Holly Williams Sounds Off on “I Saw The Light” Hank Williams Movie

holly-williams
Photo: Robby Klein

We’ve heard Hank Williams III’s thoughts on the biopic about his grandfather I Saw The Light starring the British-born Tom Hiddleston as Hank set to be released on November 27th, and we’ve heard from critics who attended the premier screenings of the film at the Toronto International Film Festival who almost universally panned the film’s effort, with one critic calling it “shockingly bad.”

Now another blood relative of Hank, his granddaughter Holly Williams has sounded off on the film, but unlike others, is doing so favorably.

“I’m personally very happy with it,” Holly said to Rolling Stone recently while backstage at Farm Aid, a week after screening the biopic. “The film’s producer, Marc Abraham, is a friend and we talked with him throughout the entire process.”

Hank Williams III has said he was never contacted by the filmmakers for consultation or anything else. Hank3 was especially critical of the decision to bring Tom Hiddleston in to play Hank.

Though many of the film critics from the Toronto screenings tore the film apart, they focused mostly on the screenplay, and the pace and focus of the scenes. Few had anything critical to say of Tom Hiddleston’s portrayal of Hank. In fact his performance was singled out as one of the few bright spots of the film. Holly Williams agrees.

“Tom really put his whole heart and soul into it. He worked so hard to embody everything about Hank, all of the nuances and who Hank really was. Tom put all his passion into his performance,” Holly said. “Elizabeth Olsen, who played Hank’s wife Audrey, was really amazing as well. I’m incredibly happy with the whole thing. I thought it was brilliant.”

However Holly’s take appears to be in the minority. As more reviews continue to be published of the film, a consensus on the film being a letdown appears to be building. One of the few positive takes from JoBlo can only muster calling the film “serviceable,” and saying it “certainly isn’t the grand-slam biopic many of us walked into TIFF hoping for, but it’s far from the misfire some have been saying it is.”

The next screenings for I Saw The Light will be during the Austin Film Festival, October 29th through November 5th.

In other Holly Williams news, the songwriter also says she’s working on a new album with producer Dave Cobb. Holly’s 2013 album The Highway was considered a critic’s favorite.

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