Inspired by the life of Blaze Foley, the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas outlaw country movement that spawned the likes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. The film weaves together three periods in Blaze's life, exploring his love affair with Sybil Rosen; his last, dark night on Earth; and the impact his songs and his death had on his fans, friends, and foes.
Acting
Ben Dickey inhabits Blaze so completely you'll forget he's not real.
Direction
Ethan Hawke's patient, reverent approach lets moments breathe like a three-chord song.
Writing
Sybil Rosen's source memoir gives the romance devastating lived-in specificity.
Director
Ethan Hawke
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Ben Dickey had never acted before this; Hawke cast him after seeing him play Blaze's songs at a tribute concert. The man was literally a folk singer playing a folk singer.
Townes Van Zandt's real-life obsession with Blaze's 'duct tape suit'—featured in the film—became legend, but Blaze made it to stop people from beating him up at gigs. The duct tape was armor.
US
