La ragazza di Nashville

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.

Coal Miner's Daughter spans the decades from 1948 Kentucky to the 1970's, when Loretta Lynn had a nervous breakdown and collapsed on stage. First off, the scenes in rural Kentucky are very familiar to anyone who grew up in the mountains at that time. My own grandmother had seven brothers and sisters, lived in a cabin, and married at age 15. So I've heard the stories of her growing up, and it's VERY close to what is depicted in this film. The Butcher Holler scenes are so realistic, they make you feel like you're right there. It wasn't like the Waltons, folks. This shows how it really was back then. I will always love Loretta for her honesty and I'm sure that many women can relate to her wedding night innocence. In fact she didn't know where the babies were coming from until the first four were born. By that time she was 18 years old. It was only after Loretta's father died in 1959 that she started singing in honky tonk bars. For anybody who loved the book as much as I did, I wish they would have shown how Loretta's career affected her children. By the time her twins were born she was on the road so much that she simply didn't have time to be an attentive mother. Success didn't bring lasting happiness. Loretta's busy career caused stress which led to her pill addiction and breakdown. The scenes of Nashville in the 1960's are very accurate and Loretta's friendship with Patsy Cline is fun to watch. Patsy was like a big sister and a mother figure to Loretta. She was brilliantly depicted by Beverly D' Angelo. Sissy Spacek became Loretta Lynn for this film and seeing is believing. She was very convincing as a 13-year-old. What an amazing performance. Tommy Lee Jones redeems the character of Doo for his bad behavior and in the end he is a supportive father and husband. Loretta's parents are portrayed very accurately by Levon Helm and Phyllis Boyens. I especially liked the mother's "squaw dance". Coal Miner's Daughter is a masterpiece as a song, a book, and especially a movie.

There is no doubt in my mind that this film is one of the best biopics brought to the screen. From beginning to end, you are so fully immersed in the life of Loretta Lynn, that you forget you are watching Sissy Spacek, who hands down deservedly won the Oscar and 1980 was an excellent year for the Academy awards with stiff competition.

From the opening sequences, you get sucked right in. The life of Appalachia and the struggles of Loretta growing up. The devotion of Doolittle, Tommy Lee Jones best role, to make Loretta the star that she should be is selfless, despite some tempestuous struggles.

Beverly D'Angelo, who is underrated and versatile, portrays Patsy Cline with such bravado, it just clicks with the cast and the credibility of the audience. The fact that both her and Spacek sang on their own just enhances the credibility of the film.

In summary, a must see for anyone who is a fan of Loretta Lynn and for how a biography should be filmed.

The true-life story of Loretta Lynn (dominant Oscar-winner Sissy Spacek) from her youth where she married at the tender age of 13 all the way to country music stardom. Along for the ride is her husband (Tommy Lee Jones' first legitimate role), an amazingly complex individual who has anger management and jealousy issues. Beverly D'Angelo (in arguably her finest career performance) is also a solid scene-stealer playing doomed singer Patsy Cline. Spacek and D'Angelo actually did all the singing themselves and that just elevates an already high level of performances. The direction by Michael Apted is adequate and so is the Oscar-nominated adaptation, but the excellent work by the three leads makes "Coal Miner's Daughter" one of the finest pictures of the early-1980s. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Loretta Lynn's life has been to say the least,interesting.A wife at 13, mother at 14,and walking a long path to her throne as the "Queen of Country Music".Triumphs and tragedies have virtually filled her life, and it was expertly brought to life in this film.Sissy Spacek gives a dead on performance as Lynn,right down to her voice,and even does her own singing for the film.This is without a doubt one of the best acting performances of a non fictional character I have ever seen,and let us not forget the Oscar worthy performance of Tommy Lee Jones as Doolittle Lynn,Loretta's husband.He is always excellent,but he was never better than he was here.This is an excellent true story of Loretta's long journey from the Kentucky backwoods to the Grand Ole Opry stage.A must see and must own movie.