Poor Little Rich Girl

This is one of the best movies (TV or otherwise) ever made. It came out in the '80s, when made for television movies rivaled feature films, in terms of quality, especially the miniseries. As the title indicates, this is the story of Barbara Hutton, the Woolworth heiress. The story follows Hutton from her childhood to her death at the age of 65. Along the way she marries several times and loses a lot of money and the love of a son, all in a quest to find real love. Farrah Fawcett is INCREDIBLE as Hutton, portraying the socialite for the majority of the movie. I personally think this and "The Burning Bed" are her two best movies ever, and they really allowed her to show her range as a really, really good and often underappreciated actress. If this had been a feature film, should would have certainly won an Oscar for it. Not to mention an international who's who of a supporting cast. For a four-hour movie, the plot moves along at a good pace and the story feels complete, with no aspect of the story seeming rushed or unfinished. It really feels like everyone involved worked really hard to make a really good movie.

Thanks to A & E for AT LAST bringing this lavish mini-series in it's full version.

The story of Barbara Hutton is brought to life in this Lester Persky produced story of glamour, glitz, wealth and true heartbreak.

Millions were spent on this production, and it shows. Fantastic locations, an excellent international cast support Farrah Fawcett in the role of a lifetime.

If anyone ever wondered if Farrah could act, this project proved that she is FANTASTIC. The story covers 60 years , and Farrah brings life to the adult Barbara Hutton , in perfection.

As you move through the story, you care about and like Hutton, though she made horrid decisions which in the end destroyed her.

Those who enjoy costume design will find nirvana in this production- perfect copies of designer goods for the period.

The show stopper here may well be the jewelry, primarily provided by Harry Winston. Most was real,and some were copies but all were breathtaking.

( After the show ran, Farrah sold copies of the Winston items on HSN, which are truly collectable and worth a fortune now).

I urge you to try this 2 DVD set - it a great story,and well produced in every way. Some of the scenes are violent, which may be a concern to some. Rest assured, they exist in the plot to move the story along and are done with care.

The (sadly) few extras consist of the ad's promoting each two hour block of the story.

Odd box art is very stark, and does NOT suggest the lush production inside!

And I forgot to mention the music-- perfection again!

I will not spoil it for you, but the last shot, with a voice over is chilling.

You will love this!

UPDATE AUG 2009:

Watched this again, with friends who had not seen this. What a nice tribute to Farrah - I am quite sure she would be happy to know that people continue to enjoy her work, particularly in her more dramatic roles. This mini-series is is rich, and so well produced.

Sadly, one (well, me at least) can't overlook the irony of of the core story - Barbara Hutton made choices in her life, and particularly in relation to men, that did not turn out well.

Farrah plays Hutton so well, so knowingly, it is truly touching. A central plot element is her love for her son, and illness at the end of her life, surrounded by some who were taking advantage of her.

Farrah was a sensational actress, and this was one of her best role's. I urge you to try this one.

This is the true story of reknowned heiress Barbara Hutton who was filthy rich but miserable especially in love.It's a must see!!!

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