Coal Miner's Daughter

I'm not a big fan of country music, but I must admit that country musicians have some pretty interesting biographies. This is certainly true with Coal Miner's Daughter. Sissy Spacek is sassy, "ignorant" (as she refers to herself), and nervously determined as Loretta Lynn - the hillbilly child bride who became the reigning queen of the Grand Ole Opry following the death of Patsy Cline.

The film shows it's age (1980) and it's reverence for Lynn in that it's an overwhelmingly positive, uplifting story. This is decades removed from true-to-life exposes like Walk the Line. The issues of abuse (drug, alcohol, physical, emotional) are minimized - although the viewer is left with the impression that what little is shown is just the tip of the iceberg.

Regardless of how sanitized the story is, you can't help but be drawn to Spacek's portrayal of a seemly simple, yet psychologically complex, woman.