Hard Country had its genesis in a song written by Michael Murphy about an individual trying to decide whether his roots or his wings are more important to him. Kyle Richardson (Jan-Michael Vincent) doesn't like his factory job much but he loves his ritualized visits to the Texas town's honk-tonk bar. There dancing, brawling, drunkenness, and pranks are regular events.
His girlfriend Jodie (Kim Basinger) longs for something more out of life than work at the telephone company or evenings with Kyle doing the same things they did as teenagers. When she is accepted by Western Airlines for a flight attendant position and called to Los Angeles for training, she must decide her priorities.
In several surveys of Americans, it has been found that most men would not reshuffle their lives if their mate were offered a good job in another part of the country. The film probes the emotional turmoil in a relationship when such a decision must be made. Director David Greene (Godspell, "Friendly Fire") draws out affecting performances from Jan-Michael Vincent as a man who must reassess his love, and from Kim Basinger as a woman who is challenged to fulfill her dream. Hard Country resonates thematically with Urban Cowboy but is a much more authentic and meaningful movie. Don't miss this fine film.