Coal Miner's Daughter (1980)

Biographical story of Loretta Lynn, a legendary country singer that came from poverty to worldwide fame. She rose from humble beginnings in Kentucky to superstardom and changing the sound and style of country music forever.

Director:

Michael Apted

Writers:

Thomas Rickman (screenplay) (as Tom Rickman), Loretta Lynn (autobiography)

Stars:

Sissy Spacek, Tommy Lee Jones, Levon Helm

Won 1 Oscar. Another 8 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sissy Spacek	...	Loretta Lynn
Tommy Lee Jones	...	Doolittle Lynn
Levon Helm	...	Ted Webb
Phyllis Boyens-Liptak	...	'Clary' Webb (as Phyllis Boyens)
Bill Anderson Jr.	...	Webb Child
Foister Dickerson	...	Webb Child
Malla McCown	...	Webb Child
Pamela McCown	...	Webb Child
Kevin Salvilla	...	Webb Child
William Sanderson	...	Lee Dollarhide
Sissy Lucas	...	Betty Sue Lynn
Pat Patterson	...	Jack Benny Lynn
Brian Warf	...	Ernest Ray Lynn
Elizabeth Watson	...	Cissy Lynn
Beverly D'Angelo	...	Patsy Cline

Storyline

At only thirteen years of age, Loretta Webb marries Doolittle Lynn and is soon responsible for a sizeable family. Loretta appears destined to a life of homemaking, but Doolittle recognises his wife's musical talent, and buys her a guitar as an anniversary present one year. At eighteen, the mother of four children and busy housewife still finds time to write and sing songs at small fairs and local honky-tonks. This gift sets Loretta Lynn on the gruelling, tumultuous path to superstardom and country music greatness.

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Plot Keywords:

country music | kentucky | song | singing | poverty | 

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Taglines:

She was married at 13. She had four kids by the time she was 20. She's been hungry and poor. She's been loved and cheated on. She became a singer because it was the only thing she could do. She became a star because it was the only way she could do it.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Music | Musical

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 March 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

La hija del minero

Filming Locations:

Norton, Virginia, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,366,443, 9 March 1980, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$67,182,787

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The only Best Picture Oscar nominee that year to not be nominated for Best Director.

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Goofs

When Loretta learns of Patsy Cline's death, when she's hugging Mooney and says her line "Who am I going to talk to now?", her lips don't move.

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Quotes

Doolittle Lynn: Mr. Webb, me and Loretta are fixin' to get married, if it's alright with you.
Ted Webb: Go ask Clary.
[Doolittle walks through the house to the kitchen]
Doolittle Lynn: Mrs. Webb, me and Loretta is thinkin' about gettin' married tomorrow.
Clara Webb: Go ask Ted.
[Doolittle walks back onto the porch, then back into the house]
Loretta Webb: Doolittle, what are you doin'?
Doolittle Lynn: Ted says go ask Clary; Clary says go ask Ted; I don't know.
Loretta Webb: Wait 'til they go to bed; then you can catch them together. 'Less they'll keep you runnin' back and forth all night long.

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Connections

Featured in Sneak Previews: Soldier of Orange/The Human Factor/Coal Miner's Daughter/The Europeans (1980)

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Soundtracks

Sweet Dreams
Written by Don Gibson
Performed by Beverly D'Angelo

User Reviews

Honest and Accurate

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.