Coal Miner’s Daughter –
25th Anniversary Edition
Picture: C+
Sound: B- Extras: B- Film: B
There was an interview Loretta Lynn gave about Coal
Miner’s Daughter (1980) about her reaction to the film when it was
done. She asked if that was it in
shock. It is one thing to tell a story,
another to live it, but Lynn honestly zeroed in on the fact that even good
biopics have their limits. However,
director Michael Apted makes the best of his 2-hour film and the performances
along with on-the-spot rewrites make it one of the better music performer
biopics to date.
Sissy Spacek is Lynn, from her early days struggling, to
her fateful meeting with Doolittle ‘Mooney’ Lynn (Tommy Lee Jones in an
overlooked performance) that becomes one of the great royal couples of Country
Music. Of course, the meeting was not
the only thing that it took, though “Doo” as he is known supports her music
aspirations and apparent talent all the way to the top. It is a rough road, which includes a
friendship with Patsy Cline (Beverly D’Angelo as impressive as Jessica Lange
would be a few years later in the Cline biopic Sweet Dreams), which ends
tragically and too soon. Minnie Pearl
even appeared as herself, often looking as ageless as the price tag on her
“newly-bought” hat.
I always liked and respected the film, though I was never
a wild fan of it, partly because I wish it had delved more into the music
itself. Jones performance will make it
more accessible to viewers today simply because so many people know who he is
now, as well as because he always gives his all in every performance. If he was as popular then, he would have
been accused of almost stealing the film, something D’Angelo sometimes was
noted for doing. As for Apted, he is
more hit than miss in his dramatic films and this is one of his better
works. With a new wave of well-done and
popular music biopics, Coal Miner’s Daughter is ready for rediscovery
and will hold its own just fine.
The anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image is not bad, but
lacks some detail, some depth and though intended to be stylized, is a bit
color poor. Cinematographer Ralf D.
Bode does a fine job at his critical and commercial peak, of recreating the
look of The Appalachians of the past.
Costume design by Joe I. Tompkins with original Lynn outfits with John
W. Corso’s production design makes for a memorable period look and feel. The original simple stereo sound (not Dolby,
according to both the film’s credits and Dolby’s records) has finally been
upgraded to Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, though a Dolby 2.0 Mono mix is here for
purists. The original songs recorded
for this film, plus past hit records, are stereophonic for the most part and
this mix takes advantage of that.
Extras include an AFI moment for the film with the senior
President Bush, Apted interviewing Lynn herself, Jones’ reflections on the
film, the original theatrical trailer and a fine full-length audio commentary
by Apted and Spacek. All in all, not
bad, plus a small illustrated booklet dubbed “Limited Edition Photo Journal” is
included in the DVD cases of this release for now.
- Nicholas Sheffo
