Patsy and Loretta is the story of the friendship between Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn. The film begins when they first met in 1961 and ends after Patsy Cline’s tragic death at age 30.
Megan Hilty plays Patsy Cline, who was already a star when she first heard Loretta Lynn sing. Jessie Mueller plays Loretta Lynn. Both these women are wonderful singers. They don’t try to create an exact imitation of the voices of their characters. Instead they sing in the style of the iconic voice they are representing in Patsy and Loretta. It works beautifully.
Patsy took Loretta under her wing and taught her some survival tricks. But soon enough their friendship became mutually supportive in every way.
Megan Hilty gives Patsy guts and charisma. She had ambition. She wanted to work and overcome her difficult past. Janine Turner played her mother and Kyle Schmid played her husband Charlie.
Jessie Mueller’s Loretta was unsure about her talent and not aggressive about her career. She didn’t know how to ask for what she needed. Joe Tippett played her husband.
These two women found each other in a business world full of men and shared their personal lives, their hopes and fears, their children, and their woes with their men. They loved each other and needed each other.
Their relationship was a blessing to them both, and the movie shows this in a multitude of ways. They didn’t get to be together very long, only a couple of years, but the film suggests that Patsy remains in Loretta’s heart. Loretta Lynn is now 87 and is considered one of the greatest voices in country music to this day.
Both the actresses did a wonderful job with their roles. Jessie Mueller had the job of playing a woman who is still alive and who went on to record a lifetime’s worth of songs we know and love. That would seem the more daunting task.
I enjoyed the music so much in this film. I had one small issue, but not with the music. The jumps or transitions between time periods as the two women were on the road or home were a bit awkward and jerky. That bothered me a bit.
Patsy and Loretta is a Lifetime original. If you go to the film’s website and scroll down a bit, you’ll find links to several places where you can buy the soundtrack.
Lifetime movies always come back around in the schedule, so if you missed the premier showing, keep an eye out for another airing.
Callie Khouri directed the film, which was written by Angelina Burnett.
Check out the trailer.
Have you seen the film? What did you think about the way these two musical geniuses were represented?
Patsy and Loretta was full of possibilities that did not quite dig deep enough for me; just hit the top of the waves. However, I love both singers and enjoyed learning they supported each other in a world where women were usually pitted against one another.
Thank you for the review. It helps me find movies I would miss otherwise!
I can’t get “Crazy” out of my head now. Earworm! I’ve seen comments from Patsy Cline’s family about this movie but nothing from Loretta Lynn. It must be hard to get permission to do something like about a woman who is alive. With “Coal Miner’s Daughter” there have now been two movies about Loretta Lynn. Jessica Lange made a movie about Patsy Cline called “Sweet Dreams.” Maybe one of those would go deeper – I haven’t seen either one.
I have not seen the movie, but I want to post a reference to the documentary film Country Music by Ken Burns (7 episodes).
Both women are prominently featured in Ken Burns’ new film.
Folks can probably find a way to watch the Country Music series at the website of their local PBS station.
The story about the friendship between Patsy Kline and Loretta Lynn is great. But the Life Time Movie about this friendship is a big disappointment.
The story has great potential, but the movie is not really successful. I am sorry to say this, but the leading actors do not perform well. There is almost no music in the movie.
What a shame!
As much as I enjoy every song either of them recorded, I don’t think this film was meant to be about music. It was about friendship and the way women support each other in a world that belongs to men.
I understand the movie is primarily about the friendship between Patsy and Loretta.i do not have a problem with this. The problem is the movie about the friendship is not really successful. There is a lot of potential here, but unfortunately it is not developed, not explored, in a good way.
I am sure you know about the Bechdel Test (about women and movies). There must be two women; they must have names; and they must talk about something other than a man. This movie fails this test. Why?
# 1. There are two women.
# 2. They do have names.
# 3. But when then they talk, the topic is almost always a man!
This is one reason why I was disappointed with this movie.
I often agree with your judgement about movies or television series, but it seems in this case I cannot agree with you.
I’m just happy that people come here and read anything I write. Agreeing with me isn’t a requirement.
American Masters have done a profile of Patsy Cline = season 31 episode 03 first aired in 2017.
American Masters has also done a profile of Loretta Lynn = season 30 episode 05 first aired in 2016.