Sweet Dreams (1985 film)

Sweet Dreams is a 1985 American biographical film which tells the story of country music singer Patsy Cline.[1][2]

Sweet Dreams
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKarel Reisz
Produced byBernard Schwartz
Written byRobert Getchell
Starring
Music byCharles Gross
CinematographyRobbie Greenberg
Edited byMalcolm Cooke
Production
company
Distributed byTriStar Pictures
Release date
  • October 4, 1985 (1985-10-04)
Running time
115 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$13.5 million
Box office$9,085,049

The film was written by Robert Getchell and directed by Karel Reisz.It stars Jessica Lange, Ed Harris, Ann Wedgeworth, David Clennon, James Staley, Gary Basaraba, John Goodman, and P. J. Soles.[3]

The film was nominated for Academy Award for Best Actress (Jessica Lange).[4] For all the musical sequences, Lange lip-synced to the original Patsy Cline recordings.[5] The soundtrack of the same name was released in September 1985.

Plot

Patsy Cline (Jessica Lange) is unhappily married and playing small-time gigs in the tri-state area consisting of Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland when she meets Charlie Dick (Ed Harris), whose charm and aggressive self-confidence catch her attention. Patsy is married but is planning to divorce. After her divorce, Patsy and Charlie marry, and she is free to pursue music, and, later, focus on raising their children. After Charlie gets drafted into the U.S. Army, Patsy focuses on singing more, and after joining forces with manager Randy Hughes, Patsy becomes a rising star on the country music scene.

However, Patsy's success fuels her self-confidence, much to Charlie's annoyance, and he becomes increasingly physically and emotionally abusive as Patsy attempts to assert her independence. Patsy was at the peak of her popularity as one of the first great female stars of country music when she died in a plane crash on March 5, 1963, at the age of 30.

Cast

Reception

Noted film critic Roger Ebert gave the film two out of four stars, writing:

There isn't the sense of a well-shaped structure in this movie; there's no clear idea of what the filmmakers thought about Patsy Cline, or what thoughts her life is supposed to inspire.[6]

Metacritic gave the film a 65 rating.[7]

The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:

As of December 2018, the film holds a rating of 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 20 reviews.

Awards and nominations
Award Category Nominee(s) Result
Academy Awards Best Actress Jessica Lange Nominated
National Society of Film Critics Awards Best Actress Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Ann Wedgeworth Nominated

Soundtrack
Main article: Sweet Dreams (soundtrack)

See also

References
  1. TCM.com
  2. FILM: JESSICA LANGE IN 'SWWET DREAMS' - The New York Times
  3. RogerEbert.com
  4. 1986|Oscars.org
  5. The Washington Post
  6. Roger Ebert (October 4, 1985). "Sweet Dreams". RogerEbert.com. Chicago Sun-Times.
  7. Metacritic
  8. "AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs Nominees" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-08-05.
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