The Great Lillian Hall

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Alan W Michael Cristofer's HBO Max film, The Great Lillian Hall, almost fooled me by presenting itself, rather convincingly, as a biopic of an actual Broadway legend suddenly facing her own deteriorating health and mortality whilst rehearsing for a production of The Cherry Orchard. As it turns out, Elisabeth Saldes Annacone's screenplay is a fictional story based loosely on her aunt, the renowned stage actress, Marian Seldes, who suffered from dementia in her latter years. Unsurprisingly Jessica Lange, who approaches her role as Hall with both relish and absolute dedication, is the main reason for watching this prestigious but familiar looking TV movie laden with genre tropes, with Kathy Bates' housekeeper/confidant Edith, coming a close second. While juxtaposing Hall's desperate hold onto her career (and her faculties) with the Chekhov play is a nice touch, the B&W talking heads documentary interludes feel superfluous and unnecessary. (I thought it was a set-up for a twist that never arrive.) While the realistic depiction of her mental decline is laudable, it does have a tendency to veer towards overblown melodrama, especially towards the end, but I did find a few choice All About Eve quips and a great final line about theatre from Cindy Hogan's producer amusing. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 04/30/25 Full Review Julian S Fronted by a talented cast, the film falters under the weight of a flimsy script, leaving its stars to salvage what nuance they can Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 12/30/24 Full Review Tiehnpo R Touching movie that reveals our deepest fears we all have- to grow old, not being ourselves anymore and prepare for our ultimate death. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/27/24 Full Review Anne D P An aging actress battles with all her of her might to make it to opening night of her current Broadway show. Jessica Lange delivers a great performance filled with humor and angst. Definitely an Oscar winning performance. Great supporting cast. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/12/24 Full Review Ann C One of the best movies I have seen in a long time, and I watch at least one movie a day. The story was original and heartwarming and the cast top notch. Jessica Lange deserves Oscar #3 for this one. The rest of the cast is also top notch especially Kathy Bates, Jesse Williams, Pierce Brosnan and Lily Rabe. It deals with many issues that we all will face at some time in our own lives. It leaves you with a sense of hope. What more can we ask for? Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/23/24 Full Review Vita M Ms. Lange has reached the pinnacle of her acting career in her heart wrenching portrayal of the aging star’s swan song. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/19/24 Full Review Read all reviews

The Great Lillian Hall

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