Oscar Winner Callie Khouri Hits Another High Note Directing Lifetime’s “Patsy & Loretta”

amp8220It wasnamp8217t a long friendship about a year and a halfamp8221 Khouri pictured at top had explained to MediaVillage last summer during an interview at the annual Summer Television Critics Association tour amp160But it was memorable and powerfulamp160 quotThey saw themselves in each otheramp8221 Khouri saidPatsy Megan Hilty pictured below rightamp160 ambitious confident and already a rising star invited Loretta Jessie Mueller below leftamp160to visit her when she was in the hospital recuperating from a car crashamp160 You can read Steve Gidlow39s interview withamp160Hilty and Mueller about the making of the movie hereamp160 Loretta was singing at dive bars where no one listened and in her kitchen where she listened to her domineering husband amp160She adored Patsy as a fan does a star but when they met a true friendship developed albeit a relatively shortterm oneamp8220I love telling stories about women that are different and still find a way to have a friendship that obviously is as deep and lasting as well unfortunately this wasn39t as longlasting as it should have beenamp8221 Khouri said while at TCA amp160amp8220But thatamp8217s kind of what I started out doing and I just love telling those stories because I have a lot of those kind of friendships with women that are very different than me amp160We kind of draw on each other39s strengths and make up for each other39s weaknessesamp8221This movie was written by Khouriamp8217s stepdaughter Angelina Burnettamp160 Khouri is married to the Grammywinning music producer Tamp160Bone Burnettamp160 Angelina told her amp8220I have written this script about Patsy and Loretta for Lifetime and I think youamp8217d be great for itamp8221 Khouri recalled amp160amp8220I read the script and loved it amp160It was right up my alleyamp8221amp160 No surprise thereamp160 Khouri famously wrote Thelma ampamp Louiseamp160amp160one of the finest films about female friendship ever produced while breaking into the businessamp160 She later won an Oscar for itamp160 And she was the creator of and creative force behind Nashville that rarity of a TV series with plenty of great music and high drama which also had an intense relationshipamp160between two talented hardworking female country music stars at its coreA theater major at Purdue University Khouri worked in children39s theater in Nashville and then headed to Los Angeles where she studied acting amp160While there she realized quotI didnamp8217t want to act amp160I took a job as a receptionist in a production company amp160I was a runner a PA amp160I worked my way upamp8221During this time amp8220I got the idea to write Thelma ampamp Louise and wrote it in longhand in a spiral notebookamp8221 she recalledamp160 To this day she remains delightfully unabashedly feminist amp160amp8220My overall philosophy is to tell stories that are true and that help womenamp8221 she saidNot many people know of the beautiful friendship between Loretta Lynn and Patsy Clineamp160 Khouriamp8217s takeaway from the movie is that the two women amp8220had to fight really hard for their place in the business to get half a chanceamp160 They went out and made the opportunities themselvesamp8221In that regard Khouri believes Hollywood is finally changing though very slowly amp160amp8220There are glaciers melting faster than Hollywood is changingamp8221 she saidamp160 amp8220But it is happening amp160I think we are at a really interesting moment amp160We are demanding things change amp160A lot in our society does not workamp8221With an Oscar a Golden Globe and a WGA award when did Khouri feel she had made itamp160 amp8220Neveramp8221 she exclaimed amp160amp8220You are always trying to get better amp160I still donamp8217t feel I have written the best thingamp8221 amp160Thelma and Louise she added amp8220is the truest thing I have written for meamp8221Patsy ampamp Loretta will be televised Saturday October 19 at 8 pm on Lifetimeamp160Click the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Oscar Winner Callie Khouri Hits Another High Note Directing Lifetime’s “Patsy & Loretta”

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Jacqueline Cutler

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Oscar Winner Callie Khouri Hits Another High Note Directing Lifetime’s “Patsy & Loretta”

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