Mommie Dearest (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Every child has a need to be noticed, understood, & respected. But some parents exercise their power by abusing their kids (physically & emotionally). 'Mommie Dearest' (directed by Frank Perry) is based on Christina Crawford's best-selling account of the love/hate relationship btwn. 1930s screen legend Joan Crawford & her adopted daughter. As a young girl, Christina is at her mother's beck & call to impress the fans. Yet over the yrs., she (an impressive Diana Scarwid) is subjected to damaging patterns of humiliation & cruel punishment, which culminates (in a late scene) of her almost being strangled to death.
The film exposes a woman who obviously wanted to be a loving mother, but allegedly turned into a raging monster instead. 'MD' is obviously meant to be taken seriously, but the operatic direction & the over-the-top portrayal of Joan Crawford by Faye Dunaway makes matters a bit humorous (striking a somewhat discordant, yet fascinating chord when laughing at a movie about child abuse). According to this film (and said book), Joan Crawford was a child-beating monster, who postured through life as a strong, but mentally-stable woman.
'MD' is a film of solid old-school storytelling. It also looks phenomenal. Right from the opening sequence where Crawford wakes at 4 a.m. and goes through her early morning rituals before the sun rises ... I was hooked. The photography, set design, costumes, & age make-up is fantastic. And Dunaway's unbridled, yet committed interpretation of Joan Crawford, the actress who took out her feelings of frustration & fear on her daughter, is something to behold. Sure, she goes over the top in some scenes, but the Joan Crawford that Dunaway portrays IS an egocentric, obsessive, control freak prone to fits of inconceivable rage.
There are a slew of notorious scenes & dialogues that bear mentioning: Dunaway screeching, "No more wire hangers!". Her freak-out on Christina (with white cold cream all over her face) is a classic. There's another scene in which she bellows for Christina to "... get the axe!!!" - when she wants to feverishly cut down some rose bushes. In another scene, Crawford physically attacks a teenage Christina in front of a reporter. And in a late scene, Joan dazedly replaces her sick daughter in the cast of a TV soap opera {haha, the nerve!}. Such moments make you wonder whether or not some of this was actually intended as black comedy.
As mentioned above, some of her histrionics will make you howl with laughter (as they did to me), but she's really not a well woman, & her desperate rants are only funny to a point since a scared little girl is often on the receiving end of her craziness. Surprisingly - and perhaps what the director indeed intended - we emerge from this film with a degree of sympathy for the horrific but wildly vulnerable Crawford. 'Mommie Dearest' shows that there is no justification for callous treatment of children. And yet, despite itself, 'Mommie Dearest' makes for some wonderfully voyeuristic & entertaining trash. I kinda feel bad for enjoying this so much {haha}.
The film exposes a woman who obviously wanted to be a loving mother, but allegedly turned into a raging monster instead. 'MD' is obviously meant to be taken seriously, but the operatic direction & the over-the-top portrayal of Joan Crawford by Faye Dunaway makes matters a bit humorous (striking a somewhat discordant, yet fascinating chord when laughing at a movie about child abuse). According to this film (and said book), Joan Crawford was a child-beating monster, who postured through life as a strong, but mentally-stable woman.
'MD' is a film of solid old-school storytelling. It also looks phenomenal. Right from the opening sequence where Crawford wakes at 4 a.m. and goes through her early morning rituals before the sun rises ... I was hooked. The photography, set design, costumes, & age make-up is fantastic. And Dunaway's unbridled, yet committed interpretation of Joan Crawford, the actress who took out her feelings of frustration & fear on her daughter, is something to behold. Sure, she goes over the top in some scenes, but the Joan Crawford that Dunaway portrays IS an egocentric, obsessive, control freak prone to fits of inconceivable rage.
There are a slew of notorious scenes & dialogues that bear mentioning: Dunaway screeching, "No more wire hangers!". Her freak-out on Christina (with white cold cream all over her face) is a classic. There's another scene in which she bellows for Christina to "... get the axe!!!" - when she wants to feverishly cut down some rose bushes. In another scene, Crawford physically attacks a teenage Christina in front of a reporter. And in a late scene, Joan dazedly replaces her sick daughter in the cast of a TV soap opera {haha, the nerve!}. Such moments make you wonder whether or not some of this was actually intended as black comedy.
As mentioned above, some of her histrionics will make you howl with laughter (as they did to me), but she's really not a well woman, & her desperate rants are only funny to a point since a scared little girl is often on the receiving end of her craziness. Surprisingly - and perhaps what the director indeed intended - we emerge from this film with a degree of sympathy for the horrific but wildly vulnerable Crawford. 'Mommie Dearest' shows that there is no justification for callous treatment of children. And yet, despite itself, 'Mommie Dearest' makes for some wonderfully voyeuristic & entertaining trash. I kinda feel bad for enjoying this so much {haha}.