So I Just Finished Watching "Mommie Dearest"...

[chrisrobin]

When I saw the movie for the first time, I thought it was sort of trashy. Soon, I realized that it was really good trash! Maybe the movie wasn't all that great, but certain parts like the ones mentioned above are classic!

Every time I see this picture (from Strait Jacket) it reminds me of the rose bush scene in Mommie Dearest.

 

[LilBit]

i recall reading reviews and articles for some time after that movie came out. People considered it trashy and frothy (which it was, just not in a fully bad way!), and people found her acting way over the top. I think this was the first place I read the phrase "she left no piece of scenery unchewed". But as I said, that's precisely what the movie called for. It was supposed to be trashy and loud and over-the-top. I recall one actress in Showgirls saying "Once I realized what kind of movie we were making, I decded on my new motivation - I want to play this so camp that drag queens will want to be this character for Halloween." And that's kind of how I thought of Faye's role.

Lex

Well, it worked. I dressed as Mommie Dearest for Halloween at least four times.

 

[WestCoastWilson]

I know, it's funny I know so many references about the film and been told I need to watch it over and over.

Thanks for the feedback, Wuvable Oaf. It was funny that you introduced this thread just a few days ago, as it came on antenna TV at least twice here (in Los Angeles) yesterday. I watched part of it last night. I guess I have only seen the move in-full 3 times and I have seen parts of it at least a dozen times. I think the movie is at it's best from the time it starts and until Christina gets sent to the Chadwick Boarding School . . . then "to me" the movie seems to slowly run out of gas and becomes rather dull and boring (for my tastes, when Christina becomes a teenager and then a grown woman). Yet "I think" the book is far better in telling this part of the story until the end . . . however I know that they can only include so much in a movie (due to time constraints).

Wilson

 

[WestCoastWilson]

i recall reading reviews and articles for some time after that movie came out. People considered it trashy and frothy (which it was, just not in a fully bad way!), and people found her acting way over the top. I think this was the first place I read the phrase "she left no piece of scenery unchewed". But as I said, that's precisely what the movie called for. It was supposed to be trashy and loud and over-the-top. I recall one actress in Showgirls saying "Once I realized what kind of movie we were making, I decded on my new motivation - I want to play this so camp that drag queens will want to be this character for Halloween." And that's kind of how I thought of Faye's role.


Lex

Thanks for the great feedback, G-Lexington. Upon seeing other Faye Dunaway movies, I would have to agree that she portrayed her role as Joan Crawford as precisely as what the role called for. LOL!!! Yet with that being said, I could never look at Faye Dunaway again without first thinking of Joan Crawford AND then Faye portraying Joan in MD. LOL!!!

Wilson

 

[WestCoastWilson]

^ wow SS I never thought of it like that...

I read the book too, it was so toxic, I actually felt all the negative emotions seeping from the pages, Christina really hated her mother, how sad. my belief is that she may have indeed been abused, but seeing her interviews she seems like a bitch, for lack of a better word, I've had abusive moments from my parents, as i'm sure most of us have, but to damage your parents reputation that badly, I could never do that. Her personality was probably too much for Joan to handle, she sent Christina to boarding school, in the book Christina pretty much was having sex with a much older boy, in the movie they portrait it different, that's one thing that stood out to me. Was Joan awful? We will never know, she was dead before the book came out, couldn't even defend herself, the whole situation is very sad, I hope Christina is at peace at least with all the money she made. I don't care what my parents have done, we are human, we make mistakes....idk, just a mess, a good movie came out of it though..

Jason, you make some good points. Yet I think one thing that made this book so ground breaking at the time was, that child abuse was rarely talked about . . . let alone a celebrity being accused of being a child abuser.

Unfortunately I never saw any of Christina’s interviews, as they were on daytime TV and I was always in school when they aired. I did see some crappy quality YouTube interviews of her, yet the quality was just too bad to endure watching them. Yet I’m sure she was just very angry & bitter about her upbringing and not having any options and nowhere to turn for help vs. being a bitch . . . as I’m sure the term “child abuse” had not been invented per se and I’m sure that there was not a help telephone number to report child abuse or a place for abused children could go get help on their own back then. Yet I do believe her, because since her book, that seemed to open the floodgates of people (well known and non-well known) talking about being in abusive homes. My parents whipped and spanked my siblings and I on many just occasions, yet they never beat us (no blood was ever drawn and no bones were ever broken or fractured), plus my parents never mentally abused us. Yet when I was grown, I heard of many stories of collage classmates and coworkers being very abused (both mental and physically) by their parents or guardians while growing up . . . so thus is why I felt why is it that I should not believe Christina’s story.

Yet I would say that one thing in Christina’s case, it did not seem that Joan Crawford knew how to be a mother . . . because I think it takes a TON of patience and understanding to be a parent and that is a HUGE job to take on being a single parent and I think that Christina “maybe” would have had a better upbringing if she would have had a father (to “maybe” help keep Joan from terrorizing her while growing up). Yet I think that some children need more attention and help vs. other children . . . so I suppose Christina could have been a handful and Joan just did not have the time to truly provide the attention and help that Christina may have needed. Children like to pretend they are their parents or pretend to be grownups. It is very normal that children get into their parents belongings, etc. and play dress-up. Yet they are not mocking or making fun of their parents or grownups . . . it is just children being children and entertaining themselves. At least in the book and movie, Joan took that as Christina making fun of her and being disobedient (in regards to Christina getting into her clothes, makeup, jewelry, etc.).

Yet knowing what it was like when I grew up, I never wanted to be a father or a parent, yet I commend my parents for wanting to have children and trying to do all of the right things to raise my siblings and I. I have no complaints about my parents. They were overall truly good and wonderful loving parents to my siblings and I, and I would not trade my parents in for anyone.

Yet one thing that I did not like about the movie is, at one point in time, Joan Crawford had 4 adopted children total. They did not make any mention of the fact that she ended up adopting 2 fraternal twin girls (after Christina and Christopher) and they should have all been in the same house at one point in time, before Christina was sent away to that boarding school. So leaving out that part of the movie did not make any sense to me, because they could have easily touched upon that for a least one minute in the movie and leave something less important out . . . i.e. that extra long into scene in the first scene of the movie of how Joan started her day to go to the MGM studio, to work on that one movie. LOL!!! Though they did not include Christina’s brother Christopher much in the movie, which is understandable, since the movie was not about him, yet at least they acknowledged that he existed and showed how he had endured some of the wrath of Joan while growing up in that house. I agree, that parents make mistakes, however Christina’s book was just groundbreaking “at the time” and I guess “for whatever” reasons she wrote the book, she decided to cash-in on it while she could. Yet I would like to think that Christina's story may have and is helping save some abused children from abusive parents around the world . . . especially here in the United States, where there is a child abuse hotline and Child Protective Services all around our nation.

It is true, that Joan is not here to defend herself, however I feel that even if she was here, she would only deny it and then you would be stuck with who is telling the truth. As I recall, one of Betty Davis daughters said some very unflattering things about what it was like growing up as Betty Davis’ daughter . . . and that was while Betty Davis was still alive. Yet all-in-all, the whole situation is very sad.

Wilson

 

[SLOPPYSECONDS]

1 she actress of most famous cuause movies da drug of miserys hopes of 19th ans 20th centurys amazin population put up da FAILURE of worlds cheese
2 da luxurysssss beyonds imagine ta millions
3 da cutlure wot is of in
4 tap runnin
5 movie no about joan crwaford or da daughtur but this internet so in 1000 yrs time maybe planet if no alls in grave figa it out

6 tap turn off

7 yay this was nice

thankyou

 

[eddielee]

Joan Crawford's other children don't seem to have witnessed the things that Christina claims. I do think that Christina was abused, but I'm not sure how much of the story is true or born out of a desire for revenge.

 

[CowboyBob]

I love that movie.

 

[WestCoastWilson]

If her story is true, then I don't blame her at all for being "bitter." As a child abuse survivor, she has every right to be, and she also has the right to talk about it without sugarcoating it. If not sugarcoating it ruins Joan's reputation, so be it. You reap what you sow.

Life gave Christina lemons, so she made lemonade. That's how I see it.

Well said, AWP82!

Wilson

 

[kev]

Ya...great film. I always thought of it as "classic trash". "No more wire hangers!" and all that.

I try not to over-analyze it.

 

[lolalola70]

When I saw the movie for the first time, I thought it was sort of trashy. Soon, I realized that it was really good trash! Maybe the movie wasn't all that great, but certain parts like the ones mentioned above are classic!

Every time I see this picture (from Strait Jacket) it reminds me of the rose bush scene in Mommie Dearest.

I thought that was Faye when i first saw that pic! btw who is the picture of in your avatar?

 

[MJEH89]

since this thread is still alive, i might as well post some of my fave "MD" pix...

 

[WestCoastWilson]

^ whenever my siblings get out of hand I say things from 'Mommie Dearest' major lolz

I say some of the same funny lines & quotes from the movie (when they are applicable to a situation), to some of my friends who really know the movie. LOL!!!

"I'm not mad at you! I'm mad at the dirt!"

Wilson

 

[chrisrobin]

I thought that was Faye when i first saw that pic! btw who is the picture of in your avatar?

I guess that makes Faye's portrayal even more creepy. Thanks for noticing the avatar. It is Alejo Sauras and I have a thread going in "Gay Porn and Hot Men".