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(More customer reviews)As Myra Gale Lewis herself said, this story is "true as far as it goes," but does not tell the whole story. It covers the main events of Jerry Lee Lewis' life from his meeting of Myra and geting a contract with Sun Records to the birth of his son Steve Allen Lewis during the midst of his blacklisting. It leaves out a lot of the more unsavory and darker details of the lives and characters of hese two young lovers.
That having been said, it's a fun romp that follows the typical Hollywood rock & roll musical bio-pic formula: young man has a new sound, while performing someone says "we can't play that music here, these people will kill us!" He does anyway and it becomes a big hit, then scandal strikes and his career takes a tumble. There are the typical scenes of performing, watching the music charts, montages of Jerry Lee's career, screaming fans, and so forth. Several legendary incidents are receated, such as burning the piano when he has to perform before Chuck Bery and Elvis showing up at the Sun studios as he leaves for the army. This is all done at a breakneck pace, with humor and fun. Music from the period is used liberally throughout the film, adding to the mood and the humor.
Through all this is the impression the Jerry Lee is desparate for attention. He lives for the spotlight and being noticed. He is truly happy when people are going crazy over him, and gets very upset if he is not accepted as he is.
The question of the morality of a 23-year-old, twice married but only once divorced man marrying his 13-year-old 2nd cousin is not truly answered. Though it does cause the big scandal, the characters are played as so naive and in love, one can sympathize with them even as certain people may recoil.
There is a running sub-plot of Jerry Lee's relationship with his preacher cousin Jimmie Lee Swaggart. Jimmie's career as a preacher keeps him in conflict with Jerry Lee's life of rock & roll and brings out some very amusing exchanges. These really help define Jerry Lee's character. Some great lines include: "Don't thank God, just thank old Jerry Lee Lewis!"; "I am of the opinion thas such a God-given talent should be used for the glory of the talented."; "If I'm going to Hell, I'm goin' to Hell playin' the piano!" Jerry Lee may fear god, but he fears being ordinary and forgotten even more.
Dennis Quaid is a total hoot as an immature doofus with a "God given talent." Winnona Ryder makes a very convincing 13-year-old discovering love for the first time and torn between having fun and growing up (later on certain people debated whose idea it was to have Jerry Lee played as less mature than Myra). John Doe, a singer-sonwriter himself, gives a great performance worthy of a funky underground cult film as Jerry Lee's cousin/band mate/father-in-law. Trey Wilson and Stephen Tobolowsky play off well angainst each other as the Phillips brothers of Sun Records. Watch for cameos by Mojo Nixon, Steve Allen, Jimmie Vaughn, Joe Bob Briggs, Michael St. Gerard (as the most accurate young Elvis ever!), and Dave Alvin (uncredited as a guitarist in the band at the closing number).
Inaccuracies abound here. There is an extra member in Jerry Lee's band. The song "I'm on Fire" is performed on his first trip to England, when it wasn't recorded until 1962.
Don't expect much, just thrill to the music here, and you won't be disappointed.
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They called it "the devil's music." To this, Jerry Lee Lewis whooped: "If I'm going to hell, I'm going there playing the piano!" Dennis Quaid gives a "rousing performance" (Gene Shalit, "The Today Show") as the defiant rock 'n' roll superstar who broke all the rules. Co-starring Winona Ryder as Jerry Lee's teenage bride and Alec Baldwin as Jerry Lee's evangelical cousin Jimmy Swaggart, and featuring scorching piano and vocals re-recorded by the legendary Lewis himself, Great Balls of Fire! is a wild ride back to the early days of rock 'n' roll that will leave you "B-B-B-Breathless"!In 1956, Louisiana bad boy Jerry Lee Lewis (Quaid) moves to Memphis, determined to dethrone Elvis with his "ferocious, God-given talent." When Jerry Lee bangs out the bass chords with his feet,fans howl for more. When he finishes a performance by setting his piano ablaze, they mob the stage.But when he marries his 13-year-old second cousin Myra (Ryder)...the scandal nearly kills "The Killer's" career.
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