Great Balls of Fire!

Great Balls of Fire! (1989)

  • 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

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PG-13,
Directed By
Genres
Drama
In Theaters
Jun 30, 1989 Wide
Orion Pictures Corporation

Critic Reviews

  • Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com

    Fire is a fascinating, often terribly compelling failure. Much like Lewis's life, I suppose.

  • Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com

    Underrated Dennis Quad performance as rocker Jerry Lee Lewis.

  • James Plath, Movie Metropolis

    Quaid is surprisingly good and has plenty of fun in this musical biopic.

  • Alex Sandell, Juicy Cerebellum

    Average biopic.

  • Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures

    Dennis Quaid actually manages to make Jerry Lee Lewis likeable.

Read all 9 critic reviews

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

  • AJ V


    I loved this biography movie, and I don't usually like biopics that much. The actors are fantastic, and it's full of all the great songs from Lewis. I highly recommend this movie to both fans of the actors and Jerry Lee Lewis.

  • Tim S


    Ok movie.

  • Cindy I


    OK, but unlike biopics where the actor "tranforms" into the character (Coal Miner's Daughter, Ray), Dennis Quaid didn't BEGIN to convince me that he the "Killer" Jerry Lee Lewis. Yeah, he had the moves and the energy, but the passion for the music was… More

  • Candy R


    Movie about the life of Jerry Lee Lewis from his rise to stardom and his downfall after marrying his 13 year old cousin. He wanted to be bigger than Elvis but his own arrogance and poor judgement stops him in his tracks. Great performances by Dennis Quaid and a young Winona Ryder.

  • jay n


    Quaid is almost clownish in his awful impersonation completely ruining the film.

Read all 12 featured audience ratings

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