The actor-to-director transition is one that we’re seeing more and more often. But for every Clint Eastwood or Angelina Jolie there’s a Nicolas Cage (bet you forgot he directed 2003’s “Sonny”). Which is why it’s so exciting when a beloved actor like Ethan Hawke churns out a genuinely heartfelt and good film.
Hawke’s previous directorial efforts have mostly been centered around music, such as 2006’s “The Hottest State” and 2014’s “Seymour: An Introduction,” a documentary about pianist Seymour Bernstein. So it makes total sense that his latest would follow another musician. This time, he’s chronicling the life of the relative unknown folksinger Blaze Foley in “Blaze.”
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Hawke’s goodwill and friendliness within the industry can be seen when looking at the cast he assembled. The film stars newcomer Benjamin Dickey along with Alia Shawkat, Charlie Sexton, Josh Hamilton, Alynda Segarra, Sam Rockwell, Steve Zahn and Kris Kristofferson. Even Hawke’s frequent collaborator director Richard Linklater also plays a part (as a cowboy, naturally).
In addition to directing, Hawke also wrote the screenplay with Sybil Rosen. The story is based on Rosen’s own book “Living in the Woods in a Tree: Remembering Blaze Foley.”
“Blaze” premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival where Dickey’s performance was awarded the Special Jury Award for Achievement in Acting. Our Sundance review was largely positive and praised the “air of authenticity that fills the film” and called attention to Hawke’s “astute, fascinating filmmaking.”
“Blaze” will open in Texas in August before expanding to more cities in September.
Here’s the official synopsis and trailer:
Directed by Ethan Hawke, “Blaze” stars newcomer Ben Dickey as Blaze Foley, the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas outlaw music movement that spawned the likes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. The film weaves together three different periods of time, braiding re-imagined versions of Blaze’s past, present and future. The different strands explore his love affair with Sybil Rosen; his last, dark night on earth; and the impact of his songs and his death had on his fans, friends, and foes. The storyline terminates in a bittersweet ending that acknowledges Blaze’s profound highs and lows, as well as the impressions he made on the people who shared his journey.