In Katy Chevigny’s The Easy Kind maverick country singer Elizabeth Cook plays a fictionalized version of herself called EC, recounting her lifetime of struggles building a career. We meet EC in Nashville, as she’s moving into her 50’s, still chasing stardom.
She was born in Florida. Her mother was a “hillbilly singer from Charleston, WV.” Her parents encouraged her to perform from a young age, hoping she would one day succeed in the music business. Early attempts to launch a career result in occasional success, but is mostly a bumpy road that doesn’t lead to the fame she craves. She is feisty and pays a price for refusing to accept the pigeon hole the music industry tries to stuff her into. Karen Allen (of Indiana Jones fame) plays Kathy, who is a mentor and part of a supporting familial group for EC.
The film defies categorization. It is like a biopic, but stars the actual subject of the bio. It’s a little bit docudrama, certainly not a documentary, and not a traditional biopic, but contains elements of all of those styles. This hodgepodge resonates with the chaotic life of Cook, who is as challenging to categorize as the movie is.
This is meant to be a “behind the scenes” from the life of a celebrity we’d be hungry to know about. Think The Rose, Coal Miner’s Daughter, Walk the Line, or Sweet Dreams. These are all films pulling back the curtain on the lives of singers we only knew from their songs. But… we don’t know Elizabeth Cook. She has a cult following, but is not a mainstream artist. The film struggles to provide narrative context to make us care about EC.
“… a lifetime of struggles chasing a career in country music …”
Think about Country Strong, starring Gwyneth Paltrow. Director Shana Feste didn’t assume we’d be interested in her main character, so built context and details around her. Country Strong is not a great movie, but the script is structurally sound. The Easy Kind dumps us right into the middle of EC’s adult life with no context, leaving it to the viewer to find something compelling.
Chevigny cuts in actual footage from Cook’s life, including her parents performing, and concert footage of Cook. These are the most entertaining parts of the film, and the most documentary-like, of course. She also includes clips of interviews with David Letterman. The film eschews a traditional three-act format, unlike a scripted drama. Kudos to Chevigny for boldly embracing a hybrid style, but a familiar genre might have made the film easier to digest.
The character of EC is angry and constantly perseverating on the heartbreak of how bad this life is. It becomes tiresome. She refers to herself as a “jaded, miserable, grumpy person,” and she is. When Madonna, Janis Joplin, or Nina Simone are divas we forgive them because of the art they made. Cook doesn’t stand on a well known body of work.
The Easy Kind is a beautifully made film. Cook is a talented songwriter, musician, and singer. Chevigny makes a strong effort with quality production values, cinematography, and unassailable editing, artfully stitching together reality and fiction. This is where the film shines. Cook plays herself better than anyone else could. Authentic, energetic “three chords and the truth” country music sets the tone. Fans of Elizabeth Cook will thoroughly enjoy the full immersion into her life and career. Everyone else will either find it a bit of a slog, or come away with a new favorite artist.
Learn more at the official The Easy Kind website.
"…Fans of Elizabeth Cook will thoroughly enjoy the full immersion"
