Noah Bryan (Justin Gaston) is an aspiring country singer, whose career is just starting to take off. While Noah’s mother Sara (Mariel Hemingway) is his biggest fan, his father Jeremiah (John Laughlin) has never heard his son play, or has seen him perform. After Noah’s older brother passed away, Jeremiah wanted Noah to stay close to home, and work on the family farm, not off traveling and playing music. So Noah’s manager Larry (Christopher Michael) has become like a father figure to him on the road, trying to keep his behavior and drinking in check, and to keep Noah from getting too prideful.
One day Noah discovers that he may have a young son he didn’t know about. The boy’s mother passed away, and lawyers are asking for a paternity test. At first Noah tries to avoid the situation—he hasn’t had a great relationship with his own father, so how could he be a good father himself?! But once he meets J.J. (JJ Miller), his mind is made up, and he decides to take him in. Noah thinks this might be exactly what he needs to make him a better person. And it isn’t long before he gets a sign that things are looking up—he gets invited to go on tour with Colt Young (Coffey Anderson). The only stipulation is that the tour will be alcohol-free.
Noah quickly finds it difficult to balance being a new father, and rehearsing for his tour. The anniversary of his brother’s death also starts to approach, and things get stressful and emotional. He turns to drinking, and starts heading down a dark, destructive spiral. If he doesn’t find a way to turn things around, and keep his pride in check, he could lose everything he’s worked for, and push away those that love him.
God’s Country Song is a PureFlix release. These films can be a bit melodramatic at times, but usually have a positive message and story, and a bit of a faith-based slant to them—ll of which are true here. Everything seems to be going great for Noah. He has a new son, his career is about to take off, and he’s been hitting it off with JJ’s caretaker, Leanne (Justene Alpert). However, it’s hinted at early on that Noah has had some problems with alcohol in the past. It’s evident that things are going too well, and this is the literal pride before the fall—you’re just waiting for him to take that drink, so that his perfect life will come crashing down. As Noah starts to spiral, his manager Larry is there as his conscience, constantly trying to warn the young man to not get too prideful, but he can’t force Noah to make the right choice&mash;Noah must decide on his own to head down the right path. Once Noah hits rock bottom, he turns to his faith and family for help.
Star Justin Gaston gives a strong performance as this young man struggling with his demons, and his musical performances are excellent. We often see Noah either practicing his songs on his own, or singing in front of a crowd of cheering fans in a bar or club. The music, in addition to being catchy and entertaining, also helps to inform Noah’s emotional state, and adds a believability to the fact Noah’s career is ready to take off. The supporting cast is also great, especially Christopher Michael as Noah’s moral guide Larry, and the iconic Mariel Hemingway as Noah’s mother.
While the trailer seems to focus on Noah becoming a father to JJ and trying to juggle these new responsibilities, this is actually just a small part of the story. The film focuses more on Noah’s career, and struggling with past demons of losing his brother, and his relationship with his father.
Mill Creek Entertainment has released God’s Country Song only on DVD format for physical media, but it is also available digitally in HD. The SD picture looks quite good, but lacks that little bit of extra clarity and sharpness that a Blu-ray would provide. The audio track provides clear dialogue throughout, and the musical performances sound really great. The DVD disc comes packed in a standard DVD keepcase with a cardboard slipcover. The disc is pretty barebones, offering just the film’s trailer as bonus material.
What’s Included:
Film: (1:44:50)
- 480i / Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1
- Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital
- Subtitles: English SDH
Extras:
- Trailer (2:32)
Final Thoughts:
God’s Country Song is pretty standard PureFlix fare, with the lead character struggling with past demons and turning to faith and family in his time of need. Though, this movie does not have a huge focus on the faith aspect, as much as some of PureFlix’s other releases. In addition to the drama, the film is also filled with some excellent original music performances, which was probably the highlight for me. Mill Creek’s DVD provides decent picture and sound, but is light on bonus material. It’s a solid selection for those who enjoy these types of films.
God’s Country Song [DVD]
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