Coal Miner's Daughter

Starring: Sissy Spacek, Tommy Lee Jones, Levon Helm, William Sanderson, Beverly D'Angelo
Directed by: Michael Apted
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama, Music
1980

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Loretta Lynn (Sissy Spacek) emerges from extreme poverty to become a country music legend.

Review:

Tim: I can't claim to have known much about Loretta Lynn before watching Coal Miner's Daughter, so this movie was enlightening as much as it was entertaining. It feels like there's been so many musical biopics over the years. Musicians often live interesting lives and it makes for good entertainment to watch their rockstar lives unfold on screen. Unfortunately, so many of them follow similar patterns. Without getting into it, you can easily predict how most musical biopics will run. That's not the case here. Now, Loretta Lynn deserves credit for living an interesting, different life. The movie itself feels unique amidst these many biopics.

The early scenes are so essential for this film. The idea of Loretta being a famous country singer is totally absurd as we're pulled into the poverty of rural Kentucky. Those scenes are so instrumental in understanding Lynn and they do a fantastic job of setting the stage of her early life. From the overwhelming reliance on the coal mines, to the black lung disease, to how easily life can be lost in economically depressed areas, this film does a fantastic job of showcasing all that. Those scenes take up a good portion of the movie and are some of the most revealing and most memorable. It really gave you an idea of what Lynn's childhood was like, but it also reminded you of how many people in this country lived in that time period. Rural Kentucky is underserved at the cineplex and it was eye-opening to see those sequences.

Eventually, Lynn moves and starts the path to becoming a country music legend. These scenes may not be quite as memorable or intriguing, but they still work. She didn't take the typical path. From her many kids to playing small venues and begging music stations for airplay, Loretta Lynn certainly didn't have anything handed to her. It's so impressive to see her determination and persistence depicted here. Her life is an interesting one and I enjoyed watching it unfold on screen.

Sissy Spacek gets most of the attention here, and for good reason. She gives a natural, authentic, believable performance as Lynn. I really like that she sang all her own songs. It's the kind of meaty role that allows actresses to showcase their talent, but even with that, Spacek delivered something special. She was awarded the film's only Academy Award, for Best Actress. It's interesting, because she doesn't command the movie- the role wouldn't allow for that. She's influenced by others as much as she influences anyone else and Spacek fit into that. I can see why she was awarded the Oscar, though- it feels like you're watching someone completely comfortable in this life- whether it's the early poverty scenes, trying to understand what marriage is about at an uncomfortably early age, singing songs on stage, etc. Spacek felt like she belonged in this role and inhabited the character. She's really good here.

The film is helped by a strong performance by Tommy Lee Jones. As much as this is Spacek's movie, Jones played a significantly large role in the film. From his interactions with Spacek to developing his character (even the unpleasant sides), Jones fully committed to this role and gives a memorable performance. It was fun watching him in this role and the movie was absolutely better for it. I also liked seeing Beverly D'Angelo as Patsy Cline- she has a smaller role, but she makes her mark on screen.

Michael Apted did a very good job of directing this musical biopic that manages to differentiate itself, even three decades later. It tells an interesting story about the hard life of Loretta Lynn. It was entertaining and illuminating and I thoroughly enjoyed it. You really need to see this film for Spacek's Best Actress performance, but the entire movie is quite worthwhile. This is a very good one.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Walk the Line, Tender Mercies