clanciai It's incredible that neither Jessica Lange nor Kim Stanley received the Oscar they were nominated for in this gripping film of a true story of a Hollywood actress who didn't make it because of her own over-brilliant personality, getting into conflict with everyone, having problems with adjusting to a society she couldn't agree with from the beginning; and although the film differs slightly from the true story, at large it sticks to the absolute truth at least psychologically. Jessica Lange is just formidable, and this must be her best performance. The interesting thing is that she actually very much looks like Frances Farmer, she was in reality just as beautiful as Jessica Lange if not even more, and her personality in Jessica Lange's impersonation couldn't be more convincing. Her mother Kim Stanley accomplishes a similar feat, and all the other actors tune well in to make this film as perfect a documentary biography as could be accomplished. To this comes the softening and almost seducing music of John Barry gilding the hard lines of the picture and making it more digestible, while my only objection is against the lobotomy ingredient, which is the one departure from reality. Although the terrible nightmare scenes from the asylum had to be included, since they were true, the exaggeration of the lobotomy was unnecessary. Perhaps it was just put there to end the traumatic hospital sequences.Frances Farmer became a legend, and by this film the legend was given an extra injection of continued eternity, and it's a uniquely fascinating portrait of an over-talented actress at odds with a reality, especially Hollywood at that time, that in no way was humanly acceptable.

a.lampert I watched Frances because I seemed to remember that Kevin Costner had a tiny part at the start of his career and I'm a big fan. I didn't expect necessarily to see anything startling other than what it said on the tin, a film about the real life movie star from the 40's, Frances Farmer, as played by Jessica Lange. I've always admired Jessica Lange as a really good actress but she's never blown me away like some stars do. At least, not until now. Now watching this 1982 movie in 2014 (a bit late, I know), she's completely reversed my previous thoughts about her. Her performance in this picture has to be one of the most dynamic, hypnotic acting stints I've ever seen by an actress. It reminded me a bit of Faye Dunaway in Network (where she won the Oscar). Looking this movie up I saw that Jessica was beaten in 1982 by Meryl Streep in Sophie's Choice, but if ever an actress was robbed of the Oscar, this performance was it. I'd urge anyone who loves acting at the highest level to watch this movie, just for Jessica Lange's performance, although there is also a very strong backup show by Kim Stanley as her mother. Very long at two and half hours, but I couldn't take my eyes off Jessica Lange's face. It's hard to detect between when she's being charming and when she might suddenly explode. Mesmerizing.

edwagreen A towering performance is depicted by Jessica Lange in her Oscar nominated performance for best actress in 1982. It could only take a Meryl Streep of "Sophie's Choice" to beat her out.Lange is absolutely shattering and mesmerizing as the actress who had everything and gave it all away courtesy of mental illness.There are some parallels here to the great "Ill Cry Tomorrow" of 1955. Both Lillian Roth and Jessica Lange had domineering mothers who ruined their respective lives. Both women never were suited nor wanted the life of the Hollywood jet-set.Lange does an outstanding job as a non-conformist whose tragic life can never be forgotten.The picture also depicts a very sad state of mental health in this country during the 1930s and 1940s. The institutions themselves were nothing more than factories turning out unsatisfactory human products.Kim Stanley merited her supporting nomination as Farmer's over-possessive mother. Ironically, Lange beat her out for the supporting award that same year for "Tootsie."Sam Shepherd is equally effective as the love of her life during all her trials and tribulations. Non-conformist Clifford Odets really comes off as a traitor to non-conformity.

gcd70 Jessica Lange has delivered an outstanding tour-de-force in this horrifying true story about a somewhat unstable Hollywood actress who was continually pronounced insane by her mother for nothing more than open defiance. Miss Lange's performance is hardly short of incredible, and more than deserved the Oscar nomination it garnered.Graeme Clifford tells this shocking tale with the utmost assuredness, never hitting the audience overly hard (in fact perhaps not hard enough) nor attempting to sway their opinion. The screenplay from Eric Bergren, Nicholas Kazan and Christopher De Vore is even throughout, and always the writers are careful to avoid bias, allowing film goers to come to their own conclusions.Frances Farmer is never portrayed as a complete victim by Lange, and each facet of her personality is brought to life with equal passion in this unparalleled turn. In most worthy support is Kim Stanley (nominated for Best Supporting Actress) whose performance as Frances' self-serving, domineering mother is frighteningly efficient and convincing. Alongside her is Bart Burns as Mr. Farmer, and Sam Shepherd as a young admirer who takes the wayward girl under his wing for a time. John Barry has provided a typically melodic score."Frances" is certainly a movie that will disturb those who believe that insanity is more an illness than something a person can be driven to. This is truly a very discomforting look at how the human spirit can be totally crushed by tragic, though changeable, circumstances. An original story like this carries enough weight on its own to impart much dramatic power. Coupled with Jessica Lange's triumphant performance (she literally owns this film), this is doubly so.Monday, June 12, 1995 - Video