Search - Sweet Dreams on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG-13 Content Advisory: Violence, Adult Situations, Adult Language, Watch With Your Teen Movie Release: 1985 DVD Release: 06/22/1999 Format: DVD Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 55 mins Studio: HBO Home Video Members Wishing: 3 Genres: Drama, Marriage Drama, Biopic [feature]

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, All Movie Guide

Jessica Lange - Patsy Cline
Ed Harris - Charlie Dick
Ann Wedgeworth - Hilda Hensley
David Clennon - Randy Hughes
James Staley - Gerald Cline

Karel Reisz' biopic of country singing legend Patsy Cline comes to DVD with a standard full-frame 1.33:1 image. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Surround. English, Spanish, and French subtitles are accessible. Extra features include cast biographies and the original theatrical trailer. Sadly, it appears that little thought or care went into this DVD. One would be right to hope for footage of the real Patsy Cline in the supplemental materials. On the plus side, the strong leading performances by Jessica Lange and Ed Harris do not suffer when transferred to the small screen. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide