How do you inspire a legend? Country music star Tanya Tucker finds motivation to try again in “The Return of Tanya Tucker-Featuring Brandi Carlile.” The film chronicles a surprising chapter in Tucker’s career, charting an unexpected comeback album. Singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile is invaluable to the project. In addition to writing the entire album, she’s also a force in helping Tucker overcome her misgivings.
One of the film’s most intriguing aspects is its balance between Tucker’s past and the possibilities of this new musical endeavor. Director and producer Kathlyn Horan — along with co-producer J. Daniel Torres — cataloged much of the singer’s available media. Their unrelenting search for material paid off, discovering personal Super 8mm film cans. Inside were years of special events chronicled by Tucker’s parents. For Horan, there was no doubt about their importance. ”There’s such an intimacy to those moments and the way Tanya and her family interact with the camera that it felt in perfect alignment with the intimate, verite style of the film,” the director said.
The film’s official synopsis:
Trailblazing, hell-raising country music legend Tanya Tucker defied the standards of how a woman in country music was supposed to behave. Decades after Tanya slipped from the spotlight, rising Americana music star Brandi Carlile takes it upon herself to write an entire album for her hero based on Tanya’s extraordinary life, spurring the greatest comeback in country music history.
“The Return of Tanya Tucker” follows Tanya’s richly creative, utterly captivating, bumpy ride back to the top as Brandi encourages her to push past her fears to create a new sound and reach a new audience. The writing, the experimenting, and refining of this new music mixes with all that came before – using rare archival footage and photographs to delve into Tanya’s history, beginning in a single wide trailer in Seminole, Texas.
Taking stock of the past while remaining vitally alive in the present and keeping an eye on the future, “The Return of Tanya Tucker” is a rousing exploration of an unexpected friendship built on the joy of a perfectly timed creative collaboration.
The star’s storied career continues in “The Return of Tanya Tucker-Featuring Brandi Carlile.” The film’s theatrical run begins October 21. Watch the trailer below.