Pure Country

For other uses, see Pure Country (disambiguation).

Pure Country
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Christopher Cain
Written by	Rex McGee
Produced by	Jerry Weintraub
Starring	George Strait Lesley Ann Warren Isabel Glasser
Cinematography	Richard Bowen
Edited by	Jack Hofstra
Music by	Steve Dorff
Production company	Jerry Weintraub Productions
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date	October 23, 1992 (1992-10-23)
Running time	112 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$10 million
Box office	$15.2 million

Pure Country is a 1992 American drama, musical, and western film directed by Christopher Cain. It stars country singer George Strait in his first and only acting role, along with Lesley Ann Warren, Isabel Glasser, and Kyle Chandler. The film was released by Warner Bros. Pictures on October 23, 1992. Rory Calhoun's last acting role before his death in 1999 was in "Pure Country," which was the first film in the "Pure Country" trilogy. The "Pure Country" soundtrack album was released on September 15, 1992. It became George Strait's best-selling album. The film had its premiere in Nashville on October 20, 1992. On November 18, 1992, the "Pure Country" soundtrack was certified gold and platinum by the RIAA, and earned a double-platinum album from the RIAA on February 3, 1993. On May 11, 1993, during the telecast of the 28th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards on NBC, "Pure Country" was awarded the Tex Ritter Award for Top Country Film. This award recognized the film's contributions to the country music genre. On July 3, 1993, Warner Home Video, now known as Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment, released the film "Pure Country" on VHS. On January 24, 1994, the "Pure Country" soundtrack earned a triple-platinum album certification from the RIAA. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment released "Pure Country" on DVD on September 14, 2004.

Plot

The film "Pure Country" opens with an audience chanting "Dusty!" as the band begins to play. When the smoke and lights are turned on, Wyatt "Dusty" Chandler enters the stage sporting a beard and ponytail. Dusty is a country music superstar who has been away from the music scene for some time. The concert was filled with smoke and lights, and the audience was clearly excited. However, during one performance, the singer omitted several bars from the song "Where the Sidewalk Ends," which confirmed a suspicion. Fortunately, he still performed other songs such as "Heartland" and "Baby Your Baby." Dusty Chandler is a successful country music singer who is tired of the trappings of his career, including the elaborate stage show that his manager, Lula Rogers, has planned for him. He is looking for a way to reclaim his creative independence and escape the celebrity lifestyle. Dusty tells Lula that he can't see her in the smoke and lights when the music is loud. So he stopped singing for three bars. He doesn't like the sets, the lights, or the fact that she takes her boyfriend on the bus. And he doesn't like her cramming his songs down his throat. Dusty is performing his new single, "Overnight Male," while driving down the road. He's wearing sunglasses and talking with his road crew member Buddy Jackson about adding strings, horns, and accordion to the performance. Dusty says there's no accordion. After Dusty and his band perform the song they discussed, Lula tells Buddy not to do it again. But the band continues playing the song. Then, the band plays "Where the Sidewalk Ends," which is a blur. After the concert, Dusty, his drummer, and best friend, Earl Blackstock, reminisce about being kids. Dusty then decides to take a walk but doesn't say where he is going or for how long. Meanwhile, Dusty and his fans sign autographs for the bodyguards, who are there to protect Dusty and his fans. Dusty and Earl were regulars at a bar where they played music before they made it big. One day, Dusty visited the bar and talked with the bartender. He told the bartender that he and Earl had a falling out, and he wasn't sure if they would ever get back together. Dusty and the woman continued talking when he returned. In the meantime, Dusty's truck was being repaired, so he hitched a ride with a friend. He shaved off his beard and cut off his ponytail, then headed for the small farm town where he grew up to visit his grandmother.

That evening, Dusty's band members wonder where he is. They are concerned because he didn't show up for the gig. They try to contact him but can't reach him. Since the concert wasn't cancelled, the artist knows that 25,000 fans are out there expecting a show. The artist has a moral obligation to perform. Dusty Chandler was scheduled to perform in Shreveport, but failed to show up. Some of Dusty's fans are so devoted that they have driven hundreds of miles just to see him perform live. The artist has a moral obligation to perform, especially when fans go to great lengths to see him. Dusty's band was scheduled to perform at a concert, but Dusty was unable to attend. Instead of canceling the concert, Lula allowed road crew member Buddy Jackson to impersonate Dusty on stage. Buddy lip-synced to a recording of Dusty's voice while the lights and smoke created a cover for the deception. However, the band was not happy with the decision, and the fans felt betrayed. Dusty is at a down-home bar, relaxing with a drink while watching the dancers perform a line dance. Suddenly, he looks up and sees Harley Tucker dancing and smiling at him. Dusty is immediately smitten. Meanwhile, in the parking lot, Al and Harley are drunk and arguing in the pouring rain. Dusty comes to Harley's aid when Al tells Dusty to back off. Dusty intervenes when Al tries to punch and bother Harley. He tells Al to stop and leave Harley alone. Dusty then punches Al, knocking him out. However, Al broke his hand in the process, which put him out of the fight. Dusty's agent Buddy is still pretending to be Dusty at the Shreveport concert, lip-syncing to Dusty's music. Meanwhile, Lula asks the members of Dusty's band what Buddy was doing. Buddy is upset because he can't play with a band that is lip-syncing. He wants to know if the concert is still on, or if it's been canceled or postponed. If the concert is canceled, will he get a raincheck? If it's postponed, when will it be rescheduled? In the film "Pure Country," music producers decide to speed up and slow down the music to throw the audience off. This is because they think the audience might think the singer is lip-syncing. Then Earl punches Buddy, knocking him to the ground. Dusty asks Harley if he can change his name to Wyatt. Harley is reluctant to let Dusty change his name, but Dusty is determined to do it. The next morning, Dusty and Harley are at the Tucker family's house for breakfast. Dusty and Ernest Tucker, Harley's father, have a chance to talk. Harley tells Dusty and Al that they were all drunk the previous night. Harley tells Dusty that he should go back into the house, but Dusty is reluctant to do so. Harley convinces Dusty that it is in his best interests to return to the house. Harley accidentally steps on Al's hand, causing him to drop his hat. Harley then grabs the hat and runs off. Dusty is determined to improve his roping skills. He is taking roping lessons and paying for them by selling off pieces of his ranch.

After Buddy performs, he confronts Lula and demands $100,000 and a recording contract. Lula reluctantly agrees to his terms, but then refuses to go along with Buddy's plan. In retaliation, Buddy lies to the press that Lula paid him to pose as Dusty. Lula is innocent of any wrongdoing, but she reaches out to Earl to find Dusty. Harley left Earl and went to Dusty's location. There she learned that Dusty had feelings for Harley and would not leave. Harley asks Earl if he knows where Dusty is. Earl says he doesn't know where Dusty is. Later, Harley discovers that Dusty is married to Lula. Harley is furious and dumps Dusty. Lula tells Harley that Dusty is married to her, and Harley dumps Dusty. When Lula arrives, he is surprised to learn that his band has been disbanded and his career is over. Lula then waits to scoop him up to return to his band and career. Dusty is back on stage with his band. This time, he's demanding a no-frills approach to his show. He wants no smoke or elaborate lighting. Dusty tells Buddy to hold on, but Buddy continues to make comments to the press and show his face around country music. Dusty warns Buddy that if he does it again, he will be served with a lawsuit so fast it will make his head spin. Dusty is furious with Buddy for telling the press that Lula offered him money and a recording contract to pose as Dusty. Dusty feels betrayed by Buddy and wants him to pay for his mistake. Buddy confronts Dusty and tells him that their feud is not over. Dusty replies, "Yes it is," and Buddy leaves surrounded by bodyguards. Dusty's fans are no longer with Buddy, so he is alone. Dusty's band was scheduled to play at The Mirage hotel in Las Vegas. They packed up their gear and headed to the rodeo. However, when they arrived at the rodeo, they discovered that the rodeo had been canceled. Dusty's band was looking forward to seeing Harley Tucker compete in the rodeo. When they arrived at the rodeo, they discovered that Harley was scheduled to compete. Lula contacted Dusty to invite Harley and her family to attend Dusty's concert. During the concert, Dusty performs a love song called "I Cross My Heart." Lula had wanted Harley and her family to be there to support Dusty, and Lula was able to arrange for them to attend. Harley is so moved by the performance that she forgives Dusty. The film Pure Country ends with a scene in which Dusty and Harley share an emotional hug on the edge of the stage.

Cast and characters

• George Strait as Wyatt "Dusty" Chandler
• Lesley Ann Warren as Lula Rogers
• Isabel Glasser as Harley Tucker
• Kyle Chandler as Buddy Jackson
• John Doe as Earl Blackstock
• Rory Calhoun as Ernest Tucker
• Molly McClure as Grandma Ivy Chandler
• James Terry McIlvain as Tim Tucker
• Toby Metcalf as J.W. Tucker
• Mark Walters as Al
• Tom Christopher as Dave, Dusty's bodyguard
• Jeffrey R. Fontana as Eddie, Dusty's bodyguard
• Jeff Prettyman as Bobby Louis
• David Anthony, Mike Daly, Gene Elders, Terry Hale, Rondel Huckaby, Mike Kennedy, Benny McArthur, and Rick McRae as Dusty's Band
• Sharon Thomas as Monique James
• Gil Glasgow as Bartender
• Julie Johnson as Waitress
• Fred Ellis as Private Detective
• Fred Fontana as Courier
• Kristen Michaels as Hostess
• Evelyn Furtak as Assistant
• Eric Randall, Loretta Holloway, and Roy Kieffer as Reporters
• Bob Tallman as Rodeo Announcer
• Bobby Foxworth, Dennis Deveaugh, and Marguerite Happy as Stunts

Production

Pure Country was filmed in 1991 throughout Texas, but mostly in Maypearl. The graveyard scene was shot at Cresson Cemetery in Cresson, Texas, and the concert sequences were filmed at concert venues in Fort Worth, including North Side Coliseum and Will Rogers Coliseum. The bar scenes where Dusty meets Harley were filmed at Western Kountry Klub, located between Midlothian and Mansfield Tx.

Box office

Despite George Strait's popularity as a country music artist, "Pure Country" only grossed $15 million at the box office. While expectations were high for Strait's first major film role, the film's disappointing performance did not prevent the soundtrack album from becoming the best-selling album of Strait's career.

Critical reception

Rolling Stone stated that the film "Pure Country" was lambasted by most reviewers. It has a score of 41% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 22 reviews, with an average rating of 4.7 out of 10.

Chicago film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert both praised George Strait's performance in Pure Country. They felt that Strait was a convincing actor in the lead, and they enjoyed Karen Glasser's performance as well. However, they felt that the film was undermined by a hokey story, and that the film would have been better with moments for satire. In Movie and Video Guide, a review summarized that the film was "mostly pure tedium, though the film picks up some in hour two with the appearance of Glasser, and Rory Calhoun as her father".

Legacy

Sequels

Pure Country had two sequels: Pure Country 2: The Gift (2010) and Pure Country: Pure Heart (2017). Screenwriter Rex McGee spoke of the two follow-ups saying he was not involved with those films and that their scripts existed for a long time. McGee continued that when the scripts were picked up by Warner Bros., the studio "just slapped the "Pure Country" title on."

Musical

Plans for the musical were announced in the mid to late 2000s. John Bettis and Steve Dorf were brought on to create new lyrics and music for the musical, respectively, and Rex McGee was brought on to write the book for Pure Country. A staged reading was performed on May 7, 2007, at New World Stages and featured Will Chase, Carlin Glynn, Cady Huffman, James Moye, and Danny Rutigliano in unspecified role.

The musical was originally slated to premiere on Broadway during Spring 2009 and a workshop casting call was placed in March 2008. The Broadway production was set to feature Joe Nichols and Lorrie Morgan in starring roles. This version did not come to fruition and the stage musical did not release until 2017, when it premiered on June 9 at the Irving Arts Center's Carpenter Performance Hall outside of Dallas, using the book and songs written for the Broadway release. This release coincided with a 25 year anniversary celebration for the film, in order for the celebration to serve as a lead up to the musical's premiere. Harley Jay was brought on to portray the leading role. The Dallas Morning News gave the 2017 production a favorable review.

A new production of the musical was planned by the Houston-based theater company Theatre Under The Stars for their 2019-2020 season, however this production was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. If it had not been cancelled, the production would have featured Levi Kreis in the lead role, accompanied by Sally Mayes, Stephanie Gibson, and Felicia Finley.

Soundtrack

• See Pure Country (soundtrack)

External links

• Pure Country at IMDb
• Pure Country at AllMovie
• Pure Country at the TCM Movie Database
• 1992 George Strait Interview About Pure Country Part 1
• 1992 George Strait Interview About Pure Country Part 2