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Sweet Dreams

Play trailer Poster for Sweet Dreams PG-13 1985 1h 55m Biography Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
90% Tomatometer 21 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Aspiring country singer Patsy Cline (Jessica Lange) is resigned to both her thankless gigs and her unhappy marriage, until she meets the charismatic Charlie Dick (Ed Harris). Eventually leaving her husband to marry Charlie, Patsy temporarily shelves her performing career to be a mother. Later she returns to singing and finds success under manager Randy Hughes (David Clennon). Patsy hits a remarkable stride with a string of hit singles, and has become a full-fledged star when tragedy strikes.

Critics Reviews

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Pauline Kael The New Yorker 09/13/2023
Lange has real authority here, and the performance holds you emotionally. This is one of the few times I’ve seen people cry at a movie that wasn't sentimental -- it’s an honest tearjerker. People can cry without feeling they’ve been had. Go to Full Review
Gene Siskel Chicago Tribune 12/12/2018
But the resulting film is scattershot, always skirting the surface, never digging deep enough, runnning through events as if it was a TV movie racing ahead to the next commercial break. Go to Full Review
Paul Attanasio Washington Post 01/04/2018
"Sweet Dreams" doesn't draw you in the way, say, "Coal Miner's Daughter" (the story of Loretta Lynn) did, but it does entertain. Go to Full Review
TV Guide 01/03/2012
3/4
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. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Roger S @Rogers Nov 11 Great performance from the cast, but unfortunately the movie focuses only on the ups and downs of her marriage either Charlie Dick. Her career and accomplishments are seen as an after thought. The documentary "The Real Patsy Cline" is a far more accurate portrayal of her entire life. See more Stephen C @bob25009 Jul 4 Based on a true story in 1 hour and 55 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $9,000,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more Jun 8 Wonderful movie- incredible story about a life cut far too short. See more Jarrod R Apr 28 When the story focuses on Patsy Cline, played by Jessica Lange, and her rise to stardom, I found it compelling. However, there were several peculiar choices that detracted from the core narrative. For instance, when Charlie (played by Ed Harris) is upset because Patsy refuses to live with him on the military base, the music playing in the background sounds distinctly like it belongs to the mid-1980s, which pulled me out of the late 1950s setting. Similarly, David Clennon, who plays Patsy's manager from Nashville, doesn’t convincingly portray someone who fits within that era. Additionally, the comical sound effect of a car wreck was quite jarring, which distracted from the emotional impact of the scene. Later, we see Charlie in a jail cell sharing cigarettes and stories with his older cellmate, and again, the scene is accompanied by incongruous 1980s music. I couldn’t help but wonder, why do we need to see this scene focused on Charlie? This part of the story isn't about him. At another point, Patsy is in the studio recording when Charlie bursts in to "try to make it right," following a disturbing and violent encounter. Once again, the music underneath this scene is a generic track that feels out of place. This is particularly noticeable because, in other segments of the film, the music complements the visuals perfectly. I guess that's what makes the choice of music so distracting, since this is a biopic about a legendary musician, and is such a part of the overall story. Overall, the performances are strong, and we even get to see a young John Goodman before he achieved superstardom. See more Sarah M 09/22/2024 I loved the movie I thought they did an outstanding job BUT the ending is wrong the plane crashed in the trees not the side of the mountain. See more KB B @Okbullard 06/16/2024 This was a good movie with good acting and storyline. I must say I liked Coal Miners Daughter better but I like Patsy Kline's hits much better. It's definitely worth the watch. See more Read all reviews
Sweet Dreams

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Movie Info

Synopsis Aspiring country singer Patsy Cline (Jessica Lange) is resigned to both her thankless gigs and her unhappy marriage, until she meets the charismatic Charlie Dick (Ed Harris). Eventually leaving her husband to marry Charlie, Patsy temporarily shelves her performing career to be a mother. Later she returns to singing and finds success under manager Randy Hughes (David Clennon). Patsy hits a remarkable stride with a string of hit singles, and has become a full-fledged star when tragedy strikes.
Director
Karel Reisz
Producer
Bernard Schwartz
Screenwriter
Robert Getchell
Distributor
TriStar Pictures
Production Co
Home Box Office (HBO)
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Biography
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 2, 1985, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 1, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$9.0M
Runtime
1h 55m
Sound Mix
Stereo, Surround