Frances Farmer?s first brush with fame came as a teenager, when she won an essay contest at school ? nothing unusual about that except for the topic, which caused an outcry from both church and media ? young Frances (Jessica Lange) argued against the existence of God! Her mother, Lillian, (Kim Stanley) was very proud of her daughter and spoke out in her defense, denying that anyone had ?put her up to? expressing such a frightful ?communist? attitude. This marks about the last time that her mother genuinely came to her daughter?s aid. From here on, we see the development of Lillian?s unhealthy obsession with Frances? growing fame as a Paramount Studio contract actress, and the emotional conflict it inevitably causes. Frances? father, Ernest (Bart Burns) is the only caring parental influence in her increasingly fractured life, but he is dominated by his manipulative wife Lillian, ultimately causing more harm than good. Frances certainly fights back against her mother, but circumstances, legal guardianship issues and a rigid mental health system seem to continually force her back home ? and a destructive cycle is born. Frances is involuntarily committed to institutions repeatedly; mostly due to her controlling mother. Enduring years of electro-shock therapy, all manner of wacky injections and finally an (alleged) trans-orbital lobotomy at thirty-four, it?s a miracle she survived at all.

The film definitely offers a particular slant on the circumstances of Farmer?s life. The truth is ?out there? somewhere. All I can ultimately tell you about this film is that it?s believable. It seems that Frances? intelligence, and her unconventional, headstrong nature is the only thing that is ?wrong? with her in the conservative world she inhabits. So, tragically, an inaccurate diagnosis was all that stood between Frances and sanity. Various internet biographies have gone further, claiming bouts of alcoholism, nervous breakdowns etc. For my money, check out www.cosmicbaseball.com for a thoughtful and informative bio, as it also includes a link to her now infamous ?God Dies? essay, for which she won a trip to the Soviet Union at the tender age of fifteen.

I haven?t given a standard plot synopsis, as I?m more interested in the emotional ?tone? the film creates. Best to find out by watching it! It?s a mature emotional drama that is well acted and decently scripted. There were many noteworthy scenes. Jessica Lange is very good ? Farmer?s character came through strongly and ?made? the film. The mother-daughter dynamic was also developed with insight, as was the intimacy of the relationship between Farmer and Harry York (Sam Shepard) who was her most loyal ally (and lover) in her fight for independence. The final scene of the film is poignant and touching only because the main characters are so well portrayed and believable throughout. The chemistry ?works? ? this may be because Lange and Shepard hit it off on the set of this film and are still together, I believe! More trivia to close with ? Anjelica Huston is credited as one of the (many) mental patients in the film, and Kevin Costner has an uncredited role as ?man in alley?.

THE EXTRAS

There are no extras on this DVD other than chapter selection. English language only.

CONCLUSION

This DVD only offers the essentials ? the feature and chapter selection. Still ? the film itself, based on a true story, is better than average. Anyone interested in the tortured life of a promising actress in 1930?s Hollywood will enjoy this. The acting is solid, earning Jessica Lange a Best Actress Academy Award nomination in 1983 for her strong portrayal of Frances Farmer as a willful individualist who is systematically victimised for her outspokenness and refusal to be manipulated. The most interesting ? and menacing - thing about this film is the treatment Farmer endures at the hands of her jealous and domineering mother (played by Kim Stanley, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for the role). We also get a glimpse of the barbaric conditions that prevailed in the field of mental health during this time. This is a tragic story ? I thoroughly enjoyed watching the drama unfold, sad though it was. I?m not sure just how ?loose? this interpretation of Farmer?s life is compared to what is factually known, but I know there?s apparently a couple of husbands and two siblings that don?t figure in the film at all! Not that Hollywood has ever let the truth get in the way of a good story, huh?