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Mommie Dearest

Mommie Dearest

Drama · 1981

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

Movie details

Mommie Dearest

“Faye Dunaway is Joan Crawford. A star...a legend...and a mother...the illusion of perfection.”

1981 Drama 2h 8m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.4 / 10

Community rating

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

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Mommie Dearest?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Frances

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Frank Perry

Written by

Frank Yablans · Frank Perry · Tracy Hotchner · Robert Getchell

Faye Dunaway

Faye Dunaway

Joan Crawford

Diana Scarwid

Diana Scarwid

Christina Crawford

Steve Forrest

Steve Forrest

Greg Savitt

Howard Da Silva

Howard Da Silva

L.B. Mayer

M

Mara Hobel

Christina Crawford as a Child

Rutanya Alda

Rutanya Alda

Carol Ann

H

Harry Goz

Al Steele

Court is in session

Put Mommie Dearest on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Adrenaline Seeker

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.