‘Denver Story’: An Easy-Listening Life

The ad campaign for “Take Me Home: The John Denver Story” tries to sell the idea that the late singer-songwriter had a rocky road to the top, but what’s striking about the movie, which airs Sunday on CBS, is how normal his life was--how the Rockies in it were pretty much limited to the mountains he loved to sing about.

In a way, it’s reassuring to see that a performer who came across as a genuinely nice guy was, indeed, a genuinely nice guy, with problems no different from our own (an emotionally closed-off father, marital discord). But as the basis of a movie, it’s bo-o-oring.

If this movie is looking for the man behind the music, it’s looking in the wrong places--even if it is based on Denver’s autobiography. How about focusing on the references, made merely in passing, to record executives who say he isn’t edgy enough, whether it’s the Bob Dylan ‘60s or the Michael Jackson ‘80s? Looking at the volatility of the music industry--how it affected Denver and how he overcame it--not only would be a more interesting hook, but would tell us a heck of a lot more than this movie, which feebly waves its little bit of dirty laundry.

Perhaps the greatest disservice to Denver, though, is the presentation of his music. Although it’s great to be treated to his recordings of such tunes as “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” “Annie’s Song” and “Rocky Mountain High,” these pristine recordings sound ludicrous when matched to such settings as noisy parties, outdoor antiwar rallies or at-home test runs. Worse, Chad Lowe’s lip-syncing is laugh-out-loud awful--a halfhearted mouthing of words, without any attempt to approximate the physical act of singing.

In most other respects, though, Lowe (once an Emmy-winning supporting actor on “Life Goes On”) is tremendously appealing, as is Kristin Davis (the sunny, somewhat naive member of “Sex and the City’s” quartet of friends) as Denver’s first wife, Annie. Unfortunately, this script by Stephen Harrigan, directed by Jerry London, doesn’t give them much more to do than trade dimpled smiles early on and exchange mundane recriminations later.

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* “Take Me Home: The John Denver Story” airs Sunday at 9 p.m. on CBS. The network has rated it TV-PG-L (may be unsuitable for younger children, with special advisories for coarse language).