Harry Thomason’s musical biopic is billed as “A Story of Hank Williams,” but don’t expect much singing from the Hillbilly Shakespeare. Traveling incognito to a gig in the last week of his life, “Mr. Wells” (E.T.’s Henry Thomas), as he’s known to his teenage driver, Silas (Jesse James), doesn’t so much as hum any of Williams’s classic tunes on their road trip. That makes The Last Ride less of a tuneful triumph-to-tragedy drama in the mold of Walk the Line and more of a long-gone lonesome blues ditty about the sad end of a short life. At least Thomas gives a suitably burned-out performance as Williams. He’s almost enough to melt your cold, cold heart.
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