An Inspiring Lady (finally)

I'm back.. Yes, I realise this was a long break and you may be thinking "ah-oh she's already bailed on Oscar", but no! In fact, it is Oscar who has been lagging the chain! It has taken me two weeks to get my hands on Michael Apted's, The Coal Miner's Daughter (thank you DVD King, I hope you enjoy my $27. Maybe I should ask for a refund for the free advertising). I refused to watch anymore movies past 1980 (I justified Atlantic City to myself because I would have watched a movie from 1981 in the same week as Tess and The Coal Miners Daughter in keeping up with my three movies a week average). But I felt it was cheating to move on any further. I guess I’ll have to make up for it now by having an anti-social movie week (sorry friends and as it happens my loyal followers hehe). However, I feel the need to further reassure you that I haven't lost my mojo. Picture this scenario: I'm sitting in my apartment, it's approximately 30 degrees and I do not have air conditioning, down stairs I can hear the tantalising, yet taunting sounds of water splashing. Is this the Brisbane River you may ask. No. Is it the sound of a small child jumping in puddles after the rain. No such luck, it doesn't rain in Brisbane. It is actually the sounds of my Brazilian partying neighbours living it up in the pool! What is stopping me from throwing on my bikini and literally diving straight into that pool? It's time to write on my blog! That, and I haven't quite given up on the ill conceived notion that all women have at this time of year. That false and totally proposterous idea of "there's still time to get that bikini body that I need and I can do it whilst sitting on my arse and eating junk food, I've just got to will my tummy off and it will go".

Enough ranting about Brazilians and imaginary tummy tucks, let's talk about The Coal Miner's Daughter!

The Coal Miner's Daughter
Director: Michael Apted
Starring: Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones

So, I actually really enjoyed this film. The PG rating was less than an inspiring when building myself up to watch it, but it was actually quite good. Admitedly, I am bias as I do enjoy biographical films (who can honestly say they didn't enjoy such films as A Beautiful Mind, The Doors, Schlinder's List etc.) However, I do realise that this genre is boring for many and if you are one of those people, I wouldn't waste my time with this movie.

The movie is based on the 60s and 70s country western singer, Loretta Lyn and her rise to fame. Sissy Spacek stars as Loretta and I have to say, she did a great job. Loretta was from the Appalachian region in America. I have to admit, I had never heard of this region before and so had to look it up. Basically, it is a group of states in America and derives its name from the Mountain Range which runs through it. There are a lot of myths around the people who live there, but basically it is an area where stereotypes, such as Cletus from the Simpsons, comes from. Of course, as of any stereotype it is usually based on some very limited and exaggerated truth, but is by no means absolute (sorry that's the social worker soap box coming out). But, because this movie is based on the autobiography written by Loretta herself, I would hope it is as true to life as possible.

Lorretta is the daugher of a coal miner, who although very loving and kind, is very poor and unable to provide for his family. Loretta, simply due to her circumstances (I'm assuming she had very little schooling due to her family’s financial status), at the beginning of the film is ignorant to the world outside of  her small home town and was probably predestined to follow in the footsteps of her parents. That is until she meets her husband Dolittle Lynn or "Mooney", a nick name based on his involvement in “moon shining” (Tommy Lee Jones). She is instantly attracted to the older and reckless man and they marry within a couple of months of knowing each other. She is a child bride and totally ignorant of what it means to be married, particularly in that time (there is a rather disturbing scene of their wedding night, which I felt went dangerously close to crossing the line into a MA rating). Loretta has a lovely singing voice of which Mooney is only too aware (he heard her singing in one of the very first scenes and soon after he started pursuing her). He capitalises on this by pushing her to go and sing at the Grand Ol Opry (a famous venue for country and western performers in Nashville). She basically becomes an “overnight” superstar, touring with Patsy Cline and following her death, continuing to tour solo. She develops a real sense of independence and although Mooney tries to “reign her in”, she defies him at every turn and becomes her own person. Whilst the relationship between Loretta and Mooney was presented on screen as quite dysfunctional, with Mooney being quite reckless and volatile, yet controlling, as Loretta begins to assert herself, you start to see a tender side of Mooney, which is quite likeable and endearing. In one of the final scenes of the film, Loretta is literally overwhelmed with the pressure of maintaining her super star status and cannot sing. She collapses on stage and Mooney comes to her aid. He picks her up and carries her through the crowd to a safe haven. They also have this play fight in the film, where it starts off serious with Loretta becoming upset with Mooney for purchasing a piece of land to build on without checking with her first. In the end, she recedes, as she too wants a new place and they begin to play fight about where the main bedroom should go, with Mooney backing down.

All in all, I thought it was a good film. Interesting because it was based on a true story and I guess it has that “good guy (in this case girl) coming out on top” subtext (Loretta was a small town girl, with a limited education and very little social skills, who became a super star).  There were some comedic moments too, where Loretta would make some form of a social faux pas due to what she termed, “not stupidity but ignorance”, which provided a lot of amusement (there was one scene where she spoke on the radio about how horney she felt because she thought the meaning of that term was happy or excited).

I give it a 7/10.

Until next time “that’s all folks” (Porky Pig, Who Framed Rodger Rabbit)