COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER

US, 1980, 124 minutes, Colour.
Sissy Spacek, Tommy Lee Jones, Levon Helm, Beverly D'Angelo.
Directed by Michael Apted.

A showbiz biography with more substance, the story of Loretta Lynn and her country and western career. Probably because the latter part is familiar Nashville material, the first part, with its detailed way of life on the outskirts of a '40s Kentucky coalmine town and Washington State farms seems better. We get to know Loretta and her husband as real characters. In fact, her later success is hard to imagine at this stage. Tommy Lee Jones is very good, but the very talented Sissy Spacek (Carrie, Three Women) has presence and subtle acting skills and she carries the film. She also does Loretta Lynn-style singing very creditably. Well done, enjoyable.

1. Audience interest in Loretta Lynn - as a person, her career, success? Her reputation? Country and western music? The success of the film depending on audience knowledge of Loretta Lynn? The quality of the film as biography, as story?

2. The background of country and western music? Its appeal within the United States, overseas? Its style and origins? Country and western as particularly American? The 20th century presentation of traditional music? As embodying American values and style? Musical skill, popularity? Concerts, personalities? The focus on the record industry? Nashville? The sentiment behind country and western music?

3. The film is the work of a British director, his view and vision of America? The use of Kentucky and Tennessee locations and the feel for the countryside, the towns, the cities? The period after the war? The presentation of American people and their characteristics? The recent history of the United States? The style of the film, country and western?

4. The presentation of the music itself - style, instruments, visual presentation? The popular lyrics? The way the music was used throughout the film -in concert, illustrating Loretta's life?

5. The structure of the film: the first part with the semi-documentary presentation of life in Kentucky, the mines, the post-war period, the farms? The transition to the popular world of show business? The interaction of the two parts and their comment on one another? The importance of the flavour of the credits sequence?

6. The presentation of the '40s and the war? The town itself, the mines, hard work, poor pay, family life? The focus on Doo and the bet with the jeep? The ugliness of the town, the dirt, the home, meals? Tension in households? Children growing up and the number of children? Training of the children especially in manners? The world of the hillbillies and the miners? The family sequences and the strong building up of atmosphere?

7. Loretta within this context? How well did the context explain Loretta? The skill of Sissy Spacek in presenting Loretta from the age of 13 into her '30s? The nuances of her performance? Her contribution in acting, singing the songs in Loretta Lynn's style?

8. Loretta at 13 - at home, working with the kids, watching Doo with the jeep, the social night and Doo's auctioning of the pies and his not liking hers -the salt instead of the sugar? Her attraction towards him, his visits to the home, her first drive in a car? Her parents and their hesitation? The humour of the sequence of Doo asking for Loretta's hand and each parent passing him on to the other? The father's conditions about the marriage? The father turning up momentarily in the church to give his daughter in marriage? The love of the two, the lack of preparation for the marriage?

9. Early marriages, the credibility of this marriage? The honeymoon and the cold night? Loretta and her apprehensions about sexuality, fears? The book and her learning? Her inability to cook? Tensions and her going away? The pregnancy test? Her love for Doo and deciding to leave home - how much did it hurt her? Doo's going to Washington, sending for her? The pathos of the sequence on the station with her father - and her not seeing him again except visionary sight at the moment of his death? Their return home for the funeral and seeing Kentucky through the eyes of experience?

10. The transition to Washington? The transition to Loretta's adulthood? Having the children? Her changing as she grew, her love and building up the marriage? The suggestions of detail as Doo worked on the farm, Loretta at how? Her singing and Doo's getting her the guitar? His arranging for her to sing and her success after the audition? Her feeling sick before singing but warming to the occasion? The build-up to the recording - having the children in the studio. Doo's managing of her? The decision to move round the countryside and promote the record - photos, quick talk etc.?

11. The decisions to be made about Loretta and a career? Loretta and her ambitions as a singer as she taught herself to sing, play, compose - the sequence of her composing working with the vegetables? Doo's decision to be her manager? The consequences of the decision? Seeing them on the road, going to the disc jockeys, the disc jockey who hadn't opened the record and their pressurising him? Her use of bad language ignorantly on the station? Their not knowing that she was on the top records of the United States? Their joy together? The move to Nashville and waking up outside the Grand Ole Opry? The importance of the death of Loretta's father and her mother looking after the children? The tribute to Patsy Cline and visiting her in hospital., singing her song at the Opry? The friendship between the two? Doo and his place during the growing success - his conditions, especially about make-up and Loretta’s defying him? The great success and the effect that it had one her? Doo and his going down.. drinking, flirtations? Yet Loretta wanting him to protect her?

12. The character of Patsy Cline - her popularity, her show, her help with Loretta and influencing her? Doo and the clashes? Patsy's advice about the baby and the warning against the abortion? The pathos of the news about her death and its effect on Loretta? The transition to the birth of the twins?

13. The presentation of the Lynns' family life. the children and Loretta’s care for them., their father's care? Love? Was it enough? Doo's staying home and Loretta going on the road, her returns? The bonds between the two -the incident of the lonely woman ringing in the middle of the night?

14. The visual presentation of the concerts, the Nashville style and glamour? Loretta and her success, the various songs illustrating this? The clashes with Doo, make-up, her fighting him, her being tired and collapsing? Doo and his going on tour with her, at her request? His persuading her to go on when she didn't want to? Her talk, inability to sing, the collapse? The skill in presenting the changing year visually with the seasons and indicating the passing of time for Loretta's recovery? The sequence of the site for the new house, the arguing about the rooms, the bonds between the two? Loretta's self-assertion, Doo's accepting of the situation?

15. Potential in rebuilding her career? The happiness of her success? The title song concluding the film and the visual recapitulation of her life?

16. The film's insight into people, their potential, the show business career with its ups and downs? Environment, opportunities, people having faith in one another, sensitivity, hardships and pressure? The American show business story - told with sentiment and feeling? The legends and myths of American success?