Coal Miner's Daughter (1980)

Director:

Michael Apted

Writers:

Loretta Lynn (autobiography)
Thomas Rickman (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

7 March 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Music

Tagline:

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.

Plot:

Biography of Loretta Lynn, a country and western singer that came from poverty to fame.

Plot Keywords:

Loretta Lynn | Poverty | Country Music | Singer | Grand Ole Opry

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 7 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Sissy Spacek	...	Loretta Lynn
Tommy Lee Jones	...	'Mooney' Lynn
Levon Helm	...	Ted Webb
Phyllis Boyens	...	'Clary' Webb
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	...	Loretta & Mooney's child
Pat Patterson	...	Loretta's child
Brian Warf	...	Loretta & Mooney's child
Elizabeth Watson	...	Loretta & Mooney's child
Beverly D'Angelo	...	Patsy Cline
Robert Elkins	...	Bobby Day
Bob Hannah	...	Charlie Dick
Ernest Tubb	...	Himself
Jennifer Beasley	...	Patsy Lynn
Jessica Beasley	...	Peggy Lynn
Susan Kingsley	...	Girl at fairgrounds
Michael Baish	...	Storekeeper
David Gray	...	Doc Turner
Royce Clark	...	Hugh Cherry
Gary Parker	...	Radio station manager
Billy Strange	...	Speedy West
Bruce Newman	...	Opry stage manager
Grant Turner	...	Opry announcer
Frank Mitchell	...	Washington neighbor
Merle Kilgore	...	Cowboy at Tootsie's
Jackie Lynn Wright	...	Redhead at Tootsie's
Rhonda Rhoton	...	Lizzie
Vernon Oxford	...	Preacher
Ron Hensley	...	John Penn
Doug Bledsoe	...	Cowboy at Grange Hall
Aubrey Wells	...	Red Lynn
Russell Varner	...	Bidder at pie auction
Tommie O'Donnell	...	Teacher at pie auction
Lou Headley	...	Teacher at pie auction
Ruby Caudill	...	Teacher at pie auction
Charles Kahlenberg	...	Business manager
Alice McGeachy	...	Woman with doll
Ken Riley	...	Road manager
Jim Webb	...	Bus driver
Dave Thornhill	...	The Coal Miner's Band
Don Ballinger	...	The Coal Miner's Band
Zeke Dawson	...	The Coal Miner's Band
Gene Dunlap	...	The Coal Miner's Band
Durwood Edwards	...	The Coal Miner's Band
Chuck Flynn	...	The Coal Miner's Band
Lonnie Godfrey	...	The Coal Miner's Band
Bob Hempker	...	The Coal Miner's Band
Danny Faircloth	...	The Patsy Cline Band
Charles Gore	...	The Patsy Cline Band
Doug Hauseman	...	The Patsy Cline Band
Mike Noble	...	The Patsy Cline Band
Daniel Sarenana	...	The Patsy Cline Band
Billy West	...	The Patsy Cline Band
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Brad Baker	...	Miner (uncredited)
Allison Caine	...	Additional Voices (voice) (uncredited)
Minnie Pearl	...	Herself (uncredited)
Jimmy Yates	...	Janitor (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Apted

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Loretta Lynn		autobiography
Thomas Rickman		writer (as Tom Rickman)
George Vecsey		autobiography

Produced by
Zelda Barron	....	associate producer
Robert E. Larson	....	executive producer (as Bob Larson)
Bernard Schwartz	....	producer

Cinematography by
Ralf D. Bode		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Arthur Schmidt

Casting by
Michael Chinich

Production Design by
John W. Corso

Set Decoration by
John M. Dwyer

Costume Design by
Joe I. Tompkins

Makeup Department
Albert Jeyte	....	assistant makeup artist
Mark Reedall	....	makeup artist
Lorraine Roberson	....	hair stylist
Martin Samuel	....	assistant hair stylist (as Martin Samuels)

Production Management
Wallace Worsley Jr.	....	production manager (as Wallace Worsley)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Katy Emde	....	second assistant director
Dan Kolsrud	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Sam Adams	....	construction crew
Al Bilof	....	swing gang
Dimitri Bulgarcic	....	construction crew
Jim Callan	....	construction crew (as James Callan)
Terry Feller	....	construction crew
Kirk D. Hansen	....	construction crew (as Kirk Hansen)
Andy Hawkes	....	construction crew
Ray LaPorte	....	painter
Richard Leon	....	assistant propmaster
Louis M. Mann	....	set designer (as Lou Mann)
Jon Marsala	....	construction crew (as John Marsala)
Peg McClellan	....	illustrator
Frank Mitchell	....	greensman
Bob Nohles	....	construction coordinator
Andy Pedroza	....	construction crew
Victor E. Petrotta Sr.	....	property master (as Victor Petrotta)
H. John Ramos	....	assistant propmaster
Bion Roberts	....	construction crew
Joseph R. Savko	....	swing gang (as Joe Savko)
Jack Smith	....	construction crew
Barton M. Susman	....	leadman (as Bart Susman)
Marty Urner	....	construction crew
Greg Villalva	....	construction crew
Ken White	....	construction crew
Robert Misetich	....	painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
John Agalsoff Jr.	....	playback (as John Agalsoff)
James R. Alexander	....	sound (as Jim Alexander)
Lon Bender	....	sound editor (as Lon E. Bender)
Gordon Ecker	....	supervising sound editor (as Gordon Ecker Jr.)
Alsie L. Florence	....	sound recordist (as Alsie Florence)
Roger Heman Jr.	....	sound re-recordist (as Roger Heman)
Joseph Holsen	....	sound editor
Andrew London	....	sound editor
John McDonald	....	boom operator
Richard Portman	....	sound re-recordist
John Roesch	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Tom Del Genio	....	special effects (as Tom Delgenio)
Floyd Van Wey	....	special effects

Stunts
Mags Kavanaugh	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Mark Abbott	....	electrician
William Birch	....	camera operator: second unit
Timothy Brennan	....	second grip (as Tim Brennan)
Roy Collodi	....	assistant camera
John T. Dustin	....	camera operator: second unit (as John Dustin)
Mike Heath	....	grip
Marc Hirschfeld	....	assistant camera
David Jarrell	....	best boy
Harry Jukes	....	generator operator
Ray Kinzer	....	key grip
George Kohut	....	assistant camera
Ann Lukacs	....	assistant camera
Alberto S. Ramos	....	dolly grip (as Albert Ramos)
Don Smetzer	....	still photographer
Mark Stanley	....	grip
Michael Stone	....	camera operator (as Mike Stone)
Ted Varnadoe	....	electrician
Melinda Wickman	....	still photographer
Robert Woodside	....	gaffer (as Bob Woodside)

Casting Department
Sandra Dawes	....	casting assistant (as Sandy Dawes)
Jo Doster	....	casting associate
Olivia Maggard	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lucille Clark	....	costumer: women
Michele Dittrick	....	costumer: women (as Michelle Dittrich)
Barry Downing	....	costumer: men
Hugo Peña	....	costumer: men (as Hugo Pena)
Ervin W. Rose	....	costume supervisor (as E.W. Rose)
Pamela Wise	....	costume supervisor (as Pam Wise)

Editorial Department
Tom Finan	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Owen Bradley	....	music supervisor
George Brand	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Richard Austin	....	transportation captain (as Dick Austin)
Bill Bilyeu	....	driver
Jim Burris	....	driver
Bill Essenpreis	....	driver
Jim Johnson	....	driver
Calvin Masoner	....	driver (as Cal Masoner)
Mike Robinson	....	driver: cast
Eugene Schwartz	....	transportation captain (as Gene Schwartz)

Other crew
Nick Chiarolanzio	....	location auditor
Sue Dwiggins	....	production associate
Bob Forrest	....	script supervisor
Russ Harling	....	production assistant
Jim Jones	....	wrangler
Bob McPherson	....	craft service
George Osaki	....	title designer
Brad Siniard	....	paramedic
David Skepner	....	technical advisor
Barney Thebiay	....	projectionist
Arthur Wilde	....	publicist
Danny Young	....	timekeeper

Thanks
Bud Armes	....	thanks
Vince Bohannon	....	thanks
Charles R. Campbell	....	thanks
Delmar Kincer	....	thanks
Kent Rigg	....	thanks
Johnny Rosen	....	thanks
Sally Webb	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1980) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1982) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• DiscoVision (USA) (laserdisc)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)

Other Companies

• Bradley's Barn  music recorded at
• Kentucky Film Commission  thanks
• Panavision  cameras and lenses
• Technicolor  color
• Universal Title  titles and opticals

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:PG | UK:PG | Argentina:Atp | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Bee, Virginia, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Sissy Spacek's Best Actress Oscar win for playing singer Loretta Lynn created a rarity in the Academy's history in that the real-life Loretta Lynn was in the audience witnessing the victory. That same evening (March 31, 1981) boxer Jake LaMotta was in the pavilion audience when Robert De Niro won the Best Actor statuette for his portrayal of LaMotta in Raging Bull (1980), making the event even more rare.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Loretta and Patsy return to the parking lot after shopping, and after they drive off leaving Mooney behind, as he is walking through the lot you can see a 1965 Pontiac Tempest among the cars parked. Patsy died in 1963.

Quotes:

Patsy Cline: [Loretta and Doolittle are fighting in the parking lot] Get in the car, Loretta! Get in the damn car and drive, Charlie!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Designing Women: Julia's Son (#1.4)" (1986)

Soundtrack:

Satisfied Mind

Entertaining And Factual

As one of the better cinematic bios, "Coal Miner's Daughter" deserves praise because it is such a topnotch production. Sissy Spacek gives a terrific performance in the rags-to-riches, true-life story of country music legend Loretta Lynn. Spacek does her own singing in the movie, as does Beverly D'Angelo in the role of Patsy Cline.

But this lavish, big budget film has more to offer than the great performances of these two actresses. Attention to detail in production design, costumes, and makeup, plus topnotch editing combine to rev up the film's technical quality. And I loved that soundtrack with all those great country/western songs, including especially "Honky Tonk Angels" by the wonderful Kitty Wells. All of these cinematic elements render a film that is as entertaining as it is factual.

Loretta Lynn's story originates in the South; it's a story rich in emotion and appreciation of simple home values like love, family, and perseverance. Local non-actors are brought into the film in bit parts, and that amplifies the authenticity of her surroundings, especially her Southern roots.

My only problem with this film is the plot structure. The first fifty minutes could have been condensed. In particular, that part of the film that deals with Loretta's love affair with Mooney (Tommy Lee Jones), his red jeep, and Loretta's dad was too long and drawn out.

But overall, "Coal Miner's Daughter" is amazing because it presents a true-life success story that was by no means inevitable. All kinds of things could have intervened along the way to stop Loretta's rise to the top. Her husband was a big help, but she also had talent, and she got some breaks at crucial times. Her journey from rural Kentucky poverty to Nashville mansion thus makes for a gripping story helped along by the nearly perfect performance of Sissy Spacek.