The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981)

68% of users liked it
(736 ratings)

A would-be Nashville star finds himself in hot water during a stay in Georgia in this drama based (very loosely) on the hit song of the same title. Travis Child (Dennis Quaid) is a country singer looking for his big break, crisscrossing the country playing honky-tonks with his younger sister (and… More A would-be Nashville star finds himself in hot water during a stay in Georgia in this drama based (very loosely) on the hit song of the same title. Travis Child (Dennis Quaid) is a country singer looking for his big break, crisscrossing the country playing honky-tonks with his younger sister (and manager), Amanda (Kristy McNichol), in tow. Travis has a bad habit of drinking too much and putting the moves on the wrong women, leaving tough-as-nails Amanda to bail him out. One night Travis runs afoul of Seth Ames (Don Stroud), the sheriff of a small Georgia town who isn't against using his fists to teach lawbreakers a lesson; thanks to Ames, Travis ends up behind bars, but Amanda is able to persuade a sympathetic state trooper, Conrad (Mark Hamill), to help raise bail. In exchange, Travis has to work off his debt as a bartender at a local watering hole (where he hopes he might get to play a few tunes for the customers), and between drawing beers and pouring shots, he meets a beautiful local girl amed Melody (Sunny Johnson). However, as romance begins to bloom between them, Travis find himself in trouble again when he discovers Melody already has a boyfriend -- Seth Ames. Both Dennis Quaid and Kristy McNichol do their own singing in The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia, with Quaid also writing several of his character's tunes. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 50 min.
Directed By: Ronald F. Maxwell
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: May 29, 1981 Wide
Studio: Trans World Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
The Night the Lights Went Off in Georgia offers a rousing glimpse of life in a small Southern town.

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Cast

            Kristy McNichol as Amanda

            Dennis Quaid as Travis

            Mark Hamill as Conrad

            Don Stroud as Seth

            Arlen Dean Snyder as Andy

            Sunny Johnson as Melody

            J. Don Ferguson as Hawkins

            Allison Keith as Musician at Andy's

            Terry Beaver as Sheriff

            Jerry Campbell as Cole

            Barry Corbin as Wimbish

            Bill Gribble as Bully #2

            Anne Haney as Waitress

            Kirk Johnson as Musician at Andy's

            Danny Nelson as Fan #1

            Ralph Pace as Judge

            Jerry Rushing as L.C.

            Lonnie R. Smith as Boy

            William Phillips as Texan

            Royce Clark as Luther

            Lit Connah as Elderly Woman #1

            John Edson as Customer at Andy's

            Elaine Falone as Verna

            Charles Franzen as Bus Driver

            Joan Riordan as Barmaid

            Fred Covington as Man in Jail
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