MANHATTAN — It was a showdown between a country singer rising from poverty and a has-been rock star falling in love with an up-and-coming chanteuse.
The Central Park Conservancy asked New Yorkers which movie they'd rather see on Aug. 27 as the finale for its ninth annual film festival — "Coal Miner's Daughter," the 1980 Loretta Lynn biopic starring Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones, or "A Star is Born," the 1976 flick with Barbra Streisand, Kris Kristofferson and Gary Busey.
Fans chose Barbra over Sissy.
They voted for "A Star is Born," a love story about one singer on her way up, while another fades from the spotlight as he helps her career.
The theme of this year's film festival, which kicks of on Aug. 23 and is held in the area just north of Sheep Meadow beside a café around 69th Street, focuses on music.
Other films being shown include "El Cantante," (2006) with Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony about Hector Lavoe, who started the salsa movement in 1975 and brought it to America.
Also on the lineup are "Bird" (1988), starring Forest Whitaker as legendary jazz musician Charlie "Bird" Park, and "Dreamgirls" (2006), the blockbuster movie with Beyonce Knowles, Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx and Eddie Murphy about a 1960s trio of female R&B singers.
Martin Scorsese's 2008 documentary, "Shine a Light," about the Rolling Stones, which includes "A Bigger Band" tour concert footage, will be screened, too.
The movies begin at 8:00 p.m., rain or shine, with guest DJs playing at 6:30 p.m.
For more information, visit: centralparknyc.org/filmfestival
