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Great Balls of Fire!

  • 19891989
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 1h 48m
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
18K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Dennis Quaid in Great Balls of Fire! (1989)
text os
Play trailer1:08
1 Video
50 Photos
  • Biography
  • Drama
  • Music

The life and career of wildly controversial rock 'n' roll star Jerry Lee Lewis.The life and career of wildly controversial rock 'n' roll star Jerry Lee Lewis.The life and career of wildly controversial rock 'n' roll star Jerry Lee Lewis.

IMDb RATING
6.2/10
18K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Jim McBride
  • Writers
    • Myra Lewis(book)
    • Murray Silver Jr.(book)
    • Jack Baran(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Dennis Quaid
    • Winona Ryder
    • John Doe
Top credits
  • Director
    • Jim McBride
  • Writers
    • Myra Lewis(book)
    • Murray Silver Jr.(book)
    • Jack Baran(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Dennis Quaid
    • Winona Ryder
    • John Doe
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 75User reviews
    • 36Critic reviews
    • 49Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination

    Videos1

    Great Balls of Fire
    Trailer 1:08
    Great Balls of Fire

    Photos50

    Winona Ryder and Dennis Quaid in Great Balls of Fire! (1989)
    "Great Balls Of Fire" Steve Allen and Dennis Quaid
    Winona Ryder and Dennis Quaid in Great Balls of Fire! (1989)
    Winona Ryder and Dennis Quaid in Great Balls of Fire! (1989)
    Winona Ryder and Dennis Quaid in Great Balls of Fire! (1989)
    Dennis Quaid in Great Balls of Fire! (1989)
    Dennis Quaid in Great Balls of Fire! (1989)
    Winona Ryder and Dennis Quaid in Great Balls of Fire! (1989)
    Dennis Quaid in Great Balls of Fire! (1989)
    Winona Ryder and Dennis Quaid in Great Balls of Fire! (1989)
    Dennis Quaid in Great Balls of Fire! (1989)
    Dennis Quaid and John Doe in Great Balls of Fire! (1989)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Dennis Quaid
    Dennis Quaid
    • Jerry Lee Lewisas Jerry Lee Lewis
    Winona Ryder
    Winona Ryder
    • Myra Gale Brownas Myra Gale Brown
    John Doe
    John Doe
    • J.W. Brownas J.W. Brown
    Stephen Tobolowsky
    Stephen Tobolowsky
    • Jud Phillipsas Jud Phillips
    Trey Wilson
    Trey Wilson
    • Sam Phillipsas Sam Phillips
    Alec Baldwin
    Alec Baldwin
    • Jimmy Swaggartas Jimmy Swaggart
    Steve Allen
    Steve Allen
    • Steve Allenas Steve Allen
    Lisa Blount
    Lisa Blount
    • Lois Brownas Lois Brown
    Joshua Sheffield
    • Rusty Brownas Rusty Brown
    Mojo Nixon
    • James Van Eatonas James Van Eaton
    Jimmie Vaughan
    Jimmie Vaughan
    • Roland Janesas Roland Janes
    David Ferguson
    • Jack Clementas Jack Clement
    Robert Lesser
    Robert Lesser
    • Alan Freedas Alan Freed
    Lisa Jane Persky
    Lisa Jane Persky
    • Babeas Babe
    Paula Person
    • Sam's Secrataryas Sam's Secratary
    Valerie Wellington
    • Big Maybelleas Big Maybelle
    Booker T. Laury
    • Piano Slimas Piano Slim
    Michael St. Gerard
    Michael St. Gerard
    • Elvisas Elvis
    • Director
      • Jim McBride
    • Writers
      • Myra Lewis(book)
      • Murray Silver Jr.(book)
      • Jack Baran(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    A semi-fictionalized account of the early career of Jerry Lee Lewis is presented. The year is 1956, and he, as the front man, is trying to break into the business in a combo with among others his cousin, J.W. Brown, playing his rollicking version of the music he has always been interested in: what he heard emanating from the black honky-tonks of the south. Success and what goes along with it - fame and money - are arguably foremost on his mind. Against the many odds, he is able to gain that success, the odds including the Christian moral majority largely denouncing his type of music - hard driving rock 'n' roll - as that of the devil and thus anti-Christian, with one of his most vocal opponents with regard to his music being another cousin, sidewalk evangelist Jimmy Swaggart. He may derail his own success in his reckless behavior, especially falling prey to his urges with adoring young female fans, the most scandalous relationship being with J.W. and his wife Lois' thirteen year old daughter, Myra Gale Brown, who would go on imminently to become Myra Lewis, aka Mrs. Jerry Lee Lewis, and who in part was looking for a protector in her fear during this nuclear age. —Huggo
    • 1950s
    • child bride
    • title based on song
    • marriage between cousins
    • rise and fall
    • 39 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Jerry Lee Lewis. His music rocked the nation. His story shocked the world.
    • Genres
      • Biography
      • Drama
      • Music
    • Certificate
      • PG-13
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Jerry Lee Lewis re-recorded his songs for this film, which Dennis Quaid lip-syncs. At first, Quaid wanted to record his version of the songs over Lewis' objections, and did. Lewis was surprised at how good he was, and at one point it was proposed that Lewis do half the songs and Quaid half. When Quaid heard the new re-recordings done by Lewis, he changed his mind, and agreed that all the songs should be done by Lewis.
    • Goofs
      The song "Great Balls Of Fire" is shown climbing the Billboard charts to number one. The song only made it to number two.
    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      Jerry Lee Lewis: Well, if I'm going to hell, I'm going there playing the piano!

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Lethal Weapon 2/The Karate Kid Part III/Great Balls of Fire/Weekend at Bernie's/A Taxing Woman Returns (1989)
    • Soundtracks
      Teddy Bear
      Written by Kal Mann, Bernie Lowe

      Performed by Elvis Presley

      Courtesy of RCA Records

    User reviews75

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    Immensely Entertaining & The Music Is Great
    An excellent job by director Jim McBride of putting Myra Lewis's book about the life of legendary rock and roll star Jerry Lee Lewis (her husband) on film.

    Dennis Quaid gives an over the top performance (sometimes a bit too over the top; but, then again, this is Jerry Lee Lewis) as Lewis, arrogant and child-like, trying to deal with sudden fame, having to deal with the consequences of having married his thirteen year old cousin (Myra, who authored the book). Quaid was truly excellent in this role. Yes, the lip-synching was perhaps a bit too obvious at times, but for the sake of hearing some great music performed by the real Jerry Lee Lewis, that was an irritant I could easily put up with. The relationship between Lewis and Myra (Winona Ryder) is developed sensitively and tastefully by McBride. Humour is added by exploring the complex love-hate relationship between Lewis and his cousin, the evangelist Jimmy Swaggart (Alec Baldwin). There is also great irony, given what ultimately happened to Swaggart, as we listen to him lecturing Lewis about the dangers of taking the "gold-paved streets of rock and roll."

    I really enjoyed this movie. Perhaps it was guilty of portraying everyone in it as a bit of a caricature, but it still seemed to offer an entirely believable story of Lewis's life. Well worth the watching.

    9/10
    helpful•36
    7
    • sddavis63
    • Sep 3, 2001

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 30, 1989 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Velike vatrene kocije
    • Filming locations
      • Somerville, Tennessee, USA
    • Production company
      • Orion Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $16,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $13,741,060
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $3,807,986
      • Jul 2, 1989
    • Gross worldwide
      • $13,741,060
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 48 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby SR
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

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    May 12Variety Film + TV

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