A Mock Rock Epic Walks Hard, Stays Light

The co-writer and star of "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" sing a new tune.

ByABC News
February 9, 2009, 10:19 AM

Dec. 20, 2007 — -- He is Johnny Cash meets Ray Charles meets Forrest Gump.

In "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story," fictional rocker-turned-cultural icon Dewey Cox springs to life in a little more than 90 minutes, spanning seven decades of history and a wide range of musical genres.

For co-writer and director Jake Kasdan and for lead actor Academy Award nominee John C. Reilly, the film "Walk Hard" was an opportunity to craft an original comedy couched in the framework of rock epic biopics. Speaking to Peter Travers for ABC News Now's "Popcorn," Kasdan described the film's hero, Dewey Cox, as "an amalgamation of every great rock star you've ever loved. And with that comes all of his highs and lows."

While biopics documenting icons like Cash and Charles won big both at awards shows and at the box office, the creators of "Walk Hard" take these conventions and walk hard in a new direction.

Reilly, whose mug graces the big screen as Dewey Cox, explained: "The cool thing about this movie is that we got all the production design and all the great things that are in biopics, the span of time, the look at a different era but at the same time be able to laugh at ourselves."

Reilly added, "I think that a lot of biopics are missing that aspect, where they are so busy creating the mythology of this 'great man.' It's also reverent and trying to get it right. That stuff is great, but the great luxury we had and that the audiences will have when they see this movie is that you have a laugh too."

Writing alongside Kasdan was longtime friend and fellow funnyman Judd Apatow, the man behind two of this summer's biggest comedy hits "Knocked Up" and "Superbad." Kasdan explains the creative process of writing comedy alongside Apatow, saying that "the script arose from him and I passing it back and forth, writing and rewriting each other."

But Reilly weighs in on perhaps the single most important perk of working with Apatow: "The studio listens to him, and gives you room to do crazy things so he's a very important person to have on your team."

For Peter Travers' Rolling Stone review of "Walk Hard," please click here.