Review – Mommie Dearest

I’ve seen this a time or two before this week’s viewing, and in the past it always struck me as a delightful farce, a masterpiece of scenery-chewing excess. However, this time around it bothered me at least a little. Faye Dunaway’s portrayal of Joan Crawford is completely out of control. Even Crawford’s supporters admit she was an alcoholic, and if her daughter’s account is to be believed she was also the victim of a nasty case of OCD and may also have suffered from bipolar or borderline disorder. Though her mental illness might make her a poor target for broad comedy (even given the general presumption that celebrities are fair game for most anything), it doesn’t excuse child abuse. And that’s the central problem here. “Wire Hanger Kabuki Demon” sounds more like a Japanese game show than a serious treatment of a serious problem. I could see sympathetic treatment of an actor destroyed by mental illness. I could see a skillful condemnation of her behavior. I just can’t see this inept trivialization. See if desperate