30 NEW MEXICO | NOVEMBER 2010

Crazy HeartNew Mexico basked in the spotlight last February, at the 82nd Academy Awards, when Jeff Bridges took home the Oscar for best actor, and T Bone Burnett and Hobbs native Ryan Bingham walked away with the award for best original song. Now meet some of the cast and crew who brought to the screen this story about a down-and-out country singer who fi nds redemption in Santa Fe. BY JOHNNY D. BOGGS

Some movies are special, and according to its cast and crew, Crazy Heart—fi lmed in Albu-querque, Española, Galisteo, and Santa Fe in just 24 days on a budget of a little over $7 mil-lion—was one. Taking stock of the year in fi lm,

it was also 2010’s highest-profi le New Mexico project, gross-ing almost $40 million, winning two Oscars, and scoring a Best Supporting Actress nomination for Maggie Gyllenhaal. But screenwriter and fi rst-time director Scott Cooper says this success story might have had a different ending.

“Many fi nanciers wanted to shoot it in Canada,” he says on the phone from Los Angeles, “and I said, ‘Well, no, it should be shot in the American Southwest, specifi cally New Mexico.’ I’ve always been struck by the natural beauty, the stark beauty, which mirrored the character of Bad Blake—the vast open spaces that could be unforgiving at times, much as his life had been. I felt like it was the only place where we could make this movie, and I wasn’t going to make it unless we shot it there.”

Based on the book of the same title by Arizona-born Thomas Cobb, Crazy Heart is the story of Bad Blake, an alcoholic, has-been country star who sings like Waylon Jennings and looks like a (much) scruffi er Kris Kristofferson. Touring the Southwest, Blake shows up in Santa Fe for his

next gig, where he meets Jean Craddock (Gyllenhaal), a budding reporter and single parent of Buddy. She interviews Blake for the local newspaper, and the two enter into a relationship—perhaps the fi rst positive one the musician has ever had. As a result, Blake rethinks his life choices, with help from best friend Wayne Kramer (Robert Duvall) and fellow musician Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell).

New Mexicans and New Mexi-fans will recognize promi-nent Santa Fe locations such as Evangelo’s (where Blake plays), the El Rey Inn (where Blake stays), and The Santa Fe Opera (where the story comes to a close). The fi lm’s 17-song soundtrack includes its theme, “The Weary Kind,” performed by Bingham, plus original music written by T Bone Burnett and the late Stephen Bruton and performed by Bridges, Duvall, and Farrell, with a few country classics (like Buck Owens’s “Hello Trouble”) stirred into the mix.

When Cooper calls Crazy Heart rewarding, he’s talking not only about the fi lm’s critical and commercial success, but also about the local cast and crew members who worked on the production. “The people there are so emotionally connected and alive that I couldn’t have asked for a better experience,” he says.

Here are a few of the New Mexicans who made Crazy Heart happen.

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Top—Jeff Bridges and Robert Duvall play Bad Blake and his bartending buddy, Wayne. Left—Scott Cooper directs Bridges on the set of Bad Blake’s Texas home, in reality, a house in Santa Fe’s South Capitol neighborhood. Below—Blake and Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal) recon-nect at a concert in the movie’s fi nal scenes, fi lmed at The Santa Fe Opera. LOREY SEBASTIAN/COURTESY FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES

32 NEW MEXICO | NOVEMBER 2010

Alton WalpoleLine Producer/Unit Production ManagerFavorite Movie: Lonely are the Brave (1962)A native of Mountainair, a town of about 1,100 people 65 miles northeast of Socorro, Walpole started out in fi lms as a carpenter and grip. He coproduced The Tao of Steve (2000), and has worked on movies including The Book of Eli (2010), The Spirit (2008), and The Loop (2010). We met at Santa Fe’s Chocolate Maven for breakfast, before he took off to Lordsburg to begin preproduction on Broken Horses.

What do the line producer and unit production manager do?The line producer’s job is to develop a budget, line by line, detail by detail: how much will it cost for water for a crew to shoot x days?—all the way down to that detail. The unit production manager’s job is to really implement that budget. So when you do both jobs, you really don’t have anybody to blame, because you’re implementing your own plan.

How does coming from Mountainair infl uence your work?I sort of came into working on fi lm from a physical, utilitarian way. I think one thing that helps me is understanding how the crew is, how they feel, how hard they work. Obviously, coming from a small-town work ethic, that might help.

What was the biggest challenge making Crazy Heart?The number of days we had to make it. I think we made it in 24 days. That’s challenging. But we had some really good actors, and they came to bat, too. Everybody worked together. That was kind of the most amazing thing about it. Everybody really worked together.

Tarra D. DayMakeup Department HeadFavorite Movie: The Princess Bride (1987)A native of Albuquerque, Day has won Primetime Emmy nominations for her work on Temple Grandin (2010), Georgia O’Keeffe (2009), and Comanche Moon (2008). She returned to New Mexico after falling in love with the state again during the fi lming of Into the West (2006). She found time for a phone interview during the Pittsburgh shoot forI Am Number Four (2011).

What’s the job of the makeup department head?Basically, I meet with producers and the director and try to collaborate on what the director wants the look to be for the characters in the script. You break down the script per character, and then you meet with the actors. They give you their input as well, so it’s really a col-laborative effort.

What was the biggest challenge on Crazy Heart?I don’t know if it was a challenge or just a pleasure, but working with Jeff [Bridges]. He made me think in 3D, which is taking this character apart. We totally dissected Blake. It was really, truly not about makeup per se, but where he had come from and where he was going, how he was feeling. [Bridges] made me think on different levels about his character. He’s so hands-on, you have to come up to his level.

What distinguishes Crazy Heart from other fi lms you’ve worked on?Sometimes you get a gut feeling that something magical is happen-ing. I was especially excited for [Bridges] and proud of him, and when he mentioned me in his Oscar speech, I about fell off my chair.

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Jack NationActor (Buddy)Favorite Movie: The Last Airbender (2010)In his fi lm debut, Jack Nation, then four years old, played Buddy Craddock, the son of Bad Blake’s romantic interest, Jean (Gyllenhaal). Discovered by producer Judy Cairo in Santa Fe at Cafe Pasqual’s, where his mother works, Jack tested for the role, landed it, and nailed it onscreen. Says Scott Cooper, “As Jeff Bridges said, ‘I learned from Jack Nation.’ Because all we’re doing is getting into a big sandbox to play. You watch a kid like Jack, who’s naturally talented, get into that sandbox to play, and you realize, ‘Wow. All you do is talk and listen.’ Acting should be no more than that, and he was fantastic.”

I met Jack, now six, and his mother for lunch at Pasqual’s just after he’d completed his second fi lm, Let Them Shine (2011), a Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions movie fi lmed in Albuquerque.

What was your favorite scene you did in Crazy Heart?My favorite scene was when I bited into the biscuit. And my other favorite scene is when I had 13 maraschino cherries.

How many times did you have to bite into that biscuit?Oh, fi ve, ten.

You didn’t get tired of biting into a biscuit?Un-uh. It was soooooo good.

Did Jeff Bridges really make those biscuits?“No, somebody else did. He pretended he did.”

And that’s what acting is, isn’t it? Pretending?Yeah. I wasn’t really Maggie Gyllenhaal’s son. I wasn’t. I am Noreen O’Brien’s son! Like in Let Them Shine, I play a homeless kid, but I am not homeless, I am not homeless.”

What do you want to be when you grow up?A scientist.

What kind?A paleontologist.

Would you like to make a movie about dinosaurs?Yeah. A funny dinosaur. A funny, big dinosaur. Like he’s dancing. [Laughing] He’s always dancing. [hums a tune and slides into his mother’s arms]

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Clockwise from top—Jack Nation plays the role of Buddy, Jean Craddock’s son. Producer Judy Cairo (right) discovered the child actor at Santa Fe’s Cafe Pasqual’s. Recently, Nation landed his second acting role, but he wants to be a scientist when he grows up.

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NEW MEXICO IN THE MOVIES

David ManzanaresLocation Manager/Actor (Nick)Favorite Movie: Terms of Endearment (1983)Manzanares grew up in the village of Abiquiú, and has worked on such fi lms as Did You Hear About the Morgans? (2009), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), 3:10 to Yuma (2007), and Transformers (2007). He’s also a musician in his band, Man-zanares. That’s him playing Nick, the bandleader of the fi ctitious band The Bum Steers in Crazy Heart. He caught up with me via e-mail.

I guess you’re not really acting when you’re playing onstage in Crazy Heart. What was that like?It was a fun surprise for Scott Cooper to choose me to play Nick. Coop caught a Manzanares show with a frenzied hometown crowd in force. I guess he liked what he saw, because he offered me the part that night. I wonder if the whole experience would’ve made the same impact without our incredible fans. I love you guys!

What does a location manager do?Location is where it all begins. The location manager/scout reads the script, has creative discussions with the director and produc-tion designer, and then they are off on a huge treasure hunt to fi nd locations that match every element of the script. Scouts are sent to seek out and uncover the gems that will eventually make the movie come to life. The location manager oversees the location, manages all details of the fi lm at the location, and ensures that the property is handled with care.

How’d you get involved with New Mexico fi lm?I caught a British still-photography crew trespassing on our family ranch. I took my rifl e to meet them, in case they turned out not to be good listeners. They ultimately convinced me to put down my gun and start shooting with a camera instead.

Right—David Manzanares (right) plays a concert in the Santa Fe Railyard with guitarist Stephen Bruton, who co-produced the Crazy Heart soundtrack. Bruton died of cancer on May 9, 2009 before Crazy Heart was released. The fi lm is dedicated to his memory. Below—Musician, actor, and location manager, Manzanares plays Nick, a member of Bad Blake’s band.

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Ryan BinghamThe Music ManYou can’t talk about New Mexicans and Crazy Heart without mention-ing Ryan Bingham, Crazy Heart’s Oscar-winning singer-songwriter from Hobbs. He also played the bandleader Tony in the movie.

This fall has found Bingham touring with Willie Nelson following the release of Junky Star, the new album by Bingham and his band, The Dead Horses. They were also scheduled to play in October at the Austin City Limits Festival, with bands like the Eagles and Asleep at the Wheel. With that schedule, it’s little wonder Bingham was unavailable for an interview—but others had plenty to say about him.

Thomas Cobb, author of the novel Crazy Heart: Ryan Bingham is terrifi c. I’ve become a big fan. Mescalito and Roadhouse Sun have been on heavy rotation in my car since January. The entire soundtrack is just perfect.

Director Scott Cooper: I called his agent and said I’d like to sit down with Ryan, and we met for burgers one day, and I asked him, “Take a look at my script, and if anything strikes you, call me.” The next day, I got a call from him saying he had a song he thought I might like that he had written overnight. We met at T Bone [Burnett]’s, and Ryan brought his guitar, sat down, and sang “The Weary Kind.” T Bone looked at me, and— this happens very rarely—T Bone’s jaw starts dropping. I said, “Ryan, that is the narrative backbone of the movie, a man writing the song about his life.” [Laughing] The old boy was living in his truck. Two years later, he wins an Oscar.

Location manager David Manzanares: When you combine the writing skills of T Bone Burnett, Stephen Bruton, Ryan Bingham, and Gary Nicholson, add a storyteller like Jeff Bridges to the mix, and . . . well, you create the fi fth Highwayman, Bad Blake. By the time all of the original songs were completed and combined with country classics from Waylon Jennings, Buck Owens, and a classic Billy Joe Shaver tune sang a cappella by Robert Duvall, man, what a wonderful example of the fusion of fi lm and music, and why they are so vitally important to each other.

“He’s standing in a bowling alley parking lot in front of his 1978 Dodge van with burnt valves. He pulls his shirt away from his skin. Soaked, it sticks to him as fast as he can pull it away. Above him, a sign announces ‘Winter Leagues Now Forming.’ Below that, it says Country Record Star / Bad Blake / Here Friday, August 12.” So begins the book Crazy Heart by Thomas Cobb (pictured), adapted by Scott Cooper.

Left—Before last February’s Academy Awards, New Mexicans celebrated Ryan Bingham Day at the Roundhouse and were treated to a live performance of “The Weary Kind,” the theme from Crazy Heart. Below—Bingham (right) and co-songwriter T Bone Burnett won the Golden Globe (and later the Academy Award) for Best Original Song.

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Geordie ShefferHair Department HeadFavorite Movies: The Princess Bride (1987), The Last Emperor (1987), No Country for Old Men (2007)Sheffer has earned Primetime Emmy Award nominations for hairstyl-ing for Georgia O’Keeffe (2009), Temple Grandin (2010), and Bye Bye Birdie (1995). She learned how to make wigs during an apprenticeship at The Santa Fe Opera. That led her to a regional theater in Con-necticut, which took her to Broadway, which led her to television and feature fi lms. While on the set of Fright Night (2011) in New Mexico, she found a moment to chat by telephone.

What’s the job of the hair department head?Basically, he or she sets up the hairstyles for the fi lm and, with the costumer, actor, director, and sometimes the producer, establishes what the look is for each character.

What was the most rewarding part of working on Crazy Heart?I had something in my brain of what I wanted to do with Maggie Gyllenhaal’s character, and Maggie had a sense of what she wanted to do. All of a sudden she said, “Let’s just cut it all off. Let’s just cut my hair.” It sort of made Maggie feel very comfortable with Jean, her character, but we had to take her hair off fi rst.

NEW MEXICO IN THE MOVIES

So you’re kind of the hair muse?No, but it’s such a collaborative thing. When it happens, it’s magic. I know it sounds silly, but it’s true.

Santa Fe, New Mexico–based Johnny D. Boggs is an award-winning Western writer who often talks baseball with Crazy Heart author Thomas Cobb, and whose son plays with Jack Nation

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Geordie Sheffer