Review of Postcards from the Edge (1990) by Maria B — 12 Mar 2017
Suzanne Vale is an actress...an actress with a drug problem. One day she overdoses and ends up in hospital and then rehab. After coming out of rehab she manages to land a role in a small-budget movie. The producers insist that she live with her mother for the duration of the movie, to ensure her sobriety. Her mother, the world-famous actress Doris Mann, is hardly the best role model...
On paper, this movie had everything going for it: based on the semi-autobiographical novel by Carrie Fisher with screenplay also written by her, directed by Mike Nichols, starring Meryl Streep as Suzanne and Shirley MacLaine as Doris. With that semi-true-story background and those big names involved, surely it should be brilliant?
Well, no. It's not bad, but it feels strangely flat. It's really just a linear story with no great drama or profundities, though there were plenty of opportunities for both.
It does have its comedic moments but it's hardly a laugh-a-minute.
Therein lies the problem, I suspect. By trying to be both a comedy and a drama it succeeds at neither.
Not that this is a terrible movie, not by any means. It is never dull, moving along at a good pace, the ending is pretty good and Meryl Streep puts in a great performance (for which she got an Oscar nomination). It just could have been so much better.
This review of Postcards from the Edge (1990) was written by Maria B on 12 Mar 2017.
Postcards from the Edge has generally received positive reviews.
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