Facing the Laughter: Minnie Pearl (2023) on Netflix

Plot summary

Sarah spent her childhood in a small Tennessee town, dreaming of Shakespeare and a life on the world stage, a goal the 1930s treated as a delusion. She was serious, ambitious and untraditional for her time. Minnie Pearl, the character who stood beside her, was the opposite: uncomplicated, direct, playful and traditional, in a costume that audiences came to know at a glance and greeting them each time with the same opening line. Music was not her gift, yet country music made her a permanent fixture. She is remembered for her compassion, empowerment and innovation, and mostly for the laughter she gave people.