Coal Miner's Daughter 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

Coal Miner's Daughter 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

In time for its 45th Anniversary, Michael Apted's 'Coal Miner's Daughter' arrives on 4K UHD courtesy of Universal. This biopic sees Sissy Spacek ('Carrie (1976)') as iconic country singer Loretta Lynn in an Oscar-winning performance, sharing the screen with Tommy Lee Jones ('Men in Black') as her husband, Doolittle Lynn, along with Levon Helm, and Beverly D'Angelo. The release features solid technical merits, and all of the legacy on-disc supplemental material is brought forward. A slipcover, a Blu-ray disc, and a Digital Code redeemable through Movies Anywhere are also included.

Coal Miner's Daughter 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Coal Miner's Daughter is presented in 4K with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Given a Dolby Vision grade, the film looks very pleasing in motion. Even in her drab and dreary childhood home and the surrounding environments, colors are improved, appearing richer, better saturated, and more realistic. Here, it's predominantly vintage earth tones that greet the viewer's eye. Hardly showy, but the improvement in the rendering of the colors of Spacek's coat and the clothing the young women wear during the pie auction is visible. Once Spacek's Lynn starts making waves in the music world, though, the color palette opens up considerably. Consider Ernest Tubb's green checkerboard jacket and red tie. Both pop nicely during Lynn's first performance at the Opry. Additional similar improvements are easy to spot in the brightly colored country music culture of the period. The neon lights that line the streets are more vivid and better defined as well. Skin tones are healthy throughout. Fine detail is also improved, enabling viewers to see the age and wear in her family's home, and her home with Doolittle, before her career takes off. Most depressing, however, has to be the dirt and age that is so easy to explore and catalog in the hotel room where Spacek's Lynn spends her wedding night. Facial and, even more importantly, costuming particulars are open for inspection, with every sequin and rhinestone visible.

Please note that all screenshots are sourced from the included 1080p disc.

Coal Miner's Daughter 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The previous Blu-ray release of Coal Miner's Daughter had a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that I liked quite a bit. This release, however, offers a Dolby Atmos track that I consider to be an upgrade. Before Lynn starts her musical journey and attains fame, the track has little out of the ordinary that it needs to accomplish, but even in these more mundane dialogue-driven scenes in the Webb house and outside the coal mine, viewers will notice that dialogue is cleaner and more lifelike. The lone gunshot and blasts inside the mine also have more realism and authority. Once her career begins to take off, though, the Atmos track has a chance to shine. The soundstage here opens up beyond that of the previous track, offering greater precision, crisp instrumentation, better sound separation, and overall improved fidelity. Bass presence is also improved, offering a better bottom-end to the musical performances yet remaining balanced and not overwhelming. Surrounds offer some support to ambient and environmental sounds, such as applause at the Grand Ole Opry, which is most welcome, but the single most important element of this track is how it handles the music, and it does so very well.

Coal Miner's Daughter 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

All of the legacy on-disc supplementary material has been brought forward here. Regrettably, for fans, nothing new has been added.

• Tommy Lee Jones Remembers 'Coal Miner's Daughter'

• Interview with Loretta Lynn and Director Michael Apted

• President George Bush Sr. Salutes AFI and 'Coal Miner's Daughter'

• Feature Commentary with Sissy Spacek and Director Michael Apted

Coal Miner's Daughter 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Certain elements of Lynn's life depicted here will no doubt trouble modern viewers, particularly her impoverished parents allowing her to marry Doolittle, who was 21 at the time, when she was just 15, as well as several instances of spousal abuse. They are, however, important elements of her past and her life that viewers need to understand in order to fully appreciate her rise to the upper echelon of country music stardom. Spacek turns in a wonderful performance here, capturing a younger and more mature Loretta with equal ease. While no new supplemental material is included on this release, the improved video and audio presentation are more than sufficient on their own to justify a purchase for the film's fans. Coal Miner's Daughter 4K comes strongly recommended.