Let me get right to the point: Mommie Dearest is savory trash- overdramatic, overacted, pure campy trash. I think what keeps me watching this film is Faye Dunaway's fantastic performance as Joan Crawford. When you see Dunaway as Crawford in a drunken rage, you can look into her eyes and see the maniacal, chaotic emotions running through her. It's no wonder that she won the 1982 Razzy for Worst Actress. But if anything, she's actually quite brilliant in the role. Her over-the-top Joan Crawford is deliciously wicked. Whether or not her portrayal is accurate is a whole other issue. I never get tired of this film.

But of course, child abuse is no laughing matter. And if we see enough of anything in this film, it's exploitation. I've read the book on which this film is based and I am unsure if the movie was meant to be this sleazy. But it is, and for that reason it has become a cult classic. It�s the kind of film that you love watching but you'd probably never admit that you do. Although I'm admitting it right now but I have to in order to review the film. Oh well, I digress.

The Inception of Mommie Dearest

Legendary actress Joan Crawford was the adoptive mother of four children. The oldest was Christina Crawford (b. 1939). A year after her mother's death in 1977, Christina published 'Mommie Dearest', a book that is one-third biography and two-thirds tell-all tabloid fodder. It created a huge stir that hasn't let up in the 28 years since it was released. The publicity has both been positive and negative- many believe that Christina Crawford was out to smear the reputation of her mother for her own gain. But stories like 'Mommie Dearest' have also cleared the way for the understanding of child abuse, how and why it happens, and what can be done to repair the damage. As for Christina's claims, a few of Joan Crawford's old chums defended her and refused to believe the story. Other friends like Barbara Hutton admitted that they had seen some of Joan's outrageous behavior. In the end, only two people know what REALLY happened. One of them died years ago.

The other made a movie about it in 1981.

Mommie Dearest Comes to the Big Screen

Almost immediately (even before the opening credits finish rolling) we are given a detailed look at the almost obsessive behavior of movie queen Joan Crawford, which she allegedly carried throughout her life. She is the ultimate diva, a hard worker on and off movie sets. She keeps her house immaculate, which leads one to wonder why she would want children. But she does. And a baby she gets- a tiny infant girl she appears to fall in love with instantly. She calls her Christina.

As a child (we're not given Christina's exact age but the actress playing her appears to be around the age of seven or eight) Christina is both loved and despised by her mother. Joan adopts another baby, a son whom she calls Christopher, who is a few years younger than Christina. Both children experience the extremes of Joan's obsessions; At times they are the lucky Hollywood babies, showered with love, affection, and expensive gifts by Joan and her countless fans. At other times they are the target of her anger and frustration, blamed for every tiny disappointment or mistake, and punished drastically with violence and almost pure hatred. For example, have you ever heard the famous 'wire hangers' incident? I believe most people have, and it's pretty self-explanatory. If you haven't, consider seeing the film just for that. It's worth it.

The film later focuses solely on Christina as an adult. Things appear to be calm, even loving, between Tina and her mother, but Joan never let go of her old issues with her oldest daughter. Even after death she found a way to reach out from beyond the grave and emotionally slap Christina, as she describes it in her book.

In the background of the relationship between Joan and her children are Joan's relations with men, her fledgling movie career, and her addictions to alcohol and publicity.

The film's writers took many liberties with the script. Many factual aspects of the film are altered or totally changed for the sake of drama. There are far too many to list them all, but I'll give you a couple of examples: Joan had many boyfriends and four husbands during the time she was raising her children. Yet the movie only shows her with one serious boyfriend during Christina's childhood. I've heard that this male character was a composite of the many men to whom Joan was married or casually romantically involved with. Also, Christina and Christopher were not the only children Joan adopted. She also later adopted a set of twins, Cathy and Cynthia (both of whom claim Christina's accusations are false). Neither child is seen or even mentioned in the film.

Time and budget could have been contributing factors. But my guess is, the writers of the film wanted to make the story as overly dramatic as possible and did not want the focus taken off Christina or Christopher. It didn't matter that there were other children in the house, or that Joan Crawford could have been a Hollywood harlot. What mattered was the horror she supposedly afflicted on her two oldest children.

Mommie Dearest In the 21st Century

The Mommie Dearest film has become something of a cult classic, joining the ranks of films like Xanadu (another Razzie favorite) and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I've read that moviegoers brought wire hangers and Ajax with them to the theaters when the film was first released. As I've said before, abuse is no laughing matter. I have no idea about the motive behind the writing of 'Mommie Dearest'. Among other things, it has virtually destroyed the reputation of one of Hollywood's most legendary actresses, probably for all time. But it's wise to see the movie independent of the book. To call it 'based on a true story' is probably not all that accurate. It's a film that was made for the enjoyment of trash film lovers everywhere, no more and no less.

Update: 9/7

Once again, I'd like to emphasize that my review of Mommie Dearest in no way glorifies child abuse. The wire hangers scene, for example, is humorous if viewed from the Hollywood standpoint. But if the event actually occurred, it must have been terrifying. Abuse is terrifying for any child who has to endure it.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: None of the Above
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age