Sweet Dreams (1985)

Movie
German title	sweet Dreams
Original title	sweet Dreams
Country of production	United States
original language	English
Publishing year	1985
length	110 minutes
Age rating	FSK 12
Rod
Director	Karel Reisz
script	Robert Getchell
production	Bernard Schwartz
music	Charles Gross
camera	Robbie Greenberg
cut	Malcolm Cooke
occupation
	Jessica Lange : Patsy Cline ; Ed Harris : Charlie Dick; Ann Wedgeworth : Hilda Hensley; David Clennon : Randy Hughes; James Staley : Gerald Cline; Gary Basaraba : Woodhouse; John Goodman : Otis; PJ Soles : Wanda; Caitlin Chalice : Sylvia; Robert L. Dasch : John; Courtney Parker : Older Julie; Coulton Edwards : Baby Randy; Holly Filler : Madrine; Bruce Kirby : Arthur Godfrey; Jerry Haynes : Owen Bradley; Kenneth White : Big Bill Shakey; Charlie Walker : Cowboy Copas; Carlton Cuse : Sergeant;

Sweet Dreams is a US biopic from the year 1985 . The film drama is based on the life of Patsy Cline and is also known in Germany under the television title The Sweet Dream of Happiness .

action

Charlie Dick is in love with the beautiful young singer Patsy Cline and tries to speak to her after her concerts. But even though Patsy feels flattered, she refuses to have a drink with him. She is married. Not happy, though, because her husband is too boring for her because he doesn't want an argument and doesn't give her any contra. When Charlie becomes insulting and abusive after another cancellation at one of her concerts and she provokes him at a later concert and he agrees, she is so impressed not only by his persistence, but also by his will that they invite themselves for a drink and dance into the night with him. She worked for her family all her life and now only wants to sing until she has enough money to take care of her family later. She is happy that she can finally divorce her husband to go on tour with Charlie.

After a short time she also accepts his proposal. However, the honeymoon degenerates into two days in a small motel. As a print shop worker, Charlie just can't get better than this. He just doesn't feel up to Patsy, which ends in quick, violent and escalating arguments. But they still love each other, after all, he continues to support them in their careers. When Patsy cheated on an appearance on national television with the help of her mother, she suddenly became famous and her album was a great success. Only suddenly it doesn't work at all in his private life, because although Charlie is with the National Guard , he is suddenly drafted into the Army . Patsy feels down and sadly spends time with her mother. Only after she visits him on her own initiative and is on tour again with a successful album does she feel better. But the next surprise is coming soon. She is pregnant with Charlie and doesn't know what to do. Because as much as she loves Charlie, he is also unreliable. He proves this to her when she is alone in the hospital with her mother during the birth, while he prefers to flirt with a woman in the bar while drunk. This leads to further resentments between the two, which Charlie can only resolve by kidnapping her at night from Patsy's mother's house and taking her to the place where they danced for the first time and asking for forgiveness. She forgives him and both live their marriage on.

After Patsy traveled idiosyncratically to Nashville to meet the record producer Randy Hughes, she toured again with him and another successful album in 1961. The marriage with Charlie works as far as possible, as long as he does not drink alcohol. But there are no irascible disputes at first because Patsy has a bad car accident. While she is driving with her brother, a truck crashes into the passenger side. She only wakes up in the hospital and has to rely on crutches for the next few weeks. Because Charlie is raised at work by his work colleagues about his wife's success, this leads to arguments between him and Patsy again and again. It escalated during a joint visit to the fair. Charlie prefers to spend time with another woman than with Patsy, and she takes revenge by dancing with another man and then having him take her home. There the argument escalates further, and Charlie insults her as a whore and knocks her down. They are both observed by their daughter. After Charlie has been led away and spent the following night in a cell, he ruefully tries to apologize to her. But because Patsy thinks their marriage has failed, she refuses his apologies and says that she no longer loves him and therefore cannot give him another chance. When she was about to fly home on a private plane from a concert in Kansas City on March 5, 1963, it crashed in the fog and rammed into a mountain. Shortly before she dies, she can barely call Charlie. All that remains is the memory of the first dance with Patsy.

criticism

Sheila Benson of the Los Angeles Times compared the film to Nashville Lady and said that one would be disappointed because on the one hand Cline's life is not the same as Loretta Lynn and on the other hand the film is more like “a country song, with all its ups and downs, and not like a music biography "is written. In addition to the script, which is full of “bite and compassion”, she particularly praised the chemistry that prevails between the two main actors.

The director Reisz concentrates less on Cline's artistic work than on her eventful marriage. Nonetheless, "he manages to show the enthusiasm, bitterness, and inextinguishable hope that love brings," said Janet Maslin of the New York Times . She also praised Lange for her “exuberant and warm-blooded zest for life”, which she achieved through “her fine game”. Especially in the interplay with Harris "they manage to bring the film to life through the sheer power of their personality", whereby "the direction and the script remain skillful and believable".

The film begins “with more energy”, said the renowned film critic Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times , when he was later “able to hold on”. He praised the portrayals of the two main actors, emphasizing that it was probably not the script that made them so good.

The lexicon of international films said: “Karel Reisz does not ask for sensations, but lets the singer's highs and lows happen casually. The focus is on the changeable marriage with a choleric person who likes to drink, while deeper insights into the reality of the dream factory country music are not granted. Entertainment for die-hard country fans who can look forward to playback performances by Jessica Lange. "

background

The film was released in US cinemas on October 4, 1985 and was able to bring in a little over 9 million US dollars again. In Germany it was released directly on VHS on June 17, 1991 .

Meryl Streep auditioned for the role of Patsy Cline but was turned down. The film was also originally supposed to be called I Fall to Pieces .

Jessica Lange is not a trained musician, which is why all of the songs she depicts are playback recordings.