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Original Release: March 25, 2016 Genre: Biography | Drama | Music Running time: 123 minutes Directed by: Marc Abraham Written by: Marc Abraham Produced by: Marc Abraham, Aaron L. Gilbert Brett Ratner, G. Marq Roswell Distributed by: Sony Pictures Classics Budget: $13 million Box Office: $1.8 million |
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The story of the country-western singer Hank Williams, who in his brief life created one of the greatest bodies of work in American music. The film chronicles his rise to fame and its tragic effect on his health and personal life.
Cast & Characters Tom Hiddleston (Hank Williams), Elizabeth Olsen (Audrey Sheppard Williams), Cherry Jones (Lillie Skipper Williams), Bradley Whitford (Fred Rose), Maddie Hasson (Billie Jean), Wrenn Schmidt (Bobbie Jett), David Krumholtz (James Dolan), Josh Pais (Dore Schary), James DuMont (WB Nolan), Casey Bond (Jerry Rivers), Jayson Warner Smith (Hank Snow), Michael Rinne (Lum York), Joshua Brady (Sammy Pruett), Wes Langlois (Don Helms), Von Lewis (Ray Price), Fred Parker Jr. (Faron Young), Rob Boltin (Frank Walker). |
Production Photos
Production Notes
Director Marc Abraham began developing the film in 2009 and adapted the screenplay himself. In June 2014, producers secured the rights to Williams’ music for the film after making a deal with Sony ATV. Aaron L. Gilbert with Bron Studios will produce alongside Brett Ratner’s production company RatPac Entertainment, G. Marq Roswell and Abraham. Creative Wealth Media Finance will finance the film. On 12 June 2014, British actor Tom Hiddleston who was set to play Hank Williams, posted an image of himself on his Twitter account, dressed as Williams with the title of the film as the caption.
Hiddleston will sing his own music for the film, also taking on Williams’ southern accent. To prepare for the film and work on his singing and guitar playing, Hiddleston practiced with country singer Rodney Crowell. In July 2014, Crowell signed on to be the executive music producer for the film while Carter Little, who has worked with the Black Keys on The Man With the Iron Fists, signed on to serve as music supervisor. Crowell said of Hiddleston, “After nearly a month spent collaborating with this gifted artist, I’m as respectful of the man’s work ethic as I’m mystified by his transformational skills. Without a doubt, the filmmakers chose the right actor for the job.”
At the 2014 Wheatland Music Festival, Hiddleston sang “Move It on Over” and “Jambalaya (On the Bayou)”, promoting the film.
Casting for the film for extras and additional actors begin in September 2014. Casting was done by Legacy Casting and Tracy Kilpatrick of The Casting Office. On September 12, Rolling Stone announced that Elizabeth Olsen would be playing Audrey Williams, Hank’s wife, manager, duet partner.
Trivia
Release & Reception
The film was originally scheduled to be released on November 27, 2015, by Sony Pictures Classics. However, on October 16, the release date was pushed back to March 25, 2016.
I Saw the Light received mixed to negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 20% score based on 131 reviews, with an average rating of 4.6/10. The site’s consensus states: “I Saw the Light boasts a terrifically talented cast, but their performances aren’t enough to enliven an unfocused biopic that never comes close to capturing its subject’s timeless appeal.” Metacritic reports a 47 out of 100 rating based on 35 critics, indicating “mixed or average reviews”.
Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of The A.V. Club criticized I Saw the Light for not having “a spark of insight or psychology to it,” and stated “no character in the film ever comes across as more than an accent.” Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film one of four stars, stating “Not even a singin’, boozin’ Tom Hiddleston can save this tepid Hank Williams biopic from itself.”