Patsy Cline was one of the first great female stars of country music, and her best-known hits 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. “Sweet Dreams” 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. The real Miss Cline, who died in a plane crash at the age of 30 in 1963, plays a more significant role in ''Sweet Dreams'' than the subjects of biographical films ordinarily do. Her thrilling voice is heard frequently throughout the film, with Miss Lange expertly lip-synching her way through performance sequences of songs like ''I Fall to Pieces,'' ''Crazy,'' ''Blue Moon of Kentucky'' and ''Walking After Midnight.'' What elevates these scenes from the usual concert simulations is the extraordinary way in which Miss Lange has molded herself to fit the music. Miss Lange makes herself a perfect physical extension of the vibrant, changeable, enormously expressive woman who can be heard on these recordings. |