Themes: Pygmalion Stories, Fish Out of Water, Musician's Life
Main Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Dolly Parton, Richard Farnsworth, Ron Leibman, Tim Thomerson
Release Year: 1984
Country: US
Run Time: 120 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
After a big-time country singer (Dolly Parton) brags that she can turn anybody in to a country-singin' star, she's out to prove she can live up to her talk when she recruits a cab-driver (Sylvester Stallone) as a country singer. He's scheduled to sing at a big-time NYC country night club and Dolly puts her ample powers to work in preparing her protege. ~ All Movie Guide
Penny Santon - Mother; Russell Buchanan - Elgart; Ritch Brinkley - Luke; Jerry Potter - Walt; Jesse Welles - Billie Joe; Phil Rubenstein - Maurie; Mark Anderson - Cut N' Slice Band; Rod Ball - Heckler/Bettor; Gary Compton - Rhinestone Heckler; Troy Evans - Heckler, Bettor; Don Hammer - Sid; Adrienne Hampton - Rhinestone Heckler; Chip Heller - Rhinestone Heckler; Thomas Ikeda - Japanese Father; Christal Kim - Japanese Grandmother; Arline Miyazaki - Japanese Mother; Leslie Morris - Rhinestone Heckler; Jordan Myers - Doorman; Steven Apostlee Peck - Father; Dean Smith - Cowboy Doorman; Dean Wein - Rhinestone Heckler; Tony Munafo - Tony; Mike Baird - Rhinestone House Band; Stanley Wells - Rhinestone Heckler; Mike Adams; Paul "Mousie" Garner - Heckler; Lonna Montrose - Rhinestone Heckler; Shelley Pogoda - Photographer; Ross St. Phillip - Rhinestone Heckler; Don Warden - Wild Possums Band; Dean Webber - Cut N' Slice Heckler; Stan Yale - Street Player; Jill Gordon - Rhinestone Heckler; David Cobb - Countryman; Bill Dearth - Doorman; Cindy Perlman - Esther Jean; Larry Weiss - Heckler
Credit
Frank Richwood - Art Director, Linda Horner - Associate Producer, James D. Brubaker - Associate Producer, Tom Bronson - Costume Designer, Linda Henrikson - Costume Designer, Theadora Van Runkle - Costume Designer, Ron Heilman - Costume Designer, Bob Clark - Director, Stan Cole - Editor, John W. Wheeler - Editor, Sandy Gallin - Executive Producer, Dolly Parton - Composer (Music Score), Mike Post - Composer (Music Score), Mike Post - Musical Arrangement, Dolly Parton - Songwriter, Phil Alden Robinson - Songwriter, Mike Post - Songwriter, Robert F. Boyle - Production Designer, Timothy Galfas - Cinematographer, Sandy Gallin - Producer, Marvin Worth - Producer, Raymond Katz - Producer, James D. Brubaker - Producer, Howard Smith - Producer, Cloudia - Set Designer, Dianne I. Wager - Set Designer, Michael Evje - Sound/Sound Designer, Phil Alden Robinson - Screen Story, Phil Alden Robinson - Screenwriter, Sylvester Stallone - Screenwriter
A popular country star, Jake Farris (played by Dolly Parton), boasts that she can make anybody a country sensation. She makes a bet with her sleazy manager (played by Ron Leibman), that she can turn any normal guy into a country singer in two weeks. At stake is her contract and her body. The problem is that her manager can select the man, and he selects an obnoxious New York cab driver Nick Martinelli (played by Sylvester Stallone). Jake takes Nick back to the hills of Tennessee for a two-week crash course in how to walk, talk and sing like a genuine Country star.
Original screenwriter Phil Alden Robinson was so offended by Stallone's re-working of his original screenplay that he briefly considered having his name removed from the film's credits. He was later convinced that having his name on a film of this "caliber" would look good on his resume.
Reception
The film was almost universally panned upon its release, and is generally regarded as a commercial and critical flop. Nonetheless, the soundtrack album gave Dolly Parton two top ten country singles: "Tennessee Homesick Blues" and "God Won't Get Ya'".
