SWEET DREAMS
US, 1985, 109 minutes, Colour.
Jessica Lange, Ed Harris, Ann Wedgworth, P.J.Soles, John Goodman.
Directed by Karel Reisz.
Sweet Dreams is a biography of country and western singer Patsy Kline. There is a tour-de-force performance by Jessica Lange, as the singer. Lange has proved an excellent actress of the '80s with Oscar nominations for her performance in France, Country and a win as Supporting Actress in Tootsie. Her singing is miming for the actual records of Patsy Kline.
She is well supported by Ed Harris (The Right Stuff, Places in the Heart, Alamo Bay) and Ann Wedgeworth as her mother. While the story resembles any show business rise from rags to riches and fame, Karel Reisz's direction has a feel for the humanity of the characters (strengths and weaknesses) and makes the film a very human piece of Americana.
The film will appeal to those who like country and western. It will also appeal to those who like a human drama. Patsy Kline was portrayed by Beverley d'Angelo in the story of Loretta Lynn, The Coalminer's Daughter, with Sissy Spacek.
1. The appeal of country and western music? The reputation of Patsy Kline?
2. The film's acclaim? Jessica Lang's Oscar nomination? A piece of Americana? The sensitivity of Karel Reisz with his European and English background?
3. The film as Americana: Virginia, Nashville, the '50s and the '60s, their styles? The world of country and western music? Concerts and recording sessions? Home life? The style of collage with swift editing and sound continued over for giving information and the mood of the film? The special effects for the final crash?
4. The contribution of the music: the country music of the '50s and '60s? The range of songs, their insertion into the film as part of the plot, background? Lyrics? Patsy Kline's voice and style? The background music of the period e.g. 'Young at Heart', 'Strangers on the Shore' - as commenting on the incidents of the film?
5. The story of a celebrity? Audience knowledge about Patsy Kline? Her image? Entertaining an audience? The contrast with her private life? Struggles, clashes, success?
6. The framework of the film with Charlie Dick: his arriving at the dance, watching Patsy sing, the audience watching with him? Patsy putting him off? His reappearances, relating to her, her falling in love with him? The ups and downs of their marriage? His comment about his still loving her now matter how much she screwed up? The clash? Her funeral, his listening to her records? The idyllic memory of dancing with her for the ending?
7. Jessica Lange's portrait of Patsy Kline: her presence, vitality, appearance, extroverted activity? The dubbing in of Patsy Kline's voice? Her singing, the encounters with Charlie, putting him off? Her bond with her mother, the jokes and the stories? Her memories of her father walking out on her, her working? Her marriage, the return home, her husband building the model boat? His low-key attitude - even to the divorce? Charlie's reappearance, her putting him off, his persistence? out with him, the sexual liaison? The decision to marry him? Her hopes for a career? Getting her mother to pretend to be her agent and her singing on television, winning the competition? The various tours and places of singing - even in drive-ins as the films started? Woody Woodpecker cartoons? The marriage, life at home? The bonds between Charlie and Patsy? Their passionate marriage? The army, her visits to Charlie? Her sickness, pregnancy? Doubts about Charlie? The birth of the baby and Charlie's absence? Her forgiving him? The accident and its effect on her? Bitterness, overcoming it? Recording sessions? Randy as her agent? The clash with Charlie, his hitting her? His coming and taking her out to dance in the rain? His asking her to declare her love for him no matter what he did? The party? The clash at the stock car meeting? Her tiredness? The bonds with the family, the meaning of her life. the final phone call, the plane danger, her calling out 'Charlie' before she died? A woman who lived her life, hopes, talent, dreams of happiness? Her needing Charlie, needing her mother. her children? Her achievement in a short life?
8. Charlie, at work, with the girls, the party and the dance, mesmerised by Patsy's singing. expressive in his response to her songs, falling in love, the relationship, marriage? The wedding night, at work with his friends? His drinking? His place in her career? Always present at her singing? The army and his needing her? The pregnancy, rushing home, clash and hitting her, out with his friends, with the school girlfriend? Absent from the birth? Hilda's resentment? His coming from the army camp, taking her out to dance in the rain? Drunk and angry. his brutality, in jail, his talk with the prisoner - and realisation of what he had done? The clash in the studio and her not being able to answer him? His listening to her records, grief at the funeral? A convincing portrait of Charlie Dick?
9. Patsy's mother - her experience of marriage, proper style, motherly attitudes and advice? Stories? Her love for Patsy, support of her? Home? Acting as agent on the television? Her prudishness and carefulness - and her lapses? Varied reactions to Charlie? Her other daughter - graduation? Emphasising Patsy's responsibility? A support for her daughter?
10. The agent. his intuitions and support of Patsy? His questions about her life? The plane - and their deaths?
11. Patsy's family, the support of her sister, singing in the group, the graduation party? Johnny and the drive, reminiscing, the accident?
12. The period, its flavour, music, American styles, the Draft?
13. The title and its tone, insight into Patsy Kline?
