Sweet Dreams (1985)
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94% of critics liked it
(18 reviews) -
77% of users liked it
(6,154 ratings)
Patsy Cline was one of the first great female stars of country music, and her best-known hits (such as "Sweet Dreams" and "Walking After Midnight") not only broadened the audience for country but brought a new sophistication to the Nashville sound. Cline was at the peak of her popularity when she… More Patsy Cline was one of the first great female stars of country music, and her best-known hits (such as "Sweet Dreams" and "Walking After Midnight") not only broadened the audience for country but brought a new sophistication to the Nashville sound. Cline was at the peak of her popularity when she died in a plane crash in 1963, and Sweet Dreams is a biopic which examines her life and career, with a particular focus on her troubled relationship with her second husband, Charlie Dick. Cline (played by Jessica Lange) is unhappily married and playing small-time gigs in West Virginia when she meets Dick (Ed Harris), whose charm and aggressive self-confidence catch her attention. In time, Cline leaves her husband to marry Dick, and she gives up music to focus on raising their children. But after Dick goes into the Army, Cline begins singing again, and after joining forces with manager Randy Hughes (David Clennon), Cline becomes a rising star on the country music scene. However, Cline's success fuels her self-confidence, much to Dick's annoyance, and he becomes increasingly abusive (both physically and emotionally) as she attempts to assert her independence. Rather than attempt to re-create Patsy Cline's vocals, Jessica Lange instead opted to lip-synch with Cline's original recordings. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Rating, Runtime
- PG-13, 1 hr. 55 min.
- Directed By
- Karel Reisz
- Genres
- Drama
- In Theaters
- Oct 2, 1985 Wide
- On DVD
- Aug 7, 2001
- Studio
- HBO Video
Critic Reviews
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Sheila Benson, Los Angeles Times
Lange and Harris, dangerously well-matched, give us lovers whom only success could sunder.
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Janet Maslin, New York Times
Miss Lange makes herself a perfect physical extension of the vibrant, changeable, enormously expressive woman who can be heard on these recordings.
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Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
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.
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, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Director Karel Reisz and screenwriter Robert Getchell create a tightly woven drama with two strong main characters and a number of fine supporting roles, and the love story at the film's center is convincing.
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Renee Schonfeld, Common Sense Media
Patsy Cline biopic with great music, but also has drinking, wife beating.
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Cast
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Jessica Langeas Patsy Cline -
Ed Harrisas Charlie Dick -
Ann Wedgeworthas Hilda Hensley
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David Clennonas Randy Hughes -
James Staleyas Gerald Cline -
Gary Basarabaas Woodhouse
