Mommie Dearest

Rating:
Summary: THIS DVD IS A TOTAL UTTER DISAPOINTMENT! BUT-Buy it anyway!
Review: In the last 15 years, I have seen "Mommie Dearest" more than 200 times (literally) since I first saw it on cable in 1987. I say that so you KNOW I know what I'm talking about in regard to this movie. I have been endlessly facinated by this film only because of the over-the-top performance by Miss Faye Dunaway. She just gets better and better everytime I see it. I only like the movie because of Miss Dunaway. Her entire style of acting is so fabulous, it overwhelms -- shades of how she would portray Joan Crawford are especially evident in the 1976 film, "NETWORK"...an example, "I've TOLD HIM LOU! I'VE TOLD HIM EVERY DAY THIS WEEK! NOW *YOU* TELL HIM!!!" as she slams down the phone with such force you think it will break in two! An absolute parallel to her technique with dialogue as Crawford.

HOWEVER, the film itself is actually TERRIBLE. It has NO similarity what-so-ever to the book, it creates characters that didn't exist, deleted those that DID, and the flow-through of this movie is a nightmare from hell. The continuity of this film is nill. That, I have deduced is due to HORRIBLE editing. I always sensed we were getting a watered down version of this film vs. what was originally produced. After just receently reading Christina Crawford's book "Survivor" where she states the original cut was over 4 hours long and then sliced in 1/2, my thoughts are confirmed.

For a DVD release, this film could have been SO MUCH BETTER. Given that this film is a major cult/camp classic, would it have been that difficult for the studio to have put out a special UNCUT double disc version of this film? OR at very LEAST, a 30 minute selection of deleted scenes coupled with a audio commentary by the producer/or director? If any of you have seen the DVD of "Mrs. Doubtfire", you know what I'm talking about in regard to the deleted scenes.

What makes me angry about the DVD is that they have a photo gallery of stills from the film that include DELETED scenes from the film. Why they put those stills in the movie and not atleast include the scenes is beyond me and it doesn't make sense. The stills I'm referring to are of 1) Dunaway as Joan happily driving her car onto the MGM lot for her meeting with Mr. Mayer RE: her status as box-office poison. 2) a scene in which Dunaway is very tenderly kneeling down to Mara Hobel (young Christina) to discuss something. THESE ARE SCENES I WANT TO SEE! I feel that after all the years of viewing this film, the fans are OWED a special edition. What's the point of that footage being locked in a vault when it could be released and improve the quality of this most unique film? Especially since they could charge DOUBLE for a special edition!!!!

HOWEVER, the one bright spot about this edition is that they did release it in the widescreen format and the digital remaster on video and audio are to me, impressive. I'm most pleased with the visual and audio quality of the DVD. Some people are not too happy with the clarity, but a movie filmed 20 years ago should NOT look like it was mastered in 2001!

The other high point is the original theatrical trailer which ends with the only voice-over of the whole thing, a meldodramatic 1 liner: "Joan Crawford. The most important role of her life WAS her life."

Of course, I must state that in regard to Miss Dunaway's scenes, her ultra-harsh delivery of the lines are too good to pass up. For those of you who haven't seen the film, I'll briefly sample two of my most favorite scenes, from the point of the dialogue:
"I work and work 'till I'm half dead, and I hear people saying 'She's getting old'! You live in the most beautiful house in Brentwood and you don't care about crease-marks from wire hangers!" -- "...yes, Mommie Dearest"--- "When I toll-d you to call me that, I wanted you to meeaaan it!" and "Trying to sweep the poor little widow under the carpet? Well, think again! This ain't my first time at the rodeo, I know how to win the hard way! You forget the press I delivered to Pepsi was MY power! I can use it anyway I want. It's a sword, cuts both ways". Exciting stuff, indeed!

In closing, while this edition is a total disapointment because of the lack of extras, it's the best you can get right now when it comes to this film, so go ahead and buy it anyway. Atleast, if you're new to Mommie Dearest, you won't be disapointed by Miss Dunaway's performance.

Rating:
Summary: The (not very flattering) Joan Crawford Story
Review: Any die-hard Joan Crawford fan will look at the actress differently after seeing this: The Joan Crawford Story as told by her estranged adoptive daughter Christina.

The account begins ca. 1945, just before Joan Crawford received her "Oscar" for the title role in "Mildred Pierce". Christina had just entered the Crawford household and quickly finds out about "Mommie's" irratic behavior. Later adopting a little boy, Joan Crawford appears desperate to gain the children's respect and love. To her "adoring fans" Ms. Crawford always appears to be the loving mother with a heart of gold. Behind closed doors the terror is on almost non-stop. Through about 10-15 years the children suffer emotionally and at times physically into young adulthood. Joan Crawford has the last laugh when neither of the children are rememebered in her will.

This film is painful to watch at times, making the audience turn away in disgust. The "coat hanger scene" brought tears to my mother's eyes (she grew up in an orphanage and empathized with little Christina). It would have been nice to learn about all this while Joan Crawford was still alive (to defend herself). One wonders how much of the story is "embellished" to make for more exciting reading.

This film is very engaging, you won't get bored, but be prepared to have your admiration for a good actress completely shattered. This "Joan Crawford Story" was definitely NOT written by one of her fans.

Rating:
Summary: How much is true and how much is not?
Review: This movie was good but not as good as the book, Faye Dunnaway is a good actress but did kind of over act here, the little girl who played the younger Christina was adorable and did a good acting job. Now if all of that abuse really did happen than it's just so sad and awful but even though I liked the book and the movie as with all all tell all types of books and movies I wonder how much of the story was true and how much made up. As I recall from the book two of Joan's four adoptive children claimed she was physically and verbally abusive but I heard on one of those reality news type of TV shows that the other two said there was no abuse and that she was a very loving mother so who is telling the truth and who isn't is hard to tell

Rating:
Summary: The movie is fantastic and Frightening....
Review: This movie can be considere campy, but for anyone to say that it was wrong to do it because Joan was dead should go and speak to abused children. As campy as this film may be, it is frighteningly real for anyone who has truly been the recipient of cruel and abusive punishment from a parent. Joan child survived, because of that she had a right to make this film and all the more to her for getting the last word.
So see this movie and enjoy it for the camp it does have, but realise there are children who live these stories too...
All the best

Rating:
Summary: Joan is Dead!
Review: This film (as well as the novel) is very one-sided. Joan is dead so she cannot defend herself. Christina's supposed abuse is nothing compared to the abuse Joan suffered throughout her life. Just do a search on Joan Crawford and you can read her bio on various web sites. Also (and I think this needs to be said) If you are going to write a book on someone, at least have the balls to write it while your subject is STILL ALIVE!

Rating:
Summary: Classic
Review: I have to defend this movie. A lot of negetive reviews are basically "Joan Crawford was so great, she can treat her children as cruel as she wants because she was my favorie movie star". That's a very childish argument, and very easy for someone else to say.

And as far as "Why would she beat her daughter in front of a Hollywood reporter?"-- that NEVER happened. According to the book, Joan took Christina to another room and did that, and it was not a reporter, it was a friend who came home after a dinner date. The movie was loosley based on the book, it cannot be 100% accurate in under two hours.

This is a HUGE classic and some bonus features would have been appreciated very much, like deleted scenes, a commentary, or bonus disc.

Great performance by Dunnaway, although I'm always reading in the Enquirer how much of a flake she is; thinking she's better than everyone else, going to the supermarket and cutting in line, demanding to be first for everything. I wish someone would take her off her high horse.

Rating:
Summary: "Why did you adopt me!?!?!" or anyone else for that matter?
Review: This film is the ultimate guilty pleasure. It's so incredibly awful that it's one the best unintetionally funny movies ever (right up there with Glitter). Faye Dunaway's acting is so over the top that her portrayl of Joan Crawford should go down in history as the greatest farce ever. Who can forget lines like, "No wire hangers!", "Because I am not on of your faaaaaas!", "I'm not mad at you, Helga. I'm mad at the dirt.", "Tina, bring me the ax!", "Don't f--k with me, fellas.", and "Why did you adopt meeeeee!?!?!?!?" And the long dramatic pauses; what was the director thinking? "Did she? [long, long, long pause] Did she?" This movie is hilarious! Don't take it seriously, or you probably won't enjoy it.

Rating:
Summary: psychologist-children's pain and confusion validated!
Review: Mommie Dearest is a mixed bag. The sets, costumes, and performances are great. Faye Dunaway is Awesome! Terribly fun. The movie is wonderfully campy, perhaps too campy. It is not a serious movie-thats why its campy.Sadly, it is one of the very few movies to reveal the complexities of Borderline Personality Disorder.

One the the movies weaknesses is that Crawford's disorder is not revealed in a concrete way. This can lead to misunderstandings by viewers who haven't grown up with or haven't known anyone with the disorder. The narrative is intriging in its ambiguity but leaves you in the dark. This ambiguity allows the movie to function on an entertaining level, without the drama getting too heavily entrenched in what could be a seering drama.

It should be made clear that the borderline personality inately breeds confusion in children. A personality disorder is a pattern of abnormal thoughts and behavior that impairs relationships with others. Borderlines typically grow up in abusive homes and spend most of their lives reeninacting the search for love they never received in childhood. Not out of stupidity but because the trauma they have live through has damaged the part of the brain that regulates memories and emotions. Because they have no firm grasp on who they are children of borderlines receive a distorted mirror in which to emmilate themselves.

Children who have grown up with a borderline mother may reguard this film as a triumph. Seeing your pain and confusion validated on the big screen for the first time is moving. There are so few films ("Sybil," "The Three Faces of Eve," and "Girl,Interrupted")dealing with mental illness or personality disorder.

And as for Joan Crawford's other children who don't validate Christina's standpoint, borderline personalies often perceive one child as all good and the other(s) as all bad. They project their fears and demons on to one child. And isn't it true that some children would go to their graves protecting their mothers?

Rating:
Summary: Dunaway at her Best role ever!
Review: I have seen this movie so many times, and each times, I love it over and again, even after reading the book.

This is Faye Dunaway at her best..........and scariest.
A sure recomandation for this DVD!

Rating:
Summary: Top candidate for worst film of the 80's
Review: Why this was a success with Lenord Maltin is beyond me, but it was bombed by almost every other critic in the U.S., including Rodger Ebert. The film is so off the wall and utterly stupid, it quickly sinks. Maybe the line "No wire hangers EVER!" might be memorable, but the film isn't. Stay away from this one.