Today’s Planet 46: Scott Cooper of Crazy Heart

George Lang talks to director Scott Cooper of “Crazy Heart,” which features Jeff Bridges in the Oscar nominated role of Bad Blake, today at Planet 46.  Cooper bought the rights to Thomas Cobb’s novel after being unable to secure the rights to Merle Haggard’s life story.  Cobb’s story of a once-legendary singer-songwriter waylayed by booze gave Cooper the opportunity to set a universal tale of redemption against the backdrop of the Texas country music scene, Lang writes.

To  get the film made, Cooper called on his friend Robert Duvall, who co-starred with him in “Gods and Generals.”

“He read it quickly and said, ‘Scott, I love this,’” Cooper said. “He said, ‘Let’s make it, and I’ll produce it. What do you need?’ That’s when I said, ‘Bobby, besides you and money, I need T-Bone Burnett and Jeff Bridges.’”

Read the complete article by George Lang at today’s Planet 46.

- Matt Price