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Mock 'n' Roll

There was a time when a movie parody would take aim at a variety of targets. Let's start with 1980's genre-defining Zucker Brothers spoof "Airplane". Yes, first and foremost, the film was a spot-on take-off of the "Airport" films of the 70s. But along the way, there were riffs on war films, "The Love Boat" and "Saturday Night Fever", among myriad others. The trend continued with the Zuckers' underappreciated "Top Secret" and the "Naked Gun" movies. Nowadays, you can cobble together a comedy based on a single film. "Hot Shots" and its sequel could barely sustain their respective "Top Gun" and "Rambo" spoofs, while the "Scary Movie" movies are an exercise in drawn-out fart jokes. But occasionally you'll find a genre so ripe for skewering that it takes only the slightest push to turn it into mockery. Such is the case with "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story", a flat-out parody of "Walk the Line" from the Judd Apatow comedy factory, with hints of "Ray" and "Coal Miner's Daughter" thrown in for good measure.

As you might imagine, the writers (Mr. Apatow and Jake Kasdan, who also directed) get a lot of groan-inducing mileage out of Dewey's last name. But by and large, there are genuine laughs to be had in "Hard". The film opens with young Dewey witnessing (and causing) the unfortunate death of his musical prodigy brother in a freak machete accident (yes, it's that kind of movie). Though Dewey attempts to take up the musical reins in the family, he can't escape his father's insistence that "the wrong kid died". This leads 15 year old Dewey (a role gleefully filled by John C. Reilly, looking every bit his age) to leave home and start down the familiar path of success, drugs, rehab and of course rock 'n' roll.

While Will Ferrell must be wondering why he didn't play the title role, John C. Reilly happily waltzes away with it (often in his underwear). Dewey Cox is the kind of hapless creation Mr. Ferrell has been specializing in since he streaked his way through 2003's "Old School". But it's great to see Mr. Reilly get his shot at an above-the-title role. Always memorable in his countless supporting appearances, Mr. Reilly's sturdy performance as Dewey lends the film the much-needed chops (he already stretches his vocal pipes in "Chicago") to sustain it. As you'd expect, the Apatow name is able to surround Mr. Reilly with a considerable supporting cast. Jenna Fischer from "The Office" and SNL's Kristen Wiig show up as two of Dewey's many wives (Ms. Fischer is a bit outclassed as the June Carter avatar).

This is a film that takes great pleasure in pointing out just how clever it's being. "I'm your 12 year old wife!", Ms. Wiig defiantly declares. Each chapter of Dewey's life is punctuated by a fit of bathroom-sink-destroying mayhem, followed by Dewey saying something like, "Wow, this is a real dark period in my life". Great fun is had with cameo appearances, particularly in the guise of famous rock idols (who look nothing like their real-life counterparts). None other than Jack White channels Elvis Presley, while Paul Rudd has a blast over-enunciating John Lennon. Justin Long and Jason Schwartzman are equally impressive as George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Only Jack Black flounders as, yes, Paul McCartney. As themselves, Eddie Vedder, Jewel and Lyle Lovett are surprisingly good-humored.

Mr. Kasdan - who is the son of Lawrence Kasdan and created 1998's unfairly-ignored Bill Pullman effort "Zero Effect" - shows an unforeseen aptitude for this material, keeping the gags zippy and the musical numbers mercifully brief. In a post-"Spinal Tap" world, some musical parodies fall too in love with their own gag songs. But "Walk Hard", more often than not, leaves you wanting more. The songs - written by Marshal Crenshaw and Mike Viola among a slew of others (to simulate the many decades in the film's span) - are often more homage than a direct spoof. As such "Walk Hard", like "A Mighty Wind", is neither a complete parody nor a full-on tribute. It skillfully walks the line between both.