Mommie Dearest:The Hollywood Royalty Edition

2 ratings since posting on Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Mommie Dearest:The Hollywood Royalty Edition

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*****
Mommie Dearest
I am so glad that movie gas been released Many years ago I copied it on my VCR it is still one of my all time favorite movies Campy and Faye Dunaways facial expressions and lines are pricless - Unsubscribed , posted 05/31/06
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Life With Joan
DVD Review: Mommie Dearest - Hollywood Royalty Edition
Mommie Dearest (Hollywood Royalty Edition)
DVD
Based on the 1978 bestseller by Joan Crawford's daughter Christina, 1981's Mommie Dearest has been reissued as Mommie Dearest: The Hollywood Royalty Edition with special features befitting the film's stature as a cult classic 25 years after its original release. It tells the story of the screen legend and her troubled, often abusive, relationship with Christina. While the makers of Mommie Dearest may have intended to deliver a serious film about a woman with serious problems, what was produced was an over-the-top camp-fest that was hard to take seriously on any level.

For some move fans, Joan Crawford is no longer the woman who won a best actress Oscar for Mildred Pierce, but rather the woman who maniacally destroyed her rose garden after being labeled box office poison and fired by MGM. Though Anne Bancroft was the producer's first choice to play the role of Joan Crawford, no one else could have played the role better than Faye Dunaway. Dunaway had the intensity and the grit that has helped make her name synonymous with the role. She fires off endless one-liners with pin-point accuracy ("It's not you I'm mad at, Helga, it's the dirt"; "Tina! Bring me the Axe"; You're a lousy excuse for someone who really cares.")

In the famous "night raid" scene, Dunaway performs what can only be described as American Kabuki, with cold cream covering her entire face except for her twisted mouth and wicked eyes. Faye becomes the enraged Joan, taking the viewer right into her mind. One of my favorite scenes in the film is when a drunken Joan, trying to lure her retreating lover back to her, begs him to stay. He turns to the weeping Crawford and says, "If you're acting, you're wasting your time, If you're not, you're wasting mine." Brutal, but brilliant.

Kudos also must go out to Diana Scarwid who played Christina Crawford as an adult. She was perfect, full of sass and vinegar. She'll probably be remembered for two classic lines: "I wanna know, why did you adopt me?" and "Because I am not one of your FAAANNNS!" Talk about enunciation!

The special features on the Mommie Dearest: Hollywood Royalty Edition are very good. There is a funny commentary by filmmaker John Waters as only he could deliver it, as well as three documentaries. The first, "Revival of Joan," is about the process of bringing Christina Crawford's book to the screen, and includes interviews with writer/producer Frank Yablans and the film's stars, Diana Scarwid and Ruthanya Alda.

The second documentary, "Life With Joan," is essentially a discussion about Faye Dunaway's performance as Joan Crawford and what it was like to work with Dunaway.
Faye herself, however, is not interviewed; it is speculated by some on the DVD that Dunaway was deeply hurt by the critical response to the film and chooses not to talk about it anymore. If that's the case, it's kind of sad, because she seemed to become Joan Crawford. It would be nice if she could just embrace the film for what it has become, a camp classic.

In the third documentary, "Joan Lives On," various individuals discuss the lasting impact of Mommie Dearest. In addition, the DVD includes a photo gallery and the original theatrical trailer.

The disc is presented in Widescreen format. Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround Sound. English and French Mono with English subtitles. The picture is clean and crisp and the sound is good.

For you trivia buffs out there, the adoption worker who denies Joan the chance to adopt a child early in the film is the real Christina Crawford. Barbara Bennett, Joan's maid, was played by Jocelyn Brando, the older sister of legendary actor Marlon Brando.

Mommie Dearest: The Hollywood Royalty Edition is a great film to add to your DVD collection. The movie has some of the best one-liners in movie history. It's 'camp' at its best and remember: no wire hangers!

- Unsubscribed , posted 05/31/06

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