Mommie Dearest

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Ed . How do you solve a problem like Mommie? Note: as a camp classic, this is a 5 star affair. The review below is of the film as it was intended to be. Frank Perry, the director, was known for some very thoughtful motion pictures, starting with David & Lisa and The Swimmer. What happened here? Well, the material is nothing much to begin with. The star is another: while Faye Dunaway is an excellent actress, she had directors and co-stars to help modulate and rein in her excesses. In Mommie Dearest, Faye dominates like an 800 lb. gorilla. This movie sinks to cartoon guignol in all the scenes portraying Joan Crawford's anger. The director and producers must have known this and thought it conveyed meaning beyond sensationalism. They were dead wrong. Except for acknowledging Joan's modest start in life, the film makes no effort to explain Joan's behavior. There is credible doubt on the accuracy of Christina Crawford's biography. Christina has stated that the film distorts her book. My review makes no statement on the accuracy of the events portrayed in the movie, just the movie itself and how it was constructed and acted. Imagine Mommie Dearest with some compassion like David & Lisa, with sophistication like The Swimmer, or all of the above. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 08/29/25 Full Review Jesse D A Camp Classic That Opens the Doors to Old Hollywood Glamour. Few films walk the razor’s edge between high drama and high camp as gloriously as Mommie Dearest. Ostensibly a biopic about legendary actress Joan Crawford, the film transcends mere melodrama and becomes something else entirely—a fever dream of old Hollywood excess, where every frame drips with gilded nostalgia, immaculate costuming, and theatrical performances so over-the-top they become instantly iconic. The undeniable heart (and hurricane) of the film is Faye Dunaway, who doesn’t just play Joan Crawford, she becomes her in a performance that is at once beautiful, tragic, and hysterically unhinged. Whether she’s gliding across a grandiose MGM set, screaming about wire hangers with a terrifying snarl, or delivering icy monologues with a razor-sharp glare, Dunaway ensures that Mommie Dearest is never, ever boring. She exudes the kind of old-school star power that makes you both admire and fear her, much like Crawford herself. Of course, the film's real magic lies in its ability to spark a newfound appreciation for classic Hollywood. For many, Mommie Dearest is the first introduction to Joan Crawford’s legend, and from there, a whole world opens up. Without it, how many people would have discovered Mildred Pierce, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, Casablanca, or Sunset Boulevard? This film is a gateway drug to classic cinema, and what a dazzlingly dramatic gateway it is. With its stunning costumes, lavish production design, and unforgettable moments of campy brilliance, Mommie Dearest isn’t meant to be taken too seriously. It’s a grand, exaggerated spectacle—part horror, part soap opera, part unintentional comedy. But beneath the madness, it taps into something deeply nostalgic, making us long for the glamorous, golden age of Hollywood. Whether you watch it for the drama, the aesthetic, or the sheer lunacy, one thing is certain: Mommie Dearest serves. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/15/25 Full Review Estrella K One of my favorite movies 5 stars if no more Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/24/25 Full Review Carlos I Its staging is soo over-the-top and soap opera-ey that it's not hard to understand how the acting (which is actually terrifying) is just perceived as wild and campy. Dunaway is certainly hamming it up, but it doesn't actually feel that far off of how Crawford would have realistically behaved. It's easy to see how this became a camp cult classic though. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/06/24 Full Review Ray N An amazing blend of technical perfection and hightened performances. Joan Crawford becomes a movie monster on a par with JAWS, Bride of Frankenstein or Dracula. Faye Dunaway is perfect in this camp, cult classic. Critics were wrong as usual. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/24/24 Full Review V M Some believe it to be melodramatic and over-the-top, but have you ever met a drunk who is a successful actor in Hollywood? Maybe if you did you realize this probably isn’t far off. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/11/24 Full Review Read all reviews

Mommie Dearest

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