Review of Mommie Dearest (1981) by Bob V — 27 Mar 2011

Based on her daughter's tell-all book, this biographic film about Joan Crawford was intended as a serious drama, but even when first released it gained popular praise as a camp comedy, resulting in the studio quickly changing its marketing campaign and coining phrases like 'Meet the Biggest Mother of them all!'.

Faye Dunaway plays an already larger-than-life Joan Crawford so over the top that it does indeed become difficult not to laugh at what is basically meant to be a gritty look at child-abuse. Crawford, who when she was still alive once said Dunaway was the only actress of her generation with star potential, must have been laughing it up in the after-life when this film seriously set back her career for a little while, but that's about all the satisfaction she'd have gotten as this film portrays her not only as a monster, but ridiculous monster at that.

So, intended or no, this film, and especially the "NO MORE WIRE HANGERS!" scene, IS indeed one of the funniest, campiest things you'll ever see, I'm sorry Miss Crawford, please don't beat me...