15 movies and TV shows about country music

This 2005 film stars Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix as June Carter and Johnny Cash, arguably country music's most iconic couple. Its stars earned Academy Award nominations, and Witherspoon took the Best Actress trophy. 

This cheeky song, written by Tom T. Hall and recorded by Jeannie C. Riley, inspired both a film and a television series. I Dream of Jeannie star Barbara Eden starred as the song's protagonist in both. 

This series from Callie Khouri starred Connie Britton as the fictional Rayna Jaymes, a superstar country singer with a whole lot of drama in her life. The show got a real credibility bump from T. Bone Burnett, who curated its excellent soundtrack, but it was ultimately canceled in 2018 after six seasons. 

Starring Sissy Spacek in the role of Loretta Lynn, Coal Miner's Daughter was a critical and commercial success after its release in 1980. It earned seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and a Best Actress win for Spacek. 

It's not technically about country music, but Urban Cowboy is deeply steeped in the country music craze of the late '70s that had everyone line-dancing. Starring John Travolta, it's set at the legendary honky-tonk Gilley's and follows the tumultuous (but legendary!) romance of Bud and Sissy. 

George Strait stars in this 1992 film about fictional rising country music star Dusty Chandler. At this point, Strait was already a massive country music success, but his experience in the industry made him feel like an especially authentic pick to play Dusty. Critics panned the film, but its soundtrack remains one of Strait's best-selling albums. 

Inspired by the novel of the same name, Crazy Heart features an incredible cast that includes Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Robert Duvall. It was loosely inspired by the life of country singer Hank Thompson and earned Bridges an Academy Award for his compelling portrayal of the film's rough, rugged protagonist.

This 2018 film starring Ethan Hawke is centered around the life of Blaze Foley, a country music legend and contemporary of Townes Van Zandt. Like Van Zandt, Foley's life was plagued by alcoholism, run-ins with the law, and illness, which makes for one hell of a sad story. 

This Coen brothers classic isn't a country music film, but it sure is packed with twangy, bluegrass-inflected tunes. It also features performances from country icons like Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, and Gillian Welch, and let's not forget that incredible dancing from George Clooney as The Soggy Bottom Boys perform "Man Of Constant Sorrow." 

This often silly, totally satirical film doesn't follow a real-life country star, but Walk Hard is still a must-watch for music fans of all kinds. John C. Reilly stars as the fictional Dewey Cox, an improbable country singer, rock star, and father to many children. 

This brand new series, starring real-life country star Trace Adkins and renowned actress Susan Sarandon, only lasted one season before it was canceled in 2022. It earned pretty mixed reviews from the critics but is still an entertaining watch for fans of the genre. 

In this 1982 film, Clint Eastwood plays Red Stovall, a character loosely based on the life of Jimmie Rodgers, who many regard as one of country music's founding fathers. In addition to the film's funny hijinks, it features a performance from country legend Marty Robbins. 

Gwyneth Paltrow and Tim McGraw teamed up for this 2010 film about a country star trying to resurrect her failing career. It's a bit of a dud but is packed with cameos from country favorites like Amanda Shires, Jim Lauderdale, and Lari White. 

Inspired by the legendary Hank Williams song of the same name, Your Cheatin' Heart is an origin story of sorts for country music's "hillbilly Shakespeare." George Hamilton stars as Williams in the film, originally intended to feature Elvis Presley in the role. 

This 1985 film stars Jessica Lange as Patsy Cline following her troubled marriage, music career, and untimely death in a plane crash. Lange earned an Oscar nod for her portrayal of Cline but decided to lip-sync to recordings of her iconic songs instead of trying to imitate Patsy's legendary voice.