clanciai
It's incredible that neither Jessica Lange nor Kim Stanley received the Oscar they were nominated for in this gripping film of a true story of a Hollywood actress who didn't make it because of her own over-brilliant personality, getting into conflict with everyone, having problems with adjusting to a society she couldn't agree with from the beginning; and although the film differs slightly from the true story, at large it sticks to the absolute truth at least psychologically. Jessica Lange is just formidable, and this must be her best performance. The interesting thing is that she actually very much looks like Frances Farmer, she was in reality just as beautiful as Jessica Lange if not even more, and her personality in Jessica Lange's impersonation couldn't be more convincing. Her mother Kim Stanley accomplishes a similar feat, and all the other actors tune well in to make this film as perfect a documentary biography as could be accomplished. To this comes the softening and almost seducing music of John Barry gilding the hard lines of the picture and making it more digestible, while my only objection is against the lobotomy ingredient, which is the one departure from reality. Although the terrible nightmare scenes from the asylum had to be included, since they were true, the exaggeration of the lobotomy was unnecessary. Perhaps it was just put there to end the traumatic hospital sequences.Frances Farmer became a legend, and by this film the legend was given an extra injection of continued eternity, and it's a uniquely fascinating portrait of an over-talented actress at odds with a reality, especially Hollywood at that time, that in no way was humanly acceptable.
edwagreen
A towering performance is depicted by Jessica Lange in her Oscar nominated performance for best actress in 1982. It could only take a Meryl Streep of "Sophie's Choice" to beat her out.Lange is absolutely shattering and mesmerizing as the actress who had everything and gave it all away courtesy of mental illness.There are some parallels here to the great "Ill Cry Tomorrow" of 1955. Both Lillian Roth and Jessica Lange had domineering mothers who ruined their respective lives. Both women never were suited nor wanted the life of the Hollywood jet-set.Lange does an outstanding job as a non-conformist whose tragic life can never be forgotten.The picture also depicts a very sad state of mental health in this country during the 1930s and 1940s. The institutions themselves were nothing more than factories turning out unsatisfactory human products.Kim Stanley merited her supporting nomination as Farmer's over-possessive mother. Ironically, Lange beat her out for the supporting award that same year for "Tootsie."Sam Shepherd is equally effective as the love of her life during all her trials and tribulations. Non-conformist Clifford Odets really comes off as a traitor to non-conformity.
gcd70
Jessica Lange has delivered an outstanding tour-de-force in this horrifying true story about a somewhat unstable Hollywood actress who was continually pronounced insane by her mother for nothing more than open defiance. Miss Lange's performance is hardly short of incredible, and more than deserved the Oscar nomination it garnered.Graeme Clifford tells this shocking tale with the utmost assuredness, never hitting the audience overly hard (in fact perhaps not hard enough) nor attempting to sway their opinion. The screenplay from Eric Bergren, Nicholas Kazan and Christopher De Vore is even throughout, and always the writers are careful to avoid bias, allowing film goers to come to their own conclusions.Frances Farmer is never portrayed as a complete victim by Lange, and each facet of her personality is brought to life with equal passion in this unparalleled turn. In most worthy support is Kim Stanley (nominated for Best Supporting Actress) whose performance as Frances' self-serving, domineering mother is frighteningly efficient and convincing. Alongside her is Bart Burns as Mr. Farmer, and Sam Shepherd as a young admirer who takes the wayward girl under his wing for a time. John Barry has provided a typically melodic score."Frances" is certainly a movie that will disturb those who believe that insanity is more an illness than something a person can be driven to. This is truly a very discomforting look at how the human spirit can be totally crushed by tragic, though changeable, circumstances. An original story like this carries enough weight on its own to impart much dramatic power. Coupled with Jessica Lange's triumphant performance (she literally owns this film), this is doubly so.Monday, June 12, 1995 - Video
Ezra Gober
I seen this last night. It shocked the heck out of me. I've never seen anyone that crazy before. Jessica Lange had the role of Frances Farmer to a T son. This is tied with Tootsie as my favorite Jessica Lange flick. I don't get how she didn't win both awards in 1982. Of course she was awesome in Tootsie but with this role she deserved both Oscars. I was in shock that she actually talked back to the police, calling him a c**ksucker. That s**t came out of nowhere. If that doesn't describe a G, I don't know what does lol. It was kind of funny seeing a grown woman throw a temper tantrum but then I really felt sorry for Jessica's character. Then there is Kim Stanley who was annoying as hell. She expected Frances do to what she desires for her future. In that scene where Frances told her mother that she was gonna quit acting. The mother throws a tantrum(like mother, like daughter). I loved that Jessica finally set her mother straight by saying. "If you follow me this time, MAMA!!, I'm gonna F**KIN KILL YOU." Jessica Lange has always been one of my favorite actresses. After seeing this movie, she moved up into the top five.
AD
