Frances

A very good film. Interesting to note that although Ms. Lange was nominated for Best Actress Oscar 1983 for Frances and Tootsie, she took home the Oscar for the latter while Meryl Streep took it for Sophie's Choice.

I have to say that "Frances" was far from being an enjoyable film to watch, but that certainly doesn't mean that it wasn't fascinating, as well..... "Frances" is a harrowing bio-film that chronicles the tragic life of 1930s movie star Frances Farmer who brazenly snubbed the Hollywood power-structure and wound up being involuntarily committed to an insane asylum where she was subjected to horrific treatment, including repeated rapes. (Farmer was eventually lobotomized, at the age of 35, thanks to the legal power of her crazed mother).... Even though "Frances" is an exceptionally well-crafted film, with a superb performance by Jessica Lange as the title charater, this is a cold and extremely depressing movie where we never learn to understand the reasons behind Farmer's apparent self-destructive tendencies..... Released in 1982, "Frances" is a chilling motion picture that clearly shows us a truly dark and, yet, very real side of Hollywood...... If you are at all interested in learning more about Frances Farmer's life, VPL has a copy of the book "Shadowland" which was written by William Arnold.