His Weakness in Country Strong

Country Strong--starring one of my favorite actresses, Gwyneth Paltrow--may seem to glorify and justify extramarital relationships on the surface, but its core truth is the unity and support needed in a marriage.

The movie begins with James Canter taking his wife Kelly out of an alcholic rehab center early so she can start touring again as a popular country singer. Immediately, viewers can tell that he is pushing her career more than her recovery. As the plot progresses, James has clear signs that Kelly is having an affair with her young friend, Beau, but James doesn't step in to interfere because he sees that Beau is actually helping to steady Kelly toward a successful return to fame. Over and over, Kelly reaches out for her husband, but he is only willing to embrace and support her when she shows herself "strong"--giving him a glimpse of the steady woman he married. He is unwilling to accept her in her broken state, but rather keeps pushing her to the stage to reclaim the image he remembers.

This movie shows the greatest weakness in a husband. James abandons his wife in exchange for his own dream. He disregards her need for him, denies her the love and encouragement for which she desperately longs, and pretends to care for her when he actually only cares for her success (which would ultimately be his success since he is her manager). If asked, he may have argued that he was doing what he thought best for his wife; however, he never stops to ask her what she herself wants.

At the end of the film, viewers see that Kelly finally realizes her position in his eyes. She knows that he will keep pushing her toward publicity despite her resistance and keep drawing back from her emotional needs. She realizes she is trapped and seeks the only method she trusts for freedom.

This film is powerful because it challenges ambition instead of glorifying it. It shows the strength in a sad, torn woman and the weakness in a driven, hard man.