shown here in subtext that helps propel the movie forward.

What makes the movie work for me is that the usual histrionics shown in movies like this isn't done. We don't see long drawn out moments of rage between the two main characters. They happen but not nearly as often as the conversational moments when the pain caused and felt by Williams is there for us to see. This felt more like real life than the tantrums one has come to associate with biopics dealing with the topic of adultery and addiction.

What makes the movie more memorable than anything is the stand out performance of Hiddleston as Williams. From the involuntary ticks on display as he performs, the rhythmic movement of foot from side to side, to the way he holds his guitar make for a complete immersion into the role. That he actually sang the vocals on each track only adds to the depth of his performance. While I will always remember George Hamilton as Williams in YOU'RE CHEATIN' HEART it will be Hiddleston I come to consider when I next listen to Williams perform.

The movie only got a slight nudge when it was released rather than a huge push. Because of that it never got the attention that it deserved. One can only hope that changes when Oscar time comes around. Hiddleston was that good in this role. If not then at least we can all enjoy the film when we want to pop it into the DVD player from time to time. If you haven't seen this one look for it. It will be a wise investment of your time. And it may even make you dig out that scratched old vinyl LP to listen to once again.

It just never works

[jcravens42 · 6/10 · 15 October 2021]

Such a shame - Tom Hiddleston could have been great in this role, and it's beautifully filmed, but poor direction and an incredibly weak script just could not be overcome. The script is embarrassing - scene after scene of "and then this happened." You can almost see the room where the film creators said, "Okay, let's have an apology scene" and "let's have a nice scene in a car" and "let's have a party scene." No character development, no exploration of "why" anyone does or says what they do, no emotional truth whatsoever. You learn the events of Hank Williams life, but you never get a sense of what inspired him, how he could emerge from the haze of drugs and alcohol to write such amazing music. Hank Williams is portrayed as someone who drinks a lot, but not as an alcoholic, someone addicted to alcohol, someone whose life was dominated by alcohol. His marriage to Audrey Sheppard was turbulent and volatile, but here, it just seems they really annoyed each other. Beautifully filmed, but you never feel like you are really in the era of Hank Williams. Who are these people and why do they do what they do? I have no idea. I guess "Coal Miner's Daughter" just spoiled us all for the musical biopic forever.

A waste of Hiddleston's performance

[eddie_baggins · 4/10 · 6 December 2016]

Frustrating. That is how I would describe this unfocused and sadly unengaging biopic of legendary country singer Hank Williams, the man responsible for such memorable ditties as What You Got Cooking and Cold Cold Heart.

At one time or another spoken about as being a likely contender at the Academy Awards, Marc Abraham's film that features an outstanding and deservedly acknowledged performance from British superstar Tom Hiddleston, I Saw the Light became a true non-event upon release around the world, making a paltry $1.6 million at the worldwide box office and a fate even worse here in Australia where it has been dumped straight onto home release without even the slightest bit of fanfare around, which is such a shame considering the material and tools at Abraham's disposal.

William's story from that centres on an incredible rise to fame from a relatively sad upbringing is completely mishandled by Abraham with the film rarely, if ever, offering up much lead in or background to Williams bar an impressive meltdown at a music festival where Williams addresses the crowd under extreme duress. It's nigh on infuriating that we're never really allowed inside this talented performers mindset or history and makes the film feel as though it's at arm's length away at all times.

This feeling of disconnect can be laid almost entirely to blame on Abraham as Hiddleston who has still perhaps been at his best as Loki in The Avengers before this film rather than the over praised Only Lovers Left Alive, The Deep Blue Sea and the overrated BBC series The Night Manager makes this role his own from the word go.

As the camera slowly lingers in towards Hiddleston performing an impressive instrument free rendition (Hiddleston performs all his own songs here as well as playing the guitar) of hit William's song Cold Cold Heart to an intently concentrating audience, you forget that you're watching the British actor and feel as though you're instead witnessing the complete re-embodying of Williams. It's a turn that deserves a much better movie even if he gets solid support from Elizabeth Olsen as William's long suffering love Audrey.

I Saw the Light is a real missed opportunity to not only tell the story of Williams but give Hiddleston the film his performance deserved and while the die-hard fans of Williams may find this film better than us Williams outsiders, it would be very hard to find many other reasons to watch this soulless film other than to see Hiddleston deliver the acting turn of his career so far.

2 electric garage door buttons out of 5

Tom Hiddelston spot on

[cross525 · 10/10 · 30 November 2016]

Tom Hiddelston portrays Hank Sr spot on. He had the difficult task of singing like the most iconic voice in country music history,in my opinion, Hank Williams and was spot on. The other movie based on Hank that I have seen Your Cheatin Heart(1964) was way more lame and inaccurate than this one. The singing in that one was done by Hank Williams Jr and badly lip synced by George Hamilton. I was raised on Hank Williams music by my father and I believe he would have enjoyed this portrayal. And he told me and I have heard Audrey Williams sing. Elizabeth Olsen singing was much better than Audrey's, just saying. Tom did an excellent job of playing this role. Many people think this movie was awful, but they need to see Your Cheatin Heart (1964) and they will really appreciate this movie. Mr. Hiddelston shouldn't be dismissed because he plays Loki in MCU. He has talent and I believe many should give this movie another chance.

All the right stuff but just fell slightly short

[rachiiroo · 6/10 · 14 January 2021]

This was an interesting film. It had a lot of great content and brilliant actors. Yet there was something about it that ultimately held it back from being truly great. I cannot tell you what that it. If you are a Hank Williams fan or even a Tom Hiddleston fan I would still recommend.

A waste of talent

[Oeuvre_Klika · 5/10 · 11 November 2016]

I am very disappointed by this movie. I gave it 5 stars because of the performances and production values, which were both very good.

Tom Hiddleston, of which I am a fan, delivers a great performance, as he usually does, and it was a pleasure to hear him sing. He seems to have put a lot of effort to put himself into the character, and I salute that. Elisabeth Olsen, as Audrey Williams, is also excellent.

However, the movie itself is extremely bland. Even a film based on real life events needs to have a story arc in order to engage the viewers. There's factual, and then there's boring. There was no story in this movie, just (sometimes very) short sequences from Williams' life in chronological order. The first half of the movie was particularly jarring, as we moved from one event to another, without time to feel the impact of one scene before the next arrived. I'm not calling for melodrama, but this first half was as engaging as a Wikipedia page. It did get slightly better in the second half.

For a musical biopic, there was a surprising lack of focus on music. Sure, we were shown musical performances, but we weren't shown a lot of context around them, making them seem more decorative than part of the story told. Maybe the film was made only for aficionados who already know everything about the country & western music business from the 40's? I doubt it. My biggest disappointment is that, apart from making me listen to beautiful songs, this movie completely failed to show me how important Hank Williams is in the history of music. If I had never heard about him (and before this year, I had never heard about him), I would be baffled as to why they felt it was important to make a movie about him.

I could understand their choice to focus more on Williams' personal life, if they had made it interesting to me. But the movie is as unemotional as they could have made it. The direction is so detached that I sometimes felt like I was watching some sort of existential comedy, a la Coen brothers. Maybe I'm slightly exaggerating, but I did laugh at some scenes that I don't feel were supposed to be funny. I could not be invested emotionally at all, with the exception of a very few scenes. I really blame the direction here, because the actors did give emotional performances. It just seemed that the director didn't want us to feel any empathy for anyone.