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The movie that made "No wire hangers!" a household phrase, Mommie Dearest is the very model of a modern "camp classic," so crazily outlandish that it's fascinating. Based on the scathing and scandalous tell-all bestseller by Christina Crawford, the adopted daughter of histrionic Hollywood movie queen Joan Crawford, Mommie Dearest was billed in advance as a serious dramatic motion-picture biography. But it turned out to be something much, much weirder--a genuine Hollywood oddity that serves up a bizarre mixture of melodramatic trash and outrageous tragi-comedy. Joan Crawford won an Oscar for playing the role of the self-sacrificing mother, the woman who would do anything for her daughter, in Mildred Pierce. As depicted by Faye Dunaway (playing the hell out of the role as if she's determined to win another Oscar of her own, damn it!), her role as offscreen parent puts her in a league with big-time scary screen mommies such as Mrs. Bates in Psycho, and Angela Lansbury's über-mom in The Manchurian Candidate. Dunaway's Crawford torments and terrorizes her adopted children in myriad ways--making them give away their own birthday gifts and rousting them from their beds for frantic after-midnight bathroom-scrubbing attacks. And when, after the death of her Pepsico chairman husband, Crawford tells the board of directors, "Don't f--- with me, fellas!" one is very much inclined to heed her warning. --Jim Emerson
On the DVD
In this special-edition of Mommie Dearest, John Waters does this cult-classic justice by providing a memorable audio commentary mixing industry insight with hilarity. "I don't think this is a campy movie. I don’t think it's so bad it's good. I think it's so good it's perfect," he states. The film, poorly received (dare we say mis-received?) by the critics upon its 1981 release, and considered by many to be the end of Faye Dunaway's career, lives on for a reason; along with Christina Crawford’s reveal-all celebrity memoir it created an all new genre. Who can say they weren't riveted by this glamor-horror movie? The three featurettes feature insightful interviews with Frank Yablan, the producer who wisely purchased the film rights and cast Faye Dunaway, Diana Scarwid, who portrayed the grown up Christina, and Rutanya Alda, who played the devoted maid. These people and more provide insight into their personal connection to their roles and Faye Dunaway's undeniably centrifugal performance. Unfortunately, director Frank Perry, who died in 1995, and Faye Dunaway (who probably rues the day she agreed to do this film) do not contribute to the bonus features. As John Waters states in his audio commentary during the notorious wire-hanger scene: "If you don’t like this scene you should never watch movies." Indeed. --Wendy Harris
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE EXORCISM OF FAYE DUNAWAY,
By Martin Boucher "Authorfan" (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Mommie Dearest (Widescreen) (Hollywood Royalty Edition) (DVD)
What's to say about this over-the-top film except to proclaim it a one huge must for camp classic buffs. Faye Dunaway gives all she's got and comes out smelling deliciously rotten as the legendary movie actress Joan Crawford who despises wire hangers and adopted children. Never an actress has been so frightfully dedicated to a role as Dunaway is throughout this 139 minute gem. She utterly acts as if her life depends on it, which probably does since she was given the A-list boot after the release of the film. To lovers of high standard bad cinema, however, she will always be the queen of the ball. Her scene-stealing performance definitely deserves top honors as the biggest bad movie we love moment there is. In fact, everything in MOMMY DEAREST deserves the highest praise, from its big budget grade B-movie look to its many jaw-dropping, pleasure-giving sequences (again, wire hangers anyone?). Aghast incredibility has never been this much fun in the presence of la Faye. Now all we need, besides this so-deserving Hollywood Royalty Edition, is seeing her again in the MOMMY DEAREST:THE HIDDEN YEARS sequel for us to die very very happy.-----Martin Boucher
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Classic,
By
This review is from: Mommie Dearest (Widescreen) (Hollywood Royalty Edition) (DVD)
Faye Dunnaway tends to overact in this one - but that's what makes it so much fun to watch! If you ever wanted to know where the phrase "no wire hangers" came from, you have to watch this film!
5.0 out of 5 stars
terrific!,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Mommie Dearest (Widescreen) (Hollywood Royalty Edition) (DVD)
This movie is terrific!It keeps you entertained from the beginning to the last minute. I don't know how accurate it is to the real story of Joan Crawford's relationship with her adopted daughter but for sure Faye Dunaway's acting in the movie is great! Real pleasure to watch!
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