In a small town nestled in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, self-proclaimed spinster Ave Maria Mulligan finds her life shaken up and forever changed after learning a long-buried family... Read allIn a small town nestled in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, self-proclaimed spinster Ave Maria Mulligan finds her life shaken up and forever changed after learning a long-buried family secret.In a small town nestled in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, self-proclaimed spinster Ave Maria Mulligan finds her life shaken up and forever changed after learning a long-buried family secret.
- Awards
- 1 nomination
- Father John
- (as Fr. John S. Rausch GLMY)
- Delegate Terry Kilgore
- (as Delegate Terry Kilgore)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaActor Patrick Wilson's family is from the town of Big Stone Gap.
- GoofsJohn Benjamin Hickey's Mustang has Virginia antique car plates. The car would have been only 14 years old at the time. In Virginia a car must be at least 25 to get antique tags.
- Quotes
[first lines]
Ave Maria Mulligan: [narrating] When I was a girl we drove past the coal mines, it looked like a story book to me. It seemed an army of men was doing something so important it could change the world. That's when Mama would say, "Every time you light a lamp to read, you can thank a coal miner." I was born and raised in the hills of Virginia when coal was king.
Ave Maria Mulligan: Life was simple in Big Stone Gap. You went to Zackie's for your jeans, you went to Gilley's for your engagement ring. And you went to my family drugstore when you were sick. On Friday nights you rooted for the Vikings, and after the game you went for burgers at Carmine's to celebrate, because we never lost.
Ave Maria Mulligan: Every year we put on The Trail of the Lonesome Pine, the story of a mountain girl and the mining engineer who loved her. You either acted a part or played in the band or worked behind the scenes, like me. One year was a lot like the last, and before I knew it, it was 1978 and I turned 40. Almost overnight I was the old maid in Big Stone Gap. It seemed like happiness was for other people.
- SoundtracksShenandoah
Traditional
Performed by Michael Trigiani
Courtesy of Z. Corp Music
In a small town in Virginia, the life of middle aged spinster, Ave Marie (Ashley Judd) is shaken up and permanently altered when, after a semi-anticipated unfortunate event, she discovers a family secret that has been buried for a long time. While she tries to figure out why things are the way they are, her eyes are opened to situations and experiences that she never noticed. Ave Marie makes a life altering decision and as a result the whole town unravels.
Since this film is a period piece, I was really intrigued as I watched it. I love all of the romantic aspects that are displayed throughout this film. Along with the romance and bits drama, Big Stone Gap offers great comedy, which really separates the dramatic pieces nicely and gives this film great balance. My favorite character would have to be Fleeta (Whoopi Goldberg) because of the comedy she gives to the film and also because of the boldness and confidence in her character.
Over all, I cannot say this I have a favorite scene, every bit of story line is interesting and entertaining, I will say this all the scenes with Fleeta are very nice to watch due to the way her character interacts with others. Another aspect that I greatly enjoy is the wardrobe, because of how much it's involved in this story, the clothing that is worn, adds different details to each and every character and their personality. Even though sometimes I am a bit confused about the plot line, everything clears up in the end.
A message that I found in Big Stone Gap is that life is always changing, and nothing is set in stone. Another message is that sometimes life is unfair, and we shouldn't dwell on all the inconveniences in life for too long.
I recommend this film for ages 9 to 18, due to its slight suggestive content. I give it 4 out of 5 stars, because of its comedy, romance, and cast.
Big Stone Gap is in theaters October 9th, so please check it out. Reviewed by Brianna B., Age 15, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic.
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Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $1,009,301
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $362,422
- Oct 11, 2015
- Gross worldwide
- $1,012,804
- Runtime1 hour 43 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1