Synopsis
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.
Biography of Loretta Lynn, a country and western singer that came from poverty to fame.
1980 Directed by Michael Apted
Biography of Loretta Lynn, a country and western singer that came from poverty to fame.
Sissy Spacek Tommy Lee Jones Levon Helm Beverly D'Angelo William Sanderson Phyllis Boyens Bill Anderson Jr. Foister Dickerson Malla McCown Pamela McCown Kevin Salvilla Sissy Lucas Brian Warf Elizabeth Watson Bob Elkins Bob Hannah Ernest Tubb Jennifer Beasley Frank Mitchell Roy Acuff Minnie Pearl Susan Kingsley
Havířova dcera, První dáma country music, 광부의 딸, La ragazza di Nashville, Nashville Lady, Quiero ser libre, 矿工的女儿, A szénbányász lánya, Madencinin Kızı, Дъщерята на миньора, Córka górnika, Дочь шахтера, O Destino Mudou Sua Vida, בתו של כורה פחם, Η Κόρη του Ανθρακωρύχου, Loretta
Here's evidence traditional biopics CAN work when they take their time and tell a story instead of filming a checklist of events.
I do think that this is a pretty standard musical biopic, but I have to give it credit for a few reasons.
1. The screenplay was a lot better than I thought and fit these characters beautifully and naturally.
2. The performances are all terrific. Obviously, Sissy Spacek is fantastic and really did an amazing job as Loretta Lynn. Her singing is top notch and was really convincing. I also have to acknowledge Tommy Lee Jones who was weirdly really good as well.
3. This kinda set the standard and idea for every biopic. I mean this in that this was the movie that started the “he/she wins Oscar for being a famous person.” While that can be annoying to…
Ladies and gentlemen, would you welcome the first lady of country music, Miss Loretta Lynn
Wow, what a fun movie. Sure, it strikes a lot of the typical biopic notes, but somehow, it finds a way to sing them with an inflection all its own.
Sissy Spacek is wonderful and fully deserves that Oscar win, and Tommy Lee Jones knocks it out of the park with one of his best performances ever. Seeing the two of them bouncing off each other is a joy to watch.
Good script, good acting, good movie.
”Come off that dumb hillbilly act.”
“Mister, if you knew Loretta, you’d know that ain’t no act.”
I remember growing up, my friends and I thought it was so badass when Dr. Dre or Eazy-E would come out with a “diss track” talking about how full of sh*t or soft the other one was. I thought they were the first songs whose lyrics took someone behind the tool shed and gave them a beat down.
Then I listened to Loretta Lynn.
Well, you’ve been making your brags around town how you’ve been lovin’ my man,
But my old man, when he picks up trash, he puts it in a garbage can.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
The best part about Lynn’s flamethrower lyrics was that she always had a huge smile on her face while she was singing them. In The…
I knew absolutely nothing about Loretta Lynn going into this, which may have rendered me more conducive to enjoying this charming film on its own merits. It's just a good old flick which slowly but steadily works its cuteness on you.
An Oscar-ready Spacek, showing off her teen to middle aged spectrum, and an amusingly younger looking Tommy Lee Jones, both feel like your mum and dad. I've never seen a more agreeable direction from Michael Apted, with several shots here and there underlining the film's classic status. Beverly D'Angelo also deserves mention for her been-there-done-that-but-still-singing-strong Patsy Cline. The small town origins and country music sphere also feels universally translatable, even if the industry frenzy depicted is decidedly American. I…
What a great life from such humble beginnings. A pretty standard yet satisfying music biopic. Sissy Spacek gives a beautiful performance as Loretta Lynn. Boy, Tommy Lee Jones looked like an old man even when he was young in the 80’s. I enjoyed it.
1980 In Review - March
Coal Miner’s Daughter is the rags to riches biopic of Loretta Lynn. Sissy Spacek who played her, got a deserved Academy award for her performance and Tommy Lee Jones also gives a career best performance as her husband. Their chemistry together on screen is one of the reasons this film works so well. Beverly D’Angelo also, as Patsy Cline is excellent.
Even though I find Loretta Lynn’s songs to be rather bland this was a solid and very enjoyable film, in fact after watching it I downloaded some Patsy Cline Songs. She has a few songs featured in the film, which I really liked.
“You know what they say about bologna, don’t you?”
“No, what?”
“Makes you horny.”
This was probably the least ”music biopic” music biopic I’ve seen in a long time. The first half felt like a straight up drama and a depressing one at that. Only until about halfway into the film does the music aspect actually kick in. It’s probably hard to engage with for most. I’ve heard of Loretta Lynn but I’m not all too familiar with her music, so for someone who is completely unfamiliar then it might be a hard sell. The performances really do drive it home, with Sissy Spacek giving a great musical performance as well as some great acting chops. Tommy Lee Jones (and his bleached eyebrows) portrayed the perfect unlikeable husband and it was such a trip seeing him in a younger role like this one. Second half was definitely my favorite but I think the first half is completely necessary to add depth and context to her music career.
The quiet genius of this movie is that it understands the life-spanning biopic only really works if the movie feels like it's discovering this famous person alongside you. We know Loretta Lynn is famous, but this movie is more interested in her as someone who bears horrible thing after horrible thing and simply doesn't seem to notice or care, until her life catches up to her. Normally, I prefer the "a couple of interesting weeks in a legendary person's life" biopic format, but this movie makes a keen argument for how feeling the full weight of a life can make a story like this really work.