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Rating: 4 out of 5
As I started my quest to watch every movie that won the Academy Award for Best Actress, one movie repeatedly slipped my grasp. That movie was Coal Miner’s Daughter starring Sissy Spacek. I have searched far and wide for this film. I went to my school’s library, the public library and was hoping it would come on Netflix or even Hulu. After years of searching, I somewhat gave up hope because I refused to pay for a movie on Amazon. Then, one shining day in June 2024, the movie gods smiled upon me and put it on YouTube for free. YAYYYYYY!!!!! The excitement was high as I had no idea what the movie was about. Honestly, I thought it was what the title says, a coal miner’s daughter and her loving relationship with her father.
The film was about a coal miner’s daughter, but I wasn’t expecting it to be a biography of a country music legend. Do you know who Loretta Lynn is, or have you ever heard of her? If you are like me, you probably never heard of her, or you might have. I shouldn’t assume. Here is some background information thanks to good ole Wikipedia. Loretta Lynn was a country music superstar. Her career spanned over six decades. Homegirl was singing her heart out. Throughout her career, she went on to garner many accolades. She won three Grammys, had 24 number-one hit singles and 11 number-one albums, and inspired many with her music.
Coal Miner’s Daughter is the story that follows the rise of country music legend Loretta Lynn from her early childhood years to getting married at freakin 15 years old to becoming a music legend. The film begins in 1945 where 13-year-old Loretta Web (Spacek) is one of eight children. You read that right, one of eight. Dude has a starting five on a basketball team and three bench players. Loretta’s father, Ted Web, is a Van Lear coal miner trying to provide for his family. The family lives in poverty in the hills of Butcher Hollow, Kentucky. They might as well live off the land.
During the years, Loretta is pursued by 19- or 20-year-old Oliver “Mooney” Lynn (Lee Jones), which is weird when you think about it. Mooney has just returned from military training and is looking at a little kid. There is a scene where Mooney takes a bet to drive his truck up a steep hill while getting smiles from Loretta. In another scene, Mooney is an auctioneer who bets on a pie that Loretta made. The funny part of this scene is that Loretta uses salt rather than sugar. The film shows the developing relationship between Loretta and Mooney until 1948, at the age of freakin 15, they marry. Loretta is 15, and Mooney is 22. I still can’t get over that, and the first night together, it looks like rape. I’m just putting it out there cause the dude did force himself on Loretta.
Loretta becomes a mother of four by the time she is 19. Yes, four kids in four years. They were getting their freak on, and the family moved from Kentucky all the way to the state of Washington, where Mooney got a job in the forest industry. Loretta begins singing at a few local joints on the weekends. After some time, she starts making appearances on the radio. When Loretta turns 25, she records a demo tape with her first single, “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl.” Mooney helps with promotional photo shoot and writing letters to disk jockeys. Loretta’s world changes when her father passes away. This motivates the pair to travel to radio stations in the South. Hey, if you want your record played, gotta do what you gotta do. At one station, they learn that “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl” is on the charts and, I think, a top 10 hit.
The story then shows the rise of Loretta. She goes on tour with country megastar Patsy Cline. Loretta fans girls over Patsy, and the pair develop a close friendship. With great fame comes great pain. Loretta first catches Mooney making out with another woman in a car. Then Patsy dies in a plane crash. We see the stress of what fame does on Loretta as she is straight-up griding by trying to keep up her lovely and wholesome image, ensuring she performs at the highest level, and keeping her marriage and family together. Through all of this, homegirl has a breakdown on stage. She goes on a mental health break for a year. Need to take those breaks to keep your mind right. The film ends in the right way, with her singing a song about her life.
I must admit that I was expecting a film full of song after song, but this one took the traditional route of showing some major songs. What really stood out were the performances. Sissy Spacek won the Academy Award for her role, and I thought she was great. She showed Loretta’s evolution and growth. She showed Loretta as the shy girl who overcame her fear on the stage to become a megastar. I also read that the real-life Loretta specifically chose Spacek to play her. Let’s be real, Sissy Spacek is beyond beautiful. You couldn’t have gone wrong with that choice.
I want to take a second to talk about Tommy Lee Jones. I think this is his fourth film, and it looks like he hasn’t aged a minute. His hair is grey now, and I think he is in his late 70s now, but dude looks the same. He still has that Texas voice that makes you pay attention. Even though he has a major role, he should’ve been at least nominated, but he gets his years later.
Coal Miner’s Daughter is a good little biographical film on the legendary Loretta Lynn. Is it one of the best biographies out there? Probably not, but if you want to be introduced to a country music legend, this is a great film to watch. This film is carried by the performances of Spacek and Jones. Spacek was an excellent choice for the role. Watch this next time you are in the mood for a country film and learn about the First Lady of Country Music.
