Isn't She Great (2000)

An unsuccessful over-the-top actress becomes a successful over-the-top authoress in this biography of Jacqueline Susann, the famed writer of "The Valley Of The Dolls" and other trashy ... See full summary »

Director:

Andrew Bergman

Writers:

Michael Korda (article), Paul Rudnick (screenplay)

Stars:

Bette Midler, Nathan Lane, Stockard Channing

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bette Midler	...	Jacqueline Susann
Nathan Lane	...	Irving Mansfield
Stockard Channing	...	Florence Maybelle
David Hyde Pierce	...	Michael Hastings
John Cleese	...	Henry Marcus
John Larroquette	...	Maury Manning
Amanda Peet	...	Debbie
Terrence Ross	...	Radio actor
Jeffrey Ross	...	Shecky
Christopher McDonald	...	Brad Bradburn (as Christopher MacDonald)
Paul Benedict	...	Prof. Brainiac
Dina Waters	...	Bambi Madison (as Dina Spybey)
Pauline Little	...	Leslie Barnett
William Hill	...	Passerby
Mal Z. Lawrence	...	Mort

Storyline

An unsuccessful over-the-top actress becomes a successful over-the-top authoress in this biography of Jacqueline Susann, the famed writer of "The Valley Of The Dolls" and other trashy novels. Facing a failing career, Susann meets a successful promoter who becomes her husband. After several failures to place her in commercials and a TV quiz show, he hits upon the idea for her to become a writer. In the pre-60's, her books were looked upon as trash and non-printable. But then the sexual revolution hit and an audience was born for her books. The story shows the hidden behind the scenes story of Susan's life, including her autistic son and her continuing bout with cancer that she hid up to her death.

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Plot Keywords:

cancer | autistic son | son | autism | manhattan new york city | 

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Taglines:

Talent isn't everything.

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Genres:

Biography | Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Official Sites:

Universal

Country:

USA UK Germany Japan

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 January 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ela É Inesquecível

Filming Locations:

Hudson, Québec, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$36,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$1,368,705 (USA) (28 January 2000)

Gross:

$2,954,405 (USA) (18 February 2000)

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Lobell/Bergman Productions, Marubeni

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Jacqueline Susann watches people waiting in line at the Radio City Music Hall to see Once Is Not Enough. Susann died the year before this movie was released.

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Quotes

[About a necklace]
Florence Maybelle: If a man ever bought that for me, not only would I have sex with him, but I would ENJOY it!

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Connections

References Gone with the Wind (1939)

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Soundtracks

"Happy Birthday To You"
Written by Mildred J. Hill, Patty S. Hill

User Reviews

Bad film with a suicidal title...

A good way to gauge the end results of this film disaster would be to temporarily resurrect the personage of Jacqueline Susann to get her reaction. I think she would have laughed it off the screen, but not amused laughter: aching, bitter, cynical laughter. I don't see it as a camp film ("Valley of the Dolls" was a camp film); this is a pure, unadulterated error in judgment by many talented people with honorable intentions. The picture looks good and has the nice addition of Burt Bacharach's music score (with the occasional Dionne Warwick vocal--natch), but it is unbearably miscast. When was the last time you can remember Bette Midler failing to ignite on screen (her TV sitcom not accepted)? Bette strains for a low-key effect in the serious moments, but it's just not in her to be pensive; her raucous scenes also derail, and this is due in part to poor direction, poor editing choices, and also poor judgment from Midler, who lets herself be seen on-camera struggling (a struggling comedienne is about as funny as a drowning one--here she does both). A sequence in the film that has hubby-to-be Irving Mansfield following Jackie into a NYC lake is both outrageous and deadening. The factually-incorrect script aside, "Isn't She Great" (no question mark?) is quite simply a beleaguered movie: vapid, colorless, unfocused, and out-of-touch. Susann might've asked what her 'cut' was and then forgot the entire thing. *1/2 from ****