Bound for Glory (1976)

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Awesome Movie

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

"Bound for Glory" is a very long but utterly engrossing musical biography about an entertainer worth getting to know. That man is Woody Guthrie (David Carradine), a sign painter from Pampa, Texas during the Great Depression era. Determined to make some move away from his hardscrabble existence, and plagued by a case of wanderlust, he takes leave of his family and heads for California. This he did like so many other people of the period who believed that the West Coast held more promise. Inspired by a singer named Ozark Bule (Ronny Cox), he uses his musical talents to give voice to the scores of Americans who were struggling to get by.It's true that we don't learn a LOT about Guthrie in the course of this two and a half hour long film, but it's still easy to get involved in the story. (Which, other than a scant few people, consists mostly of fictional characters.) It can boast some truly stylish and thoughtful filmmaking, thanks to Oscar winning cinematographer Haskell Wexler, screenwriter Robert Getchell (adapting Guthries' autobiography), and renowned director Hal Ashby. It does often look like a painting of this sad chapter in American history, come to life. But it goes far on the spirit of its main character. Carradine, giving the performance of his career, makes Guthrie a good, simple, pleasant person who, in the end, is true to himself. Although he is able to make a good living performing for the radio, he realizes that he has to sacrifice too much integrity in order to please greed-motivated sponsors. He tires of having to deal with people with their own agenda, and gets on the bad side of authority figures who dislike his open support of unions.Carradine is extremely well supported by a rich gallery of familiar faces, with meatier roles going to Cox, as the likeable Ozark, Melinda Dillon (who plays both the singer Memphis Sue and Guthries' wife Mary), Gail Strickland (as a rich society type who helps to run a soup kitchen), John Lehne, as the disapproving radio boss, Ji-Tu Cumbuka as an upbeat hobo, and Randy Quaid as the frustrated migrant worker Johnson. There's several other people you'll also recognize: David Clennon, Mary Kay Place, M. Emmet Walsh, Brion James, James Hong, Robert Ginty, and Bernie Kopell in an uncredited cameo as Baker the agent.The soundtrack is, of course, wonderful, with a superb assortment of Guthrie tunes; film composer Leonard Rosenman also won an Oscar for adapting Guthries' music into film score.Ultimately, this is an uplifting story; it may have some down sides along the way, but it endears itself to us the way that it portrays this entertainer who truly wanted to represent the American people.Eight out of 10.

"Bound for Glory" is a dramatization of the early career of Woody Guthrie--particularly his wanderings around the country and the establishment of his career as a folk singer. However, the film does NOT cover his later years and his affliction with Huntington's.Have you ever seen a movie that is well made and you are supposed to enjoy it but you didn't? That's my experience with "Bound for Glory". While I could see it was a fine film and David Carradine did a fine job, I found my attention wandering throughout. Part of it is because the film is VERY deliberately paced (i.e., slow). Part of it is because I just don't happen to care much about the subject matter. This is sad, I know, as I am a retired history teacher and I should love seeing the dust bowl and the history of Woody Guthrie but I still didn't. Part of it is because Guthrie was a pretty selfish guy (leaving his family and just going on the road for months or years at a time with little regard for them). Regardless, I just didn't enjoy the experience. Well done but I had a devil of a time with "Bound for Glory"... But, I am NOT saying it's a bad film or that you shouldn't see it--it's just that I was not bowled over by it like nearly all the other reviewers.

A film that depicts a Man and His Time with remarkable dust filled clarity. There is much emphasis on the plight of the poor and the Crusade that Woody Guthrie embraced and brought to America through songs with an unfiltered reality like Life Magazine did through pictures. It has a brought to life performance from David Carradine and the whole cast is in great support. The Award Winning Cinematography is excellent ditto the soundtrack but the Woody songs sung adequately by the Star are far less than the crackling creations of the real Guthrie and are only passable and infrequent. The film is compelling and evenly and effectively paced that exemplifies the extraordinary stifling situations that are depressing the people during the depression. But there is also some hope burning beneath the Western sun and most of it comes from the Western soul of a bona fide benefactor of the working poor and a breathless voice who sang anthems with songs like...there are no liars on THIS TRAIN...and...THIS LAND was made for you and me.There was no lie in this man...Woody Guthrie. The movie does him proud.

Who in who's name thought that David Carradine was the man to play Woody Guthrie. His portrayal of one of America's greatest characters & song writers was empty, listening to the songs was an ordeal, they were butchered, which is a big problem when watching a film about a singer / songwriter. As a result the films attempt to tell the story of the downtrodden, misplaced masses of the time has no emotional affect, has no affect. Nothing about this film was right, there didn't seem to be any serious ups or downs, just some guy called Woody, he meets a few people and he sings some songs. I read Woody's book and it is a fascinating real life adventure story, this film seems in no way related. Damn, i'm disappointed. Maybe someone will pick up the story again some time and do it right. If you are a fan of Woody Guthrie, listen to his music and I also recommend you read his book but there's nothing for you here.