Among the many men and women of the hour during this weekend’s Telluride Film Festival in Colorado, Ethan Hawke was soaring arguably higher than even some the other featured guests, due to having two very different films in the program, one a directorial effort and the other an awards-attention-attracting starring role. He also received a Telluride medallion and tribute as part of the festivities — a moment of triumph that stands at odds with some of the tougher times experienced by the two musical figures who are the subjects of his respective films, “Highway 99: A Double Album,” his documentary about country great Merle Haggard, and “Blue Moon,” which has him starring as the great lyricist Lorenz Hart.

As proof of just how fearless he is, Hawke ventured into what some would consi

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