This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A strong central performance by Tom Hiddleston goes to waste in "I Saw the Light," a poky, by-the-numbers biography of country-music legend Hank Williams.
Hiddleston plays Williams during the last nine years of the singer's short life, starting with his impromptu marriage to Audrey Mae Sheppard (Elizabeth Olsen) in 1944, through his battles with alcoholism, drug abuse and frequent womanizing as he records hit singles and pursues his dream of playing at the Grand Ole Opry.
Writer-director Mark Abraham (whose previous directing credit was "Flash of Genius," a 2008 biopic of the guy who invented intermittent windshield wipers) ticks off the highlights of Williams' career with the diligence and excitement of a Wikipedia entry, while depicting poor Audrey as a shrill nagger constantly at war with his protective mama (Cherry Jones) and with the singer himself.
The movie's only saving grace is Hiddleston, as the English actor neatly embodies Williams' aw-shucks stage demeanor and performs a passable imitation of his singing voice.
'I Saw the Light'
Opens Friday, April 1, at area theaters; rated R for some language and brief sexuality/nudity; 124 minutes.