An area where the film fell short is in the embracing of Bad's past. It touches upon his years of success very quickly and sporadically but does not really open up; perhaps the reason for this is that Bad himself has been living a majority of his life in a blur. Also the rehabilitation of Bad happens so quickly that if you left for a bathroom break you would have completely missed his transformation from degenerate, washed up country artist to dignified song writing legend. In contrast to the slow bloom of the beginning of the film, the end comes crashing quite quickly, which I thought to be a little of a disappointment.
The reasons to not miss Crazy Heart fall mostly in the performances and the soundtrack which is beautiful and sad at the same time and works well throughout the storyline; and if folksy/country music is not something that appeals to you, the vast, majestic scenery of the southwest that soaks the background of much of the film will surely take your breath away.