Movie reviewed: Frances starring Jessica Lange
The facts speak for themselves. Jessica Lange's stunning performance as the troubled actress, Frances Farmer got a nod from the Academy in the best actress category in 1982, the first of the five nominations she received during 1980s. The story is largely based on Frances Farmer's auto biography, "Will there be a Morning?" and "Hollywood Babylon" by historian and author Kenneth Anger. The movie is pretty long, about 140 minutes, but skips the key portion of her life. In her book, she describes her ordeal in the state facilities for insane in great detail; the brutality of the caregivers, orderlies, and nurses, both physical and sexual, and lobotomies performed during those days of her incarceration is highly vivid and brutal. The movie deals with this part very briefly. The circumstances of her arrest at the famous Knickerbocker Hotel in Hollywood, California and her subsequent demise as a Hollywood performer is well handled in the movie. Actress Kim Stanley also offers an outstanding performance as Mama Farmer, a highly controlling mother in the life of young Frances. Stanley was also nominated for Academy Award in the best supporting actress category. This is a highly watchable movie and I recommend this to anyone interested the life of Frances Farmer.
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