“Mommie Dearest” is a biographical movie about actress Joan Crawford, showing her relationship with her two adopted children going sour after failed relationships and after getting fired from MGM. Director Frank Perry (“Diary of a Mad Housewife” 1970), who co-wrote the screenplay with three others, put together quite a melodrama that many feel is a dark comedy. Over the years, the film has become a cult classic and lines like “no wire hangers” have entered the English language lexicon. It was adapted from the 1978 memoir of the same name by daughter Christina Crawford.
The cast is headed by Faye Dunaway as Crawford. She definitely dominats the film with her “energetic” performance, which some describe as over-acting. Her performance keeps the audience engaged, so much so that it is almost impossible to stop viewing the film. Co-stars include Diana Scarwid as Christina, Steve Forrest as Joan’s boyfriend, Howard da Silva as Louis B. Mayer, Harry Goz as Alfred Steele, Jocelyn Brando, Priscilla Pointer, and Xander Berkeley.
The watchable over-blown soap opera “Mommie Dearest” underperformed at the box office for Paramount Pictures. Often considered to be one of the worst films ever produced by Hollywood, it was nominated for nine Golden Raspberry Awards, winning five including Worst Picture, Worst Actress (Dunaway), Worst Supporting Actor (Forrest), Worst Supporting Actress (Scarwid), Worst Screenplay (Frank Perry, Frank Yablans, Tracy Hotchner, Robert Getchell),
Mommie Dearest (1981)
cinema
My Review
“Mommie Dearest” is a biographical movie about actress Joan Crawford, showing her relationship with her two adopted children going sour after failed relationships and after getting fired from MGM. Director Frank Perry (“Diary of a Mad Housewife” 1970), who co-wrote the screenplay with three others, put together quite a melodrama that many feel is a dark comedy. Over the years, the film has become a cult classic and lines like “no wire hangers” have entered the English language lexicon. It was adapted from the 1978 memoir of the same name by daughter Christina Crawford.
The cast is headed by Faye Dunaway as Crawford. She definitely dominats the film with her “energetic” performance, which some describe as over-acting. Her performance keeps the audience engaged, so much so that it is almost impossible to stop viewing the film. Co-stars include Diana Scarwid as Christina, Steve Forrest as Joan’s boyfriend, Howard da Silva as Louis B. Mayer, Harry Goz as Alfred Steele, Jocelyn Brando, Priscilla Pointer, and Xander Berkeley.
The watchable over-blown soap opera “Mommie Dearest” underperformed at the box office for Paramount Pictures. Often considered to be one of the worst films ever produced by Hollywood, it was nominated for nine Golden Raspberry Awards, winning five including Worst Picture, Worst Actress (Dunaway), Worst Supporting Actor (Forrest), Worst Supporting Actress (Scarwid), Worst Screenplay (Frank Perry, Frank Yablans, Tracy Hotchner, Robert Getchell),