Great Balls of Fire! (1989)
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63% of critics liked it
(24 reviews) -
52% of users liked it
(25,690 ratings)
Until its last ten minutes or so, this filmed biography of controversial recording star Jerry Lee Lewis plays like a live-action cartoon. As played by Dennis Quaid, "the killer" is a very mixed-up individual: a saintly sinner, a world-wise naïf, a skilled performer with zero sense of… More Until its last ten minutes or so, this filmed biography of controversial recording star Jerry Lee Lewis plays like a live-action cartoon. As played by Dennis Quaid, "the killer" is a very mixed-up individual: a saintly sinner, a world-wise naïf, a skilled performer with zero sense of discipline, a loving husband who uses his wife for a punching bag. The story takes place during the years 1956 through 1958, as Lewis rises to the top of the charts with such hits as "Crazy Arms," "A Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," and the title tune. Along the way, he falls in love with his second cousin, Myra (Winona Ryder), eventually marrying the girl. When it is revealed that Myra is only 13 years old, Lewis is condemned as a molester and pervert by the public (his disastrous tour of England during this crisis is depicted in hilarious Tex Avery fashion). After establishing a brisk, satirical tone through most of the proceedings, the film plummets into heavy dramatics in its final portions, jarring disastrously with all that has gone before. Otherwise, Quaid is terrific as Lewis (expertly lip-synching to the original records,) and Ryder is equally good as the long-suffering Myra. Featured in the cast are Alec Baldwin as Jerry's cousin Jimmy Swaggart (the same!), Michael St. Gerard as Lewis' great rival Elvis, and Steve Allen as himself. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Jim McBride
- Genres
- Drama
- In Theaters
- Jun 30, 1989 Wide
- Studio
- Orion Pictures Corporation
Critic Reviews
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Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com
Fire is a fascinating, often terribly compelling failure. Much like Lewis's life, I suppose.
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Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Underrated Dennis Quad performance as rocker Jerry Lee Lewis.
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James Plath, Movie Metropolis
Quaid is surprisingly good and has plenty of fun in this musical biopic.
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Alex Sandell, Juicy Cerebellum
Average biopic.
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Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures
Dennis Quaid actually manages to make Jerry Lee Lewis likeable.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Dennis Quaid
as Jerry Lee Lewis
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Winona Ryder
as Myra Gale Lewis
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Alec Baldwin
as Jimmy Lee Swaggart
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John Doe
as J.W. Brown
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Stephen Tobolowsky
as Jud Phillips
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Trey Wilson
as Sam Phillips
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Steve Allen
as Himself
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Lisa Blount
as Lois Brown
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Joshua Sheffield
as Rusty Brown
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Mojo Nixon
as James Van Eaton
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Jimmie Vaughan
as Roland James
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David Ferguson
as Jack Clement
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Robert Lesser
as Alan Freed
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Lisa Jane Persky
as Babe
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Paula Person
as Sam's Secratary
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Valerie Wellington
as Big Maybelle
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Booker T. Laury
as Piano Slim
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Tav Falco
as New Bass Player
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Priscilla Harris
as Honky-Tonk Angel
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Keith Henry McDaniel
as Haney's Big House Dancer
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David A. Penhale
as Reporter #1
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Michael St. Gerard
as Elvis
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Rufus Thomas
as Haney's Big House Dancer
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John Tordoff
as Cockney Porter
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Peter Cook
as English Reporter
- Jerry Lee Lewis
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Ruth Kettlewell
as Dowager
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Bonnie Beutler
as Rebel Room Dancer
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Ashley Paige Cook
as Mona
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Bert Dedman
as Young Jerry
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Mark W. Johnson
as Sheriff
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Susan Lonergan
as Rebel Room Dancer
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Jody Lynne
as Party Doll
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John Mulrooney
as Talk Show Host
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W.W. Painter
as Onlooker
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Crystal Robbins
as Frankie Jean
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Ryan Rushton
as Young Jimmy
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Carol Russell
as Mamie Lewis
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David Sibley
as English Reporter
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Linn Sitler
as Realty Agent
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Kim Smith
as English Reporter
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Chris Solari
as Rebel Room Dancer
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Juliette Claire Spirson
as Lewis Infant
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Bruce Stuart
as Bank Teller
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Sara VanHorn
as Minnie Belle
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Snowy Winters
as Rebel Room Dancer
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Joseph Woodward Jr.
as Wedding Preacher
- Judith Holstra
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Joe Bob Briggs
as Dewey 'Daddy-O' Phillips
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Steven O'Donnell
as Heckler #2
