5 Times Country Music Stole The Show In Movies

Country music in the movies… how can it get any better than that?

When I find the free time to settle in for a movie (seems like that happens less and less as I get older), one of my favorite things to do while watching is to pay attention to the music that’s been carefully curated throughout the film. When done correctly, the soundtrack of a film can act as a character itself, and I’ve always appreciated a well-placed tune that seemingly helps the plot move along just as much as the actors and actresses on screen.

So I got to thinking… when has country music had the pleasure and privilege of being included in notable moments in film? And are there any southern songs that have gone as far as to steal the show when they are featured? I did my best to collect some examples from some all-time classic movies, and just to be clear, I excluded any country song that was included in a “country music movie,” if that makes sense… think Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 or the iconic Pure Country starring George Strait).

All clear? Good, now let’s stop wasting time and get to the meat and potatoes, shall we?

Platoon – “Okie From Muskogee” by Merle Haggard

Considered one of the most critically acclaimed war movies ever, the 1986 film Platoon took audiences right into the middle of the Vietnam War. And while there were plenty of fast-paced, action-packed scenes in the movie starring the likes of Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe, and Johnny Depp, there was one slow portion taking place in the barracks that featured Merle Haggard’s “Okie From Muskogee.”

The scene showcased how music can be a connection point, or at the very least a conversation starter, and even though Merle’s song played faintly in the background… it’ll always be connected to the film:

Pulp Fiction – “Flowers on the Wall” by The Statler Brothers

There are almost too many iconic scenes from Pulp Fiction to count. But I am partial to the scene with Bruce Willis’ character driving around listening (and singing to) “Flowers on the Wall” by The Statler Brothers after he’d won a boxing match that he was supposed to lose.

The 1994 movie itself is quite complicated, so I’ll let you seek it out and watch it for yourself before I get too much more into the plot. Most of it involves characters being in the wrong place at the wrong time… a classic Quentin Tarantino trope.

This was one of those moments, and country music framed the scene just as much as the camera did:

Cars – “Life Is A Highway” by Rascal Flatts

Alright… before you click out of this story, hear me out. I’m not a fan of Rascal Flatts myself, but even I can’t deny the overwhelming success that the country band’s Tom Cochrane cover (that’s right, it’s not even their song) of “Life Is A Highway” had in tandem with the Pixar movie Cars from 2006.

The song – and Rascal Flatts themselves – were almost given a second life just because the track was included in the animated movie. And if you are a parent, who knows how many times you’ve had to watch this music video after your kiddo fell in love with Lightning McQueen (KACHOW) and the rest of the gang.

Not proud of this one… but hey, it certainly stole the show, didn’t it?

Forrest Gump – “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd

It’s not a movie listical if it doesn’t include Forrest Gump, am I right? Who could ever forget the classic line of Tom Hanks’ Gump saying he and Jenny were “like peas and carrots again” after his sweetheart Jenny came back to Alabama.

That came as “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd was overlaid on top of the narration from Tom Hanks, and when the song kicks in during the film, it makes for an unforgettable moment in the movie. Especially since the song slowly fades out as the camera pans in through house windows, showing Forrest and Jenny dancing together.

Some might say it was the perfect, country/southern rock song choice:

O Brother, Where Art Thou? – “I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow” by The Soggy Bottom Boys

Did you see this one coming? I might be bending the rules a bit on my “no country music movies” rule, but when people think of the 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, there’s no doubt that their mind also goes to the musical stylings of The Soggy Bottom Boys.

The song “I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow” was a smash hit for the movie. Origins of the track go all the way back to 1913 (when Dick Burnett apparently wrote it), but the song was never bigger than when it was included in the film that was based on Homer’s The Odyssey. Country music’s Dan Tyminksi sang lead vocals on the song that went on to win a Grammy for Best Country Collaboration.

If that isn’t stealing the show, I don’t know what is:

BONUS: Crazy Heart – “The Weary Kind” by Ryan Bingham

Ok, this movie is all about country music so you can’t really consider it a show stealer, but did any of us expect “The Weary Kind” to have the kind of impact it did? I don’t think so…

If you love country music and have never seen Crazy Heart… stop reading this right now and go watch it. Starring Jeff Bridges as an alcoholic songwriter, Bad Blake, as well as Maggie Gyllenhaal, Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall, and more, it’s so powerful and sad, and compelling… it’s just a must watch.

Original music for the film was composed by T Bone Burnett, Stephen Bruton, and Ryan Bingham, and the music alone garnered the film a number of awards. In addition to Bridges’ Best Actor win, the film won Best Original Song for “The Weary Kind” at the 82nd Academy Awards. It also won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song and a Grammy for Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media at the 53rd Grammy Awards. The whole soundtrack won a Grammy too.

And it certainly gave Ryan Bingham some new (and very deserved) exposure. His next album, Junky Star, would go to #2 on the country charts, the highest of his career.

The post 5 Times Country Music Stole The Show In Movies first appeared on Whiskey Riff.