HER STORY IS SHOCKING, DISTURBING, COMPELLING… AND TRUE.
1930s screen star Frances Farmer (Jessica Lange) tries to segue into the world of theater, but her frail mind deteriorates, not least because of the unhelpful “care” she receives in several mental institutions. Graeme Clifford’s directing debut is a long and depressing film but with effective, emotional moments sprinkled in between. Lange is one reason why they work; she’s magnificent in a challenging role, and so is Kim Stanley as her selfish mother. The somewhat repetitive script is ultimately disappointing, with the amount of darkness in constant danger of suffocating the film.
1982-U.S. 140 min. Color. Directed by Graeme Clifford. Cast: Jessica Lange (Frances Farmer), Kim Stanley (Lillian Farmer), Sam Shepard (Harry York), Bart Burns, Jeffrey DeMunn, Jordan Charney… Anjelica Huston.
Trivia: Goldie Hawn and Diane Keaton were reportedly considered for the part of Frances. Kevin Costner can be spotted briefly. The story of Frances Farmer was also told in the TV movie Will There Really Be a Morning? (1982) and the documentary Committed (1984).
