Hard Country (1981)

This was filmed in Bakersfield. I was a cowboy extra in the bar scenes. We drank Lone Star beer until they ran out and would only let us pretend to drink when film was in the camera LOL. A good friend was the stand in for Kim Basinger. Made $70/day and had a ball. Because of this I have a Kevin Bacon number of 2! How many can say that? When not in the scene we all played poker in a tent and got pretty wasted on that Lone Star. They fed us if we worked over 6 hours I think. Good sack lunches. One take was at night and was a blast. They used the Basque Club on South Union to film in. They had it all decorated like a Texas honky tonk bar which was the setting of the movie. One scene was shot in a small restaurant in town. I went to see it but discovered I was on the cutting room floor.

Reading here that this film was held up in release for two years, someone must have thought it was going to be a turkey. Then when Urban Cowboy got released and did so well someone then decided we might have a good thing in the vaults. Watching Hard Country with its plot so very similar to Urban Cowboy I was thinking they've got everything here but the bull.Jan-Michael Vincent and Kim Bassinger in her first big screen film are a pair of twenty somethings who are living in sin as Bassinger's mother tells her in no uncertain terms. Vincent's life consists of his construction job by day and going to the Stallion Bar at night to raise a little hell with his good old boy friends. And of course Bassinger goes along as a little Texas arm candy.But Vincent doesn't see the change is coming with her and that Bassinger is starting to think there has to be more to life than this. Her itch for something better is cultivated by Tanya Tucker who is a friend who went on to Hollywood and Nashville and is now a country music star. She'd like to be a flight attendant, although back in those days they called them stewardesses. But Jan-Michael wants his woman home, barefoot and he's doing his best to see she becomes pregnant. And that meets with the approval of all his friends.You can see already that Hard Country is along the lines of Urban Cowboy. I can't call it an imitation since it was made earlier, but maybe we can call it a prototype.Like Urban Cowboy it has a nice country and western score. I do like Tanya Tucker singing her famous salute to the Lone Star State entitled simply Texas. Some other prominent roles are Darryl Hannah in one of her earliest roles as Bassinger's sister, Michael Parks as Vincent's brother and Gaillard Sartain one of Vincent's goofball buddies who gets himself with some nasty injuries for acting drunk and stupid.This film might have been a good hit in Texas other than the fact it really Texas and Texans down something fierce. Hard Country is not a bad film, but Urban Cowboy is better.

TITLE: HARD COUNTRY was release on April 1 1981 and the time on this movie was 104 minutes. Hard Country is a 1981 dramatic movie starring Jan-Michael Vincent and Kim Basinger, and co-starring country music star Tanya Tucker along with Daryl Hannah. It was directed by David Greene and is rated PG in the USA.SUMMARY: This picture opened in theaters in the USA sometime in April of 1981 starring Jan Michael Vincent as Kyle, Kim Basinger who made her movie debut in this picture starred as Jodie, Michael Parks as Royce and Gayland Sartain as Johnny Bob. This movie is about the lives and that great state of Texas. No one ever moves away from the great state of Texas or even thinks about except one person. That person is a very young lady who's name is Jodie and she works for the telephone company. Jodie is filled with love and has that Georgia charm that makes anyone that comes around her fall in love with her right away. Jodie leaves with a young man name Kyle. Kyle is a young Texas boy who works at a local factor making chain link fences. These two young kids lived together in a little mobile home along with Kyle's dog. The problem is that Kyle likes the some country bars his friends and drinking beer while Jodie wants more. The country bar that everyone goes to is Stallions where they sing drink beer and have a good old country time. One night while at Stallions, a young woman that Jodie grew up is announced as tonight's entertainment and her name was Caroline. After Caroline is down singing her and her friend all, meet at Jodie place to drink and talk. Caroline and Jodie go into another room where they catch up on old times. Jodie biggest dream is that she wanted to become a flight attendant. The next day while at work, one of Jodie's coworkers shows her and ad in the local paper that states that the airlines are holding interviews at the local Marriott Hotel. While in the interview Jodie is asked if she would be willing to go to California for training and she accepted now all she has to do is wait to see if she can get the letter in the mail that states that she was accepted. Things start to erode when while at the Stallion Kyle is called out in a drinking game. The object of the game is both players get a pitcher of beer and the first person that drinks it all and puts his pitcher on the bar wins. After sitting and watching this, Jodie gets up and walks out because she had enough of Kyle childlike behavior.QUESTIONS: Will Jodie get accepted to the airlines as an Attendant? Will Kyle ever grow up and realize that what he has with Jodie is hard to find. Will Jodie dream of leaving Texas and moved to California ever happen.MY THOUGHTS: I thought this movie kind of drag a little even thought it had action, adventure, and drama in it. I thought that Kyle was your typical young man who had a good thing going but continue to act like a jerk. I thought Kim Basinger was excellent in her movie debut. She had spunk and knew when to use it. She was not only beautiful but she has talent also. I love the scene where she's cooking breakfast in her underwear and the other scene where she lying in bed with her legs up showing off the gorgeous thighs. I think that this movie could've used some more drama but Kim Basinger saves this movie and that's why I'm going to give this movie 10 weasel stars base on Kim Basinger alone. Kim Basinger movie debut was fantastic

In the current days of CGI, it is rare to see movies like this nowadays!! This is a gritty, blue collar love-story with a lot of heart. I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this story - the country bars, the little apartment, the mobile-home lot, the fence factory. It's gritty and real- the dust, the wind, the empty Texas roads. Kim Basinger is truly delightful as Jodie. She's all charm, with her Georgia drawl in full swing. I am a huge Jan Michael Vincent fan, and this is one of his best roles! It's nice to see him in a more adult role. The heavy drinker side of his character comes naturally - obviously! But Jan always had a great underlying angst in all his characters. He always has a detached, macho pathos which he conveys with those eyes - just makes him fascinating to watch. He has great chemistry with Kim Basinger in this. He struggles with his job, his sleazy brother, his drinking, and Jodie's willfulness. It's a great role for him! This is a MUST SEE for any Jan or Kim fans out there!