“Coal Miner’s Daughter” was originally released in 1980 and tells the story of singer Loretta Lynn and her childhood in the Appalachian mountains, more specifically Butcher Hollow, Kentucky.
The Athena Cinema is showing a series of movies including “Coal Miner’s Daughter” to reflect the culture of the Appalachian people and their experiences. The featured series was dubbed “From the Hills and Hollers: Appalachian Stories Film Series.”
Director of the Athena Cinema, Alexandra Kamody, said they were originally going to do the series two years ago but due to COVID, the plans had fallen through. Kamody said she was excited to finally be able to show the series, especially after being closed for 16 months during the height of the pandemic.
“We really just picked up our plans and said let's do it now,” she said.
Kamody said the main purpose of holding the series was to open up the conversation on how Appalachian culture has been portrayed in different films.
“We have to open it up to really share the reality of what our region is about and what our culture is about and celebrate that,” she said.
She said it is important to consider why Appalachia is portrayed the way it is, and how it has affected the communities living in these areas. Kamody said that she hopes students and community members will gain a broader perspective of the region they live in and the culture behind it.
“It's really our hope to give a wider perspective and a deeper understanding of our place, our culture, the people here and what life has been like, what life is like for people here,” she said.
Kamody said she hopes that people will come out and see the series as well as other productions that the Athena Cinema features and engage in rich discussions about topics like the ones in the Appalachian series.
Angela Sprunger, an assistant professor of instruction at OU in the School of Art and Design, said she is a fan of Loretta Lynn and therefore going to see the film felt like an enjoyable experience. Sprunger said she liked the fact that the Athena Cinema decided to make different series focusing on important topics.
“I think the Athena actually does a really good job of curating around themes and ideas,” she said. “I think it's exciting they have this Appalachian culture focus.”
Sprunger said she was captivated by the actress playing Loretta Lynn’s, Sissy Spacek, accent throughout the film. She said she would be really interested to know if the accent was an accurate, authentic representation of the specific region where Lynn grew up.
Appalachian resident Neva Kemplin said “Coal Miner’s Daughter” holds a very special place in her heart.
“It's one of my all time favorite movies and I’ve met Loretta Lynn several times,” she said. “I've been to both of her homes in Butcher Hollow and Hurricane Mills and I just love her music.”
Kemplin said she is from Kentucky and thinks it is important for the younger generation to realize how hard it was for people to get started if they were from the Appalachian area.
Aria Black, a freshman, said she had never heard of Loretta Lynn before but learning more about the Appalachian area seemed like an interesting concept. She said her favorite part of the movie was when Lynn was onstage being open to the audience about her mental health.
“Her finally being real and breaking down felt genuine,” she said. “It wasn't supposed to be a happy scene but it was still my favorite.”
Black said learning about the region she is currently living in is something that seemed important.
“I do believe that learning about Appalachia is important because it's honestly where we live right now,” she said. “And even those of us that don't live in Appalachia could stand to learn a little about it.”
