Frances (1982)

Director:

Graeme Clifford

Writers:

Eric Bergren (writer)
Christopher De Vore (writer)

Release Date:

11 March 1983 (Australia)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

Her story is shocking, disturbing, compelling... and true.

Plot:

The true story of Frances Farmer's meteoric rise to fame in Hollywood and the tragic turn her life took when she was blacklisted. |

Plot Keywords:

Hollywood | Frances Farmer | Writer | Toilet | Escape From Mental Institution

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Jessica Lange	...	Frances Farmer
Kim Stanley	...	Lillian Farmer
Sam Shepard	...	Harry York
Bart Burns	...	Ernest Farmer
Jonathan Banks	...	Hitchhiker
Bonnie Bartlett	...	Studio Stylist
James Brodhead	...	Desk Sergeant
Jane Jenkins	...	Lady at Roosevelt Hotel (as J.J. Chaback)
Jordan Charney	...	Harold Clurman
Rod Colbin	...	Sentencing Judge
Daniel Chodos	...	'No Escape' director
Donald Craig	...	Ralph Edwards
Sarah Cunningham	...	Alma Styles
Lee de Broux	...	'Flowing Gold' Director
Jeffrey DeMunn	...	Clifford Odets

Runtime:

140 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Argentina:18 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Brooksfilms

Trivia:

The movie has a lobotomy being performed on Frances Farmer. The operation never happened and was first fictionalized in William Arnold's Farmer biography "Shadowland" (1978).

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: When Frances is at the party and is warned that she's being "bugged" by the Feds, a boom mic is clearly visible over her head.

Quotes:

Harry York: Frances, you're crazy.
Frances Farmer: [softly] Don't tell anybody.

Movie Connections:

Featured in A Hollywood Life: Remembering Frances (2001) (V)

Soundtrack:

Piano Sonata in A major, K.331

Robbed of an Oscar...

Jessica Lange was robbed of an Academy Award for her mesmerizing performance in the 1982 film, FRANCES, a relatively gripping character study/biography of the late 1930's actress Frances Farmer, who, after being ostracized from Hollywood, ended up being declared insane, institutionalized, and lobotomized, according to this screenplay. Not knowing a lot about the actress before the release of this film, I have never been sure of how factual it is (I always got the feeling that the Harry York character, played by Sam Shepherd, was fictional), but how many screen biographies are big on the facts? Sometimes facts are glossed over and/or ignored for the sake of preserving or igniting drama. Whether or not this is true is for those who knew Farmer to say. I did see an interview once with Farmer's nephew (?) who was very pleased with Lange's interpretation of Farmer and that is exactly why this film is worth seeing. Despite a meandering screenplay, turgid direction, and a feeling the movie is about 30 minutes too long, this movie is worth seeing for one reason and one reason only...the riveting performance by Jessica Lange. She is in virtually every frame of this movie and makes every single moment vivid and striking and achingly real. This film should be shown to acting classes on a daily basis...maybe the best performance by an actress in a leading role during the decade of the 1980's. Not a great film, but an amazing performance by a consummate actress that must be seen to be believed.