I Saw the Light

With the recent Love and Mercy and Straight Outta Compton raising the bar for musical biopics, I Saw the Light seems like more of an opening act than a headliner by comparison.

This surface-level look at the tragic life and career of 1950s country music icon Hank Williams hits some nice notes but overall lacks insight and passion.

The film largely skips past the working-class Alabama upbringing of Williams (Tom Hiddleston) and begins with his humble start in the music business at age 23, including his marriage to aspiring singer Audrey (Elizabeth Olsen).

Williams subsequently becomes a superstar singer and guitarist on the honky-tonk circuit with a prolific string of hits, then moves to Nashville and fulfills a dream by appearing in the Grand Ole Opry. But as his career prospers, his personal life crumbles behind the scenes. Williams indulges in heavy drinking and drug use, which might stem from a congenital spine condition, which compromises his ability to perform. Meanwhile, his serial womanizing puts a severe strain on his family life.

Hiddleston (Crimson Peak) carves a tragic figure while holding his own as a singer. The British native impressively captures his lanky subject’s Southern twang and quirky mannerisms, including his hunched posture and his quiet swagger.

Williams earned plenty of acclaim for his songwriting, and the film offers some extended performance sequences featuring many of his most recognized hits, including “Lovesick Blues” and “Your Cheatin’ Heart.” Country music fans might appreciate the mention of Williams’ relationships with fellow Nashville pioneers Ray Price, Faron Young and Roy Acuff.

The screenplay by director Marc Abraham (Flash of Genius) establishes the contrast between Williams’ generally upbeat ditties and his personal demons behind the scenes. But rarely does the film explore how one feeds into the other with much depth or insight into the artistic process — about how gospel and blues influences shaped his work, for example.

Instead, I Saw the Light settles for a slow-paced, straightforward approach that emphasizes domestic melodrama over more intriguing glimpses into the relationship between art and commerce, the perils of fame, or how Williams’ popularity contributed to the broader growth of country music during the 1950s. The result feels like it’s all lyrics and no melody.

Rated R, 123 minutes.