Great Balls of Fire!

"The true story of a legend."

1989 1h 48m EN

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 355

DramaHistoryMusic

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

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.

“The true story of a legend.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Cast

Dennis Quaid
Jerry Lee Lewis
Winona Ryder
Myra Gale Brown
John Doe
J.W. Brown
Stephen Tobolowsky
Jud Phillips
Alec Baldwin
Jimmy Swaggart
Lisa Blount
Lois Brown
Trey Wilson
Sam Phillips
Steve Allen
Steve Allen

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jim McBride
Writers: Jim McBride, Jack Baran
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 81% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

37 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jim McBride, shot by Affonso Beato. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Lisa Day shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Dennis Quaid and Winona Ryder and John Doe carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The true story of a legend.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0097457 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jim McBride directs. Affonso Beato behind the camera. Lisa Day cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 81% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
237 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by Jim McBride, shot by Affonso Beato. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Editor Lisa Day shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Dennis Quaid and Winona Ryder and John Doe carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "The true story of a legend.".
7IMDB entry: tt0097457 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 11 themes, including "rock 'n' roll", "musician", "train", "older man younger woman relationship".