Marie: A True Story

Robert Osborne introduces Marie: A True Story, 1985.

TCM's Alicia Malone introduces Marie: A True Story, 1985.

The violent opening by director Roger Donaldson, from John Briley’s screenplay from Peter Maas’ book based on the real life of the title character Marie Ragghianti, played by Sissy Spacek, Vincent Irizarry her husband, in Marie: A True Story, 1985, also starring Jeff Daniels, Morgan Freeman, and then-lawyer Fred Thompson “as himself.”

In Nashville, ca. 1976 Sissy Spacek as the title character, a new Vanderbilt graduate, meets Keith Szarabajka as political staffer Kevin, then co-star Jeff Daniels, as college friend Eddie Sisk, aide to the new governor (Ray Blanton), who offers her a job, then congrats from friend Toni (Lisa Banes) and her kids, in director Roger Donaldson’s Marie: A True Story, 1985.

Original Trailer for Marie: A True Story, 1985, directed by Roger Donaldson, starring Sissy Spacek and Jeff Daniels, featuring attorney Fred Thompson, who played himself, in his first acting role.

Given a tour of the Tennessee state penitentiary (shot on location in Nashville, Bill McIntyre the guard), Sissy Spacek (title character) gets another exciting offer from her boss in the governor’s office (Jeff Daniels as Eddie Sisk), then the first suggestion that he’s corrupt, then meets Morgan Freeman as the head of the parole board, in Marie: A True Story, 1985.