Sissy Spacek has been one of my favorite actresses since seeing her in Carrie many years ago. Since she won her only Oscar for Coal Miner’s Daughter, I had to check it out.
Synopsis: the life of country singer Loretta Lynn is examined from her early teens as the oldest daughter of a poor but proud family to her reaching superstar status. In between, lots of joy and pain, a husband and many children, fans and fame.
Spacek plays Lynn to perfection. I don’t really know Ms. Lynn, her singing style, or her mannerisms, but I can tell that Spacek thoroughly deserved her Oscar. On top of a great performance, she also sang all the songs herself!!
She’s supported for part of the film by Beverly D’Angelo as Patsy Cline, while a very youthful Tommy Lee Jones plays her husband Doolittle Lynn, the biggest supporter of her career and the one who really pushed and allowed her to become a big country star.
The script is linear and paints a very vivid picture of a woman that went from living a stark life to being very wealthy and successful. The movie wouldn’t be what it is without Spacek’s performance, but every technical aspect is very good too, from costumes to art direction, to the very bleak and rich photography.
The Bottom Line: Coal Miner’s Daughter, as many biographical movies about music legends, might not feel satisfying for everyone, but it’s certainly a well made film that tells an extraordinary story with details and care. Spacek is spellbinding.
Grade: 8
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