Coal Miner's Daughter (B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
'Coal Miner's Daughter' (a music biopic from 1980 directed by Michael Apted) stars Sissy Spacek - in an Academy Award-winning role - as backwoods girl Loretta Lynn, who goes on to become a legendary star, known today as the 'first lady of country music'. The oldest daughter of 8, Loretta Webb was born, as the title says, to a coal miner & his wife deep in Kentucky's Appalachian mountains in 1932. Loretta is the apple of her father's (Levon Helm) eye, but when she - as a young teen - falls for spunky 21 yr. old military vet, Oliver 'Doolittle' Lynn (Tommy Lee Jones, so good), her dad has to let her go; making 'Doo' promise not to take her too far from home. But by age 14, Loretta finds herself pregnant & moving with Doo to Washington State.
The one thing that gives her true comfort ... is singing. After gifting her with a guitar, Doo implores Loretta to share her beautiful voice with the world and, at his behest, Loretta starts singing at honkytonks, makes her own album, & travels around to various disc jockey's to promote said album. One of my fave lines from one of her songs: "Well, I was born a coal miner's daughter / In a cabin on a hill in Butcher Holler ... "We were poor but we had love".
When the hustling & promoting all pays-off with her performing at the Grand Ole Opry and being compared to country icons like Patsy Cline (Beverly D'Angelo, fantastic), the question becomes if Doo can cope with his wife's newfound superstar status & if their marriage can survive. Cline gave Loretta a new perspective on things. Loretta's fame & talent soars while Doo agrees to take care of the ranch & their kids at home. And though she eventually suffers a breakdown from exhaustion, adoring Doo is on hand as constant support; a testament to their sometimes turbulent, but enduring relationship.
British director Michael Apted does a great job pacing the 1st segment of his film. His eye for details for the different milieus {poverty-stricken Kentucky, the more urban Washington, the country music scene in Nashville} helps to illuminate the stark transformation of Loretta & Doo's lives. Given where Loretta comes from, it's incredible to see her rage-to-riches rise to superstardom. It's also something to see the budding confidence that she exhibits; standing up, performing & winning-over a honky tonk full of men. But beyond that surface stuff, Spacek's Loretta is just a fascinatingly complex person.
She can be meek, and then surprisingly fiery with Doo; harboring an inner-strength that's belies by her delicate voice & demeanor. And director Apted also does a wonderful job including small, nuanced moments that make Loretta & Doo's relationship feel so real. Spacek is utterly charming in the role; blossoming from sweet hillbilly to assertive star. That she does her own singing is an added bonus & impressive feat. This was Tommy Lee Jones' breakout role and, he is just wonderful as the energetic, domineering, yet loving Doo. And Levon Helm is touching as Loretta's father, who assures her that she is the shining pride of his life.
I enjoyed this film greatly & sing its praises. It made big $$ and was a success at the Oscars. Having said that, the film receiving nominations for cinematography & art direction speaks more to the Academy tending to reward 'big' films in those tech categories, whereas other smaller fare would be more deserving. But I digress. Unlike most music biopics, 'Coal Miner's Daughter' isn't steeped in dramatics, drug addiction & the like. More so, it is an appealing, incisive, & gentle celebration of Lynn's ascent in show biz, her burnout, her momentous recovery, and the profundity of her marriage. Very good film, indeed.
The one thing that gives her true comfort ... is singing. After gifting her with a guitar, Doo implores Loretta to share her beautiful voice with the world and, at his behest, Loretta starts singing at honkytonks, makes her own album, & travels around to various disc jockey's to promote said album. One of my fave lines from one of her songs: "Well, I was born a coal miner's daughter / In a cabin on a hill in Butcher Holler ... "We were poor but we had love".
When the hustling & promoting all pays-off with her performing at the Grand Ole Opry and being compared to country icons like Patsy Cline (Beverly D'Angelo, fantastic), the question becomes if Doo can cope with his wife's newfound superstar status & if their marriage can survive. Cline gave Loretta a new perspective on things. Loretta's fame & talent soars while Doo agrees to take care of the ranch & their kids at home. And though she eventually suffers a breakdown from exhaustion, adoring Doo is on hand as constant support; a testament to their sometimes turbulent, but enduring relationship.
British director Michael Apted does a great job pacing the 1st segment of his film. His eye for details for the different milieus {poverty-stricken Kentucky, the more urban Washington, the country music scene in Nashville} helps to illuminate the stark transformation of Loretta & Doo's lives. Given where Loretta comes from, it's incredible to see her rage-to-riches rise to superstardom. It's also something to see the budding confidence that she exhibits; standing up, performing & winning-over a honky tonk full of men. But beyond that surface stuff, Spacek's Loretta is just a fascinatingly complex person.
She can be meek, and then surprisingly fiery with Doo; harboring an inner-strength that's belies by her delicate voice & demeanor. And director Apted also does a wonderful job including small, nuanced moments that make Loretta & Doo's relationship feel so real. Spacek is utterly charming in the role; blossoming from sweet hillbilly to assertive star. That she does her own singing is an added bonus & impressive feat. This was Tommy Lee Jones' breakout role and, he is just wonderful as the energetic, domineering, yet loving Doo. And Levon Helm is touching as Loretta's father, who assures her that she is the shining pride of his life.
I enjoyed this film greatly & sing its praises. It made big $$ and was a success at the Oscars. Having said that, the film receiving nominations for cinematography & art direction speaks more to the Academy tending to reward 'big' films in those tech categories, whereas other smaller fare would be more deserving. But I digress. Unlike most music biopics, 'Coal Miner's Daughter' isn't steeped in dramatics, drug addiction & the like. More so, it is an appealing, incisive, & gentle celebration of Lynn's ascent in show biz, her burnout, her momentous recovery, and the profundity of her marriage. Very good film, indeed.