Mon Sep 01 00:10:00 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text, followed by a rewritten news article:
**Summary:**
Ethan Hawke’s new documentary, “Highway 99: A Double Album,” explores the life and legacy of country music legend Merle Haggard. The film highlights Haggard’s improbable rise from a poverty-stricken, crime-ridden youth in Oildale, California, to become the “Poet of the Common Man.” Hawke emphasizes Haggard’s complex and often contradictory political views, showcasing his ability to transcend partisan divides and speak to the universal human experience. The documentary utilizes Haggard’s extensive catalog of songs to tell his story, and frames Haggard as an important artist whose significance has been somewhat forgotten and whose work is still relevant in today’s politically polarized climate.
**News Article:**
**Merle Haggard’s Unlikely Rise and Enduring Relevance Explored in New Ethan Hawke Documentary**
**TELLURIDE FILM FESTIVAL –** Merle Haggard, the country music icon known for his raw honesty and relatable storytelling, is the subject of a new documentary, “Highway 99: A Double Album,” directed by Ethan Hawke. The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival, delves into Haggard’s troubled youth, his remarkable musical career, and his enduring relevance in a divided America.
Hawke emphasizes Haggard’s improbable journey from the impoverished town of Oildale, California, where he escaped juvenile hall and prison an estimated 17 times, to becoming a celebrated singer-songwriter. “He’s incarcerated from 14 to 23, grew up with virtually no education…and rises to the pinnacle of a profession,” Hawke notes, highlighting the staggering nature of Haggard’s achievement.
Beyond his personal struggles, the documentary examines Haggard’s complex political views. While often labeled as a voice of the silent majority, Haggard defied easy categorization, penning songs that challenged conventional wisdom and expressed empathy for marginalized communities, even advocating for immigrant rights and interracial romance.
“He wasn’t left or right,” Hawke asserts. “He was really a humanist and talked about human feelings. And I think it kind of gives a meeting ground for people that I thought it could be a good moment to look at him no matter what happened.”
Hawke uses Haggard’s extensive catalog of songs as a narrative framework, creating a “double album” that illuminates different facets of the artist’s life. By revisiting Haggard’s journey along Highway 99, the road that defined his life, the documentary aims to reintroduce the singer-songwriter to a new generation and remind audiences of his lasting impact on American culture. Hawke hopes to show that Haggard can still speak to the people of today.
First Piper 