Honeysuckle Rose (1980)

Buck Bonham (Willie Nelson) is a traveling country singer with his band. His marriage to Viv (Dyan Cannon) has its hurdles. When his longtime guitar player Garland Ramsey (Slim Pickens) retires, he is replaced by his daughter Lily (Amy Irving). To the dismay of most, Buck starts an affair with Lily.There is nothing that dramatic. It's a romantic melodrama dressed up in country singing robes. I don't know how Amy Irving won the 1st Golden Raspberry for the Worst Supporting Actress. I don't expect much praise but she's not actually bad. That's how I feel about the movie in general. The music is fine country. Willie Nelson lends a reality to his character. There is a general cinema verite feel with the concerts. This is a fine country western song in movie form.

I saw this movie years ago when it first came out, and I love it as much now as I did then. It covers what happens in the lives of some performers as they do their jobs. Some think that it is great to do something that you love to do and still get paid for it! On one hand that is true, but there are pitfalls that can mess up your life if you aren't prepared to deal with them. Drinking and drugs is only a part of it.This movie deals with how hard it is to hold a marriage together when one in the couple is on the road all the time. Both make compromises. But if you love someone, you do what you have to do to make it work. I think that pretty much goes for any marriage, not just for gypsies. It takes special people with a strong love to make it work. That's what this is all about. Unfortunately, some don't have that strong a love.In this case, they did.

Willie is one of our National treasures in my opinion. I suppose some people would disagree, and that's o.k., you have every right to be wrong. The best part of this film, I felt, was the fairly much realistic portrayal of what life is like on the road for entertainers. Or, more accurately what is was like back when this film was made. Who better to play the lead than one who's probably logged a million or so miles out there between the ditches? I also loved Slim Pickens performance, and the camaraderie between Willie and Slim was hilarious and heartwarming.I can't imagine anyone in the world who hasn't seen this film. It should be required viewing for any new converts to Country Music. I gave this film a rating of 9 - shaving off one point for the aggrandizement of boozing/pill popping and womanizing. But you gotta love Willie et al in spite of it. Maybe because of it, who knows?

Buck Bonham(Willie Nelson) and Garland Ramsey(Slim Pickens) are two country stars that have been on the road for probably too many years. Garland wants to retire and Buck is too stubborn to. There needs to be a temporary replacement for Garland and it is suggested that Garland's daughter Lily(Amy Irving)go out with Buck and the band for a few weeks.Lily is living a dream being on the road and even more she acts on her long admiration for Buck. The two singers become an item and soon they don't even try to hide their entanglement.There is a lot of Willie songs throughout and any Willie fan should feel high on the hog. For the non Willie fan it is still a good film, where your brain kind of slips into neutral.Dyan Cannon plays Buck's wife and sure looks too hot for the role. Others in the cast are Lane Smith, Diana Scarwid and Mickey Rooney, Jr. Emmylou Harris drops in for a cameo role.Gas up the tour bus and chase the white line.