End-of-year reviews: Forgotten, underperformed, overshadowed, and/or under-the-radar films over the decades – Part 1
The ascent and descent of Jerry Lee Lewis, one of the most controversial rock ‘n’ roll legends.
Wildly inaccurate, often problematic, and yet undeniably entertaining. Based on the book by Myra Lewis, Jim McBride’s film romanticises and fantasises events that were – and should have been – condemned, most notably the relationship and marriage between Jerry Lee Lewis and his teenage cousin, Myra Brown (later Lewis, the book author). The film smooths over moral outrage in favour of mythmaking, a choice that remains uncomfortable in hindsight. And for the record, it’s worth clarifying that Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley were friends, not rivals, despite what the film often suggests.
These historical distortions matter. The film sugarcoats darkness that deserved sharper scrutiny. Yet despite its inaccuracies and ethical blind spots, Great Balls of Fire! crackles with energy, passion, and an almost reckless momentum that makes it difficult to dismiss outright.
Three elements elevate the film significantly. The first is Dennis Quaid’s explosive performance as Lewis—charismatic, feral, self-destructive, and utterly committed. Quaid doesn’t so much play Jerry Lee Lewis as channel him, embodying the volatility that made Lewis both magnetic and catastrophic. The second is the ever-shining Winona Ryder, whose charm and charisma brighten every shot she is in, and that is to this very day! The third is the astounding editing by Lisa Day, Pembroke J. Herring, and Bert Lovitt, which gives the film its relentless drive and electric rhythm. The editing mirrors Lewis himself: fast, impulsive, and incapable of slowing down.
Structurally, the film traces the rise and fall of a man whose talent and personality proved to be both blessing and curse. Like Elvis Presley, Lewis is portrayed as an artist whose gifts fuelled his ascent and guaranteed his collapse – his zenith inseparable from his nadir, his grace inseparable from his fall. There are lessons buried here about fame, excess, and unchecked ego, though the film rarely pauses long enough to interrogate them fully.
Great Balls of Fire! was also one of several underperforming films from Orion Pictures, a studio that would sadly shut down a few years later.
Flawed, troubling, and historically unreliable, Great Balls of Fire! nevertheless remains a visceral cinematic experience, powered by performance, editing, and sheer momentum, even when its moral compass spins wilder than Lewis himself on stage.
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