The story of Loretta Lynn, superstar of country music. From her time growing up (as Loretta Webb) in the coal-mining town of Butcher Hollow, Kentucky, to her marrying "Doolittle" Lynn when only 15 years old, their marriage, her taking up singing and playing guitar to her first forays into making music, her making it big and the impact it had on her.
Pretty good biopic. I'm not a country music fan, but you have to admire the way she, supported by her husband, made it to the top. No instant fame based on some cheesy televised talent show, she had to do it the hard way, through promoting herself, playing concerts in small venues and sheer talent and perseverance.
The portion of the movie that shows her rise to the top is definitely the highlight of the movie. Her childhood gives a good background but is otherwise not that interesting. The conclusion is okay but not that profound or emotional. It's the middle that matters.
So what you have is a conventional, linear biopic. No flashbacks, no great profundities, no great personal demons to overcome (biopics tend to thrive on personal demons). What lifts this movie above the average biopic, however, are the performances of Sissy Spacek, as Loretta Lynn, and Tommy Lee Jones, as Doolittle Lynn. Both are fantastic in their roles and the chemistry between them is great too. Spacek won a Best Actress Oscar for her performance.
Good support from Beverley D'Angelo as Patsy Cline. Levon Helm (of The Band) gives a solid performance as Ted Webb, Loretta Lynn's father.
Pretty good biopic. I'm not a country music fan, but you have to admire the way she, supported by her husband, made it to the top. No instant fame based on some cheesy televised talent show, she had to do it the hard way, through promoting herself, playing concerts in small venues and sheer talent and perseverance.
The portion of the movie that shows her rise to the top is definitely the highlight of the movie. Her childhood gives a good background but is otherwise not that interesting. The conclusion is okay but not that profound or emotional. It's the middle that matters.
So what you have is a conventional, linear biopic. No flashbacks, no great profundities, no great personal demons to overcome (biopics tend to thrive on personal demons). What lifts this movie above the average biopic, however, are the performances of Sissy Spacek, as Loretta Lynn, and Tommy Lee Jones, as Doolittle Lynn. Both are fantastic in their roles and the chemistry between them is great too. Spacek won a Best Actress Oscar for her performance.
Good support from Beverley D'Angelo as Patsy Cline. Levon Helm (of The Band) gives a solid performance as Ted Webb, Loretta Lynn's father.