My perspective of Nashville is colored by the nostalgia of growing up there from the mid 1970s through the early 1980s. These films are precious gifts to me made from that same period. For many it was a time for travel, hitchhiking and frequenting seedy motels. Aside from the glamour, there was a fermenting seedy culture underneath. Nashville was a complex, vibrant and multi-dimensional destination for many.

Nashville

Nashville (1975) is directed by Robert Altman. Filmed extra wide, Nashville is a big film that follows many characters and hits some of the city’s interesting locations. It tells the stories of people seeking stardom, and those who try to maneuver for power around them. Many of the characters are nods to the living legends of the time. Truly underrated, Nashville is considered by some critics as Altman’s crowning achievement.

Payday

Payday (1972) is directed by Daryl Duke and stars Rip Torn. Yet to achieve the accolades of being a superstar, Torn plays a musician on tour with his crew heading to Nashville. The film holds no punches and shows the many events which can occur on the road over the course of a day for a certain breed of songwriter. Rip Torn does a bang-up job in this gritty, realist drama.

Coal Miner's Daughter

Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980) is directed by the British director Michael Apted (previously famous for the The Up Series documentaries). Talk about the outside looking in, Apted does a surprisingly wonderful job in telling the story of Lorreta Lynn’s troubled journey to becoming known as the First Lady of Country Music. Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones both offer astounding performances within the backdrop of rural Kentucky and Nashville.

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