Mommie Dearest

A Camp Classic That Opens the Doors to Old Hollywood Glamour. Few films walk the razor’s edge between high drama and high camp as gloriously as Mommie Dearest. Ostensibly a biopic about legendary actress Joan Crawford, the film transcends mere melodrama and becomes something else entirely—a fever dream of old Hollywood excess, where every frame drips with gilded nostalgia, immaculate costuming, and theatrical performances so over-the-top they become instantly iconic. The undeniable heart (and hurricane) of the film is Faye Dunaway, who doesn’t just play Joan Crawford, she becomes her in a performance that is at once beautiful, tragic, and hysterically unhinged. Whether she’s gliding across a grandiose MGM set, screaming about wire hangers with a terrifying snarl, or delivering icy monologues with a razor-sharp glare, Dunaway ensures that Mommie Dearest is never, ever boring. She exudes the kind of old-school star power that makes you both admire and fear her, much like Crawford herself. Of course, the film's real magic lies in its ability to spark a newfound appreciation for classic Hollywood. For many, Mommie Dearest is the first introduction to Joan Crawford’s legend, and from there, a whole world opens up. Without it, how many people would have discovered Mildred Pierce, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, Casablanca, or Sunset Boulevard? This film is a gateway drug to classic cinema, and what a dazzlingly dramatic gateway it is. With its stunning costumes, lavish production design, and unforgettable moments of campy brilliance, Mommie Dearest isn’t meant to be taken too seriously. It’s a grand, exaggerated spectacle—part horror, part soap opera, part unintentional comedy. But beneath the madness, it taps into something deeply nostalgic, making us long for the glamorous, golden age of Hollywood. Whether you watch it for the drama, the aesthetic, or the sheer lunacy, one thing is certain: Mommie Dearest serves.

One of my favorite movies 5 stars if no more

Its staging is soo over-the-top and soap opera-ey that it's not hard to understand how the acting (which is actually terrifying) is just perceived as wild and campy. Dunaway is certainly hamming it up, but it doesn't actually feel that far off of how Crawford would have realistically behaved. It's easy to see how this became a camp cult classic though.

An amazing blend of technical perfection and hightened performances. Joan Crawford becomes a movie monster on a par with JAWS, Bride of Frankenstein or Dracula. Faye Dunaway is perfect in this camp, cult classic. Critics were wrong as usual.

Some believe it to be melodramatic and over-the-top, but have you ever met a drunk who is a successful actor in Hollywood? Maybe if you did you realize this probably isn’t far off.

This movie characterizes Joan as having strong narcissistic traits and some level of compulsions. It does a good job characterizing (as they are believable) interactions between a mother and a daughter, in which the mother appears for example envious or competitive in relation to the child or the mother is sadistic; and the child might have a bit difficult temperament. As much as the interactions are believable in their essence, Dunaway's acting is more a caricature than an accurate representation. I don't dislike the caricature; in fact it makes the movie have a sort of child like tone in the way Crawford's portrayed. At the same time, one could say that it makes the movie a bit campy and silly. - despite again the essence of her mind and behavior being well captured. The biggest flaw is not the acting, but the fact that movie is aimless and lacks a perspective point. Whose story is being depicted? What's the aim of this story? It's reasonable for an adult to look back into their childhood and retell their experiences, but that's not enough for a movie. A movie needs a narrative with an aim and with a set perspective.

Mommie Dearest has earned its cult following for its dramatic performances centered on a truly remarkable, transformative performance by Faye Dunaway. Anyone with an overbearing or abusive mother will find catharsis in the story. I would absolutely watch this again.

No one is ever going to confuse MOMMIE DEAREST with high art. And obviously we'll never know the accuracy of the events portrayed. But watching this is one hell of an entertainment. Of course, much of that entertainment is derived from laughing at the over the top acting and the bad soap opera level dialogue - so I guess this is the poster child for so bad it's good cinema. Love her or hate her, Dunaway's performance can accurately be described as ferocious. She truly seems possessed by the spirit of Joan Crawford. Scarwid, as the older Christina, is actively bad, but again in a highly enjoyable way. Their climactic fight scene is pure camp and you might find yourself rewinding it a few times. I must say, watching it as an older and hopefully wiser 46 year old, some of the scenes involving Crawford and young Christina (well played by Mara Hobel) are a bit more disturbing than I remembered. And the film kinda poops out around the 3/4 mark. But for the most part, this is the ultimate I-know-I-shouldn't-keep-watching-but-I-just-can't-help-myself movie extravaganza. And you'll likely clear your closet of any wire hangers immediately after the closing credits.

The acting and story didn't work at all.

What should be an alarming and distressing tell all movie turns out to be a camp comedy. Let's go!