Mommie Dearest

1981

Action / Biography / Drama

11
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 72% · 50 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 72% · 10K ratings
IMDb Rating 6.7/10 10 19759 19.8K

child abuse adoption biography sociopath lawyer hollywood

Plot summary

Renowned film star Joan Crawford's abuse towards Christina, her adopted daughter, intensifies as her professional and romantic relationships turn sour.

Director

Frank Perry Photo
Frank Perry

Top cast

Margaret Fairchild Photo
Margaret Fairchild as Mother Superior
Peter Jason Photo
Peter Jason as Pepsi Executive #4
Diana Scarwid Photo
Diana Scarwid as Christina Crawford
Cathy Lind Hayes Photo
Cathy Lind Hayes as Nurse
720p.BluRay 720p.WEB 1080p.BluRay 1080p.WEB
1.16 GB
1280*714
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
2 hr 8 min
Seeds 3
1.16 GB
1280*714
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
2 hr 8 min
Seeds ...
2.38 GB
1920*1072
English 5.1
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
2 hr 8 min
Seeds 10
2.38 GB
1920*1072
English 5.1
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
2 hr 8 min
Seeds 5

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by ekontrovitz 7 / 10

One of the saddest stories I've ever seen.

Having read most of the reviews I really expected some terribly acted, campy cult flick. What I got is one of the saddest movies I've ever seen. I've never been a fan of Joan Crawford. Just about the only movie of hers I've ever liked was Mildred Pierce. I've always gotten a bad vibe from her. She seemed hard and cold. This movie just justified my feeling.I remember the publicity when the book and movie came out. I didn't read the book and didn't watch the movie until today. It is gut wrenching. The story is so well known I don't have to go over it. The is as much Joan's story as it is Christina's and each one is flawed. But Joan was an adult her mental and physical cruelty to Christina is inexcusable. Fay Dunaway did a really wonderful job. Why this ruined her career is beyond me. Christina is more complex as a character and both actresses did a fine job. Neither character is portrayed as blameless and that is why the story is so complex. They are both so very flawed.The end is just another kick in the gut, the final cruelty in a lifetime of cruelties, and the look in Christina's eyes as the camera fades out is chilling. I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would laugh at anything in this movie or call it campy. I have no idea why Ms. Dunaway refuses to talk about it, or why it ruined her career. She did a helluva job.This is hard to watch but is worth the time.
Reviewed by Andrew_Eskridge 8 / 10

It got a bad rap, and Dunaway was robbed

I saw this movie the first night it opened in Las Vegas in 1981. The large theater was packed, SRO. What may come as a surprise today, the film was received seriously by the audience, who sat transfixed throughout. I don't recall inappropriate laughter (well, maybe a muted laugh or two when little Christina muttered "Jesus Christ" at the end of the wire hanger scene), and I remember hearing favorable comments from people around me, although many were horrified by the depictions of child abuse.Unfortunately, the movie did not live up to the high expectations at the box office. After all, it was based on a best-selling book that sold 4 million copies.A few weeks later, Mommie Dearest was re-released and was being advertised as a campfest in the vein of Rocky Horror, and patrons were urged to bring wire hangers to the theater. The studio turned against its own movie in order to milk more money out of it. That's a shame, because Faye Dunaway gave the performance of her life and deserved an Academy Award nomination, if not the award.
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