Great Balls of Fire!
Seen it?1989 | 108 min | Drama, History, Music
Weeknight WatchWhy it’s a Weeknight Watch
With a box office loss, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for history buffs. If you loved Almost Famous or What's Love Got to Do with It, start here.
- The mood
- Thoughtful and character-driven.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 48 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated PG-13. Probably too much for younger kids.
The story of Jerry Lee Lewis, arguably the greatest and certainly one of the wildest musicians of the 1950s. His arrogance, remarkable talent, and unconventional lifestyle often brought him into conflict with others in the industry, and even earned him the scorn and condemnation of the public.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsSolid
65% on Rotten Tomatoes, 49 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
6.3 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$14 million worldwide on a $17 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 94K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Jim McBride
- Dennis QuaidJerry Lee Lewis
- Winona RyderMyra Gale Brown
- John DoeJ.W. Brown
- Stephen TobolowskyJud Phillips
- Alec BaldwinJimmy Swaggart
- Lisa BlountLois Brown
- Trey WilsonSam Phillips
- Steve AllenSteve Allen
- Michael St. GerardElvis
- Mojo NixonJames Van Eaton