Coal Miner's Daughter (1980)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Michael Apted

Writers:

Loretta Lynn (autobiography)
Thomas Rickman (writer)

Release Date:

7 March 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Music

Tagline:

She was married at 13. She had four kids by the time she was 20. She's been hungry and poor. She's been loved and cheated on. She became a singer because it was the only thing she could do. She became a star because it was the only way she could do it.

Plot:

Biography of Loretta Lynn, a country and western singer that came from poverty to fame.

Plot Keywords:

Loretta Lynn | Country Music | Poverty | Singer | Washington State

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 7 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Sissy Spacek	...	Loretta Lynn
Tommy Lee Jones	...	'Mooney' Lynn
Levon Helm	...	Ted Webb
Phyllis Boyens	...	'Clary' Webb
Bill Anderson Jr.	...	Webb child
Foister Dickerson	...	Webb child
Malla McCown	...	Webb child
Pamela McCown	...	Webb child
Kevin Salvilla	...	Webb child
William Sanderson	...	Lee Dollarhide
Sissy Lucas	...	Loretta & Mooney's child
Pat Patterson	...	Loretta's child
Brian Warf	...	Loretta & Mooney's child
Elizabeth Watson	...	Loretta & Mooney's child
Beverly D'Angelo	...	Patsy Cline

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:PG | UK:PG | Argentina:Atp | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Bee, Virginia, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Loretta Lynn is said to have fainted when she saw Levon Helm in full makeup and wardrobe because of his amazing resemblance to her real father.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Loretta makes her first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry, 1960, a "period mike" was not used. The microphone used in that scene wasn't manufactured until years later.

Quotes:

Patsy Cline: [Loretta and Doolittle are fighting in the parking lot] Get in the car, Loretta! Get in the damn car and drive, Charlie!

Movie Connections:

Featured in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers: America's Most Inspiring Movies (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels

Entertaining And Factual

As one of the better cinematic bios, "Coal Miner's Daughter" deserves praise because it is such a topnotch production. Sissy Spacek gives a terrific performance in the rags-to-riches, true-life story of country music legend Loretta Lynn. Spacek does her own singing in the movie, as does Beverly D'Angelo in the role of Patsy Cline.

But this lavish, big budget film has more to offer than the great performances of these two actresses. Attention to detail in production design, costumes, and makeup, plus topnotch editing combine to rev up the film's technical quality. And I loved that soundtrack with all those great country/western songs, including especially "Honky Tonk Angels" by the wonderful Kitty Wells. All of these cinematic elements render a film that is as entertaining as it is factual.

Loretta Lynn's story originates in the South; it's a story rich in emotion and appreciation of simple home values like love, family, and perseverance. Local non-actors are brought into the film in bit parts, and that amplifies the authenticity of her surroundings, especially her Southern roots.

My only problem with this film is the plot structure. The first fifty minutes could have been condensed. In particular, that part of the film that deals with Loretta's love affair with Mooney (Tommy Lee Jones), his red jeep, and Loretta's dad was too long and drawn out.

But overall, "Coal Miner's Daughter" is amazing because it presents a true-life success story that was by no means inevitable. All kinds of things could have intervened along the way to stop Loretta's rise to the top. Her husband was a big help, but she also had talent, and she got some breaks at crucial times. Her journey from rural Kentucky poverty to Nashville mansion thus makes for a gripping story helped along by the nearly perfect performance of Sissy Spacek.