Great Balls of Fire! (1989): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
Great Balls of Fire! is a 1989 biographical drama directed by Jim McBride, starring Dennis Quaid, Winona Ryder and John Doe. It runs 1 hour 48 minutes and earned $13.7 million worldwide. Critics gave it 65% on Rotten Tomatoes and 49 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.3/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 48m (108 min)
- Director
- Jim McBride
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Orion Pictures
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Great Balls of Fire! About?
The premise of Great Balls of Fire! without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
This explosive biopic chronicles the extraordinary career of Jerry Lee Lewis, tracing his ascent to rock 'n' roll stardom. Driven by a fiery personality and a hunger for success, Jerry abandons his gospel beginnings to embrace a more controversial sound. As his fame grows, he faces moral dilemmas and the consequences of a scandalous relationship with a young woman, jeopardizing his burgeoning career and reputation.
Great Balls of Fire! Themes & Keywords
· 46 tags- 1950s
- child bride
- title based on song
- marriage between cousins
- rise and fall
- prejudice
- burning a piano
- scandal
- kissing while having sex
- elvis presley character
- jerry lee lewis character
- jimmy swaggart character
+34 more Show fewer
- alan freed character
- older man young girl love
- steve allen character
- sam phillips character
- 13 year old
- rock star
- rock 'n' roll
- famous song
- incest
- chewing gum
- exclamation point in title
- song
- singing
- singer
- teenage girl
- girl
- child marriage
- pianist
- man girl relationship
- marriage
- cousin cousin relationship
- age difference
- train
- preacher
- rejection
- religious fundamentalism
- underage bride
- self righteousness
- bible belt
- based on true story
- based on book
- career
- four word title
- bare chested male
Great Balls of Fire! Cast
Dennis Quaid leads the cast, with Winona Ryder and John Doe. Directed by Jim McBride; 10 actors are credited in all.
- Director Jim McBride
Also Starring in Great Balls of Fire!
· 6 moreMore from Jim McBride
More films directed by Jim McBride, best-rated first: The Big Easy, Breathless, Meat Loaf: To Hell and Back and Pronto.
Great Balls of Fire! Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Great Balls of Fire! 65% on Rotten Tomatoes and 49 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.3/10.
-
IMDb 6.3 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 65% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 53%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 49 Metascore
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 63% User score
See on TMDB
Great Balls of Fire! Plot Summary
What happens in Great Balls of Fire! from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Jerry Lee Lewis, portrayed by Dennis Quaid, is a dynamic piano player who stands out during the early years of rock and roll from 1956 to 1958, a time when most artists favored guitar. He is a multifaceted individual: a remarkably talented performer struggling with discipline and grappling with alcoholism. As Jerry Lee climbs the charts with chart-toppers like “Crazy Arms”, “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On”, and “Great Balls of Fire”, he falls deeply in love with Myra Gale Brown, played by Winona Ryder, the 13-year-old daughter of his first cousin and bass player, J.W. Brown, portrayed by John Doe. In a surprising twist, Jerry Lee elopes with Myra in Mississippi, a union that angers her parents immensely.
Full summary
The whole story of Great Balls of Fire!, scene by scene
Great Balls of Fire! Box Office
Great Balls of Fire! grossed $13.7 million worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$13.7M
- US & Canada
- $13.7M
Great Balls of Fire! Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Great Balls of Fire!.
How Well Do You Know Great Balls of Fire!?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who played the role of Jerry Lee Lewis in the film?
Cars in Great Balls of Fire!
21 cars on screen, including the 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz and the 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz.
-
1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Important role -
1958 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Important role -
1950 Ford Custom De Luxe Important role -
1956 Ford Mainline Important role
Great Balls of Fire! Also Known As
18 alternative titles, including “Gran bola de fuego” and “Great Balls of Fire! - Ein Leben für den Rock’n’Roll”.
- Also known as
-
- Gran bola de fuego
- Great Balls of Fire! - Ein Leben für den Rock’n’Roll
- Great Balls of Fire! - Vampate di fuoco
- Rock de Fogo
- A rock 'n' roll ördöge
- La Légende vivante du rock 'N' roll
- A Fera do Rock
- Великі вогняні кулі
- Пожар в слабините!
- Большие огненные шары
- Велике ватрене лопте!
- 열정의 록큰롤
+6 more Show fewer
- Wielkie kule ognia
- 大火球
- סקס
- אהבה ורוקנרול
- ¡Grandes Bolas de Fuego!
- Gran bola de foc
Seen Great Balls of Fire!?
Movies Like Great Balls of Fire!
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Jailhouse Rock, Mr. Rock n Roll: The Alan Freed Story and Get On Up.
Great Balls of Fire! FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings and post-credit scenes of Great Balls of Fire!, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Great Balls of Fire!?
Great Balls of Fire! runs 1 hour 48 minutes (108 minutes).
When was Great Balls of Fire! released?
Great Balls of Fire! was released on June 30, 1989.
Who directed Great Balls of Fire!?
Great Balls of Fire! was directed by Jim McBride.
More films by Jim McBride Who is in the cast of Great Balls of Fire!?
Great Balls of Fire! stars Dennis Quaid, Winona Ryder and John Doe, among 10 credited actors.
How much did Great Balls of Fire! make at the box office?
Great Balls of Fire! grossed $13.7 million worldwide.
How is Great Balls of Fire! rated?
Great Balls of Fire! has 6.3/10 on IMDb, 65% on Rotten Tomatoes, 49 on Metacritic and 63% on TMDB.
Does Great Balls of Fire! have a post-credit scene?
No. Great Balls of Fire! has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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