On the surface, "Country Strong," the new film from writer/director Shana Feste ("The Greatest") appears to be a poor-man's "Crazy Heart," but the movie is actually an entertaining and moving look at country music and the affects that alchahol and celebrity can have on a marriage. Feste successfully uses some of the same themes that she explored in "The Greatest," such as a parent's struggle to cope with the loss of a child and the devastation that it causes to a marriage, and puts them amongst the backdrop of country music to better illustrate their importance. The result is an intriguing film, although not perfect, which equally entertains while it moves the audience with its relatable human subject matter. The music that fills the film is excellent and adds authenticity to the movie's country-music setting. While the characters are at times predictable, they are always intriguing and the situations they find them selves in are oddly relatable, even if you aren't an international singing sensation.

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow gives a surprisingly mature performance as a country music icon on the road back from rehab and a devastating family tragedy caused by her own personal demons. While Paltrow is at times over her head in the more emotional scenes, she still commands a maturity that could only come with her years in front of the camera. At the same time, her commanding performance in front of a stadium full of country music fans was very impressive and the actress is completely believable as a "Faith Hill"-like music star. Actual country-music star turned actor, Tim McGraw, gives a very good performance in the movie as the overbearing husband/manger of Paltrow's character. What could easily have become the two-dimensional villain of the film is instead a three-dimensional character that you can't help but relate to and feel sympathy for. Actress Leighton Meester, best known for her role on TV's "Gossip Girl," gives a charming and very believable performance as a young upstart country singer opening for Paltrow's fading star. It would be very easy for a lesser performer to play the role as a catty, spoiled brat but instead Meester weaves in a bit of sweetness and vulnerability to the role, which allows for the audience to root for her character while at the same time still rooting for Paltrow's character to return triumphantly.

But the true breakout star of the film is Garrett Hedlund, who gives the kind of career-making performance that reminds you of a young Brad Pitt in "Thelma and Louise." Hedlund is so good in this role, in fact, that it almost makes you scratch your head at his performance in, "Tron: Legacy." While I enjoyed the recent Disney sequel, I felt that his performance in the film was one of the weaker elements, but in this movie I thought he was one of the best parts. It almost baffles my mind how one actor can give two such polar opposite performances in two different movies that are released at virtually the same time? I suppose its possible that working with green-screens and opposite Jeff Bridges with dots on his face is not really the actor's strong suit. But perhaps, singing country-music and truly acting in emotional and romantic scenes opposite Oscar winning Paltrow is more up his alley, it would certainly seem so from his work here. Hedlund is strong, sexy, confident and cool in his role as a rehab counselor/aspiring music star that finds the rode to salvation more difficult than writing a hit song.

The film begins by introducing us to Kelly Canter (Paltrow), a fallen country-music star who has been recovering in rehab ever since a drinking binge caused a car accident that took the life of her unborn child. Her fans and the press have been critical of Kelly since the accident and the tragedy has torn a riff in her marriage to her manager James (McGraw), who is trying to put the accident behind him and go on with business as usual. When James decides to release Kelly from rehab early, in order to continue her tour and save her career and reputation, he finds that she has begun a relationship with her counselor, Beau (Hedlund). Beau is an aspiring singer-songwriter himself and has found a kindred spirit in Kelly but is against James taking her back on the road so early in her recovery. Kelly agrees to go but only if Beau can accompany them on the tour as her opening act. James declines as he has already chosen an opening act, beauty queen turned country/pop singer Chiles Stanton (Meester).

Beau has a past with Chiles and is actually performing at the same open-microphone night that she is, which is where James goes to hear her play. When Chiles has a case of stage fright, Beau lovingly saves her, which results in James deciding that both performers should be on the tour. When Kelly's comeback doesn't go as well as James had hoped, he begins to realize that her problems are worse than he had ever imagined and that the loss of their child has had truly deeper affects on both of them. Now, with tensions high on tour, James and Beau must put their feelings behind them in order to help Kelly battle her demons so that the show can go on. But when the sparks begin to fly between Chiles and Beau, Kelly must decide what is really important to her in her life.

There are two great moments in this movie that are worth mentioning. One comes at the very end of the film, when Kelly has her big, triumphant moment on stage in front of a stadium packed audience. Paltrow is terrific in this sequence not only performing just like a real country-music star but also relaying the pain and agony that her character has endured to the audience. The other great moment in the movie comes when Kelly and James visit a sick student at his school as part of a Make-A-Wish-Foundation event. In that moment you can see how the loss of their child has affected the couple and how they will never be the same again. James looks at Kelly, as if he realizes that she is no longer the woman he fell in love with and that in fact, she died in that car accident too. They dance together one last time, as if to say goodbye. It is a truly touching moment. While the film is not as good as last year's "Crazy Heart," which had similar subject matter and won Jeff Bridges his much-deserved Oscar, it is a very entertaining and moving film. Yes, it's cheesy and perhaps predictable at times but it is also fun and very touching. The human elements that Feste was able to tap into in this movie work amongst the amazing music, which fits the film like an old pair of boots. In the end, Country Strong is not the best film of the year by a long shot, but it is a strong piece of melodrama with excellent performances by its cast and an equally impressive soundtrack to match.