SWEET DREAMS is a film biography of
country-western singer Patsy Cline, whose fast rise to stardom
ended prematurely in a tragic plane crash. The film focuses on
Cline's marriage to Charlie Dick, a charming, manly
ne'er-do-well.
Charlie's lack of self-confidence makes him
ill-equipped to deal with his wife's sudden fame. This leads
to strife in the marriage, made worse by Charlie's drinking,
cheating, and abuse.
Songs include "Crazy,"
"Walking After Midnight," and "Sweet
Dreams."
In Karel Reisz's SWEET DREAMS, Jessica Lange
stars as Patsy Cline, the ill-fated country singer whose
trembling, emotion packed renditions of "Crazy,"
"Sweet Dreams," and "I Fall to Pieces,"
made her one the most enduring voices in all of American
popular music. Starting out by performing more standard
country songs in little dives and honky-tonks in Virginia,
Patsy rose to national prominence after her manager Ted Healy
matched her voice to her now famous bittersweet love songs.
Unfortunately, her own love life often
mirrored the sadness in her songs. We see her choose to
"stand by her man," as Loretta Lynn sang in COAL
MINER'S DAUGHTER. That film, similar to SWEET DREAMS in that
it's another country singer's bio that shows us the
professional success and personal heartache of women during
the 1950s. Save for the music, this could be any woman's story
of a love-hate marriage. Patsy's abusive husband, the all too
perfectly named Charlie Dick (Is it any wonder she choose to
continue to use her first husband's name?) is played with a
nice blend of love, jealously, and malice by Ed Harris. As
Patsy's mother, Ann Wedgeworth gives a superb portrait of a
sweet but steel-cored Southern woman on whom Patsy is as
emotionally dependent as she is on her husband. Their scenes
together, full of tangy Southern aphorisms, have a wonderful
bite and sparkle.
Jessica Lange lip-synced to the original
recordings of Patsy Cline!! |
- Attractive Retail Box
- Genre: Dramas,
Biography, Country Music, Drama, Musical
- Rating:
PG-13 (MPAA)
- Starring:
David Clennon, Ed Harris, Jessica Lange, Ann Wedgeworth
- Directed By:
Karel Reisz
- Release Information:
- Studio:
Hbo Studios
- Theatrical Release Date: Year Released:
1985
- DVD Release Date: February 3, 2004
- Run Time: 115 minutes
- Production Company:
HBO Home Video
- Package Type: Snap Case
- DVD Features:
- Encoding:
Region 1 (U.S. and
Canada only). This DVD will probably NOT be viewable in
other countries.
- Aspect Ratio(s):
- Widescreen anamorphic - 1.85:1
- Available Audio Tracks:
- English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
- Available Subtitles: French and Spanish
- Closed Captioned:
Yes
- Bonus Features:
- Cast Biographies
- Original Theatrical Trailers
- Interactive Features:
- Chapter Selections
- Interactive Menus
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