The Mystery of Natalie Wood (2004) (TV)

Director:

Peter Bogdanovich

Writers (WGA):

Suzanne Finstad (book)
Warren G. Harris (book)

Release Date:

1 March 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

From child star to Hollywood legend.

Plot:

This TV special, co-produced by her younger sister Lana Wood, as well as accounts from family, friends...

Plot Keywords:

Actress | Marriage | Hollywood | Childhood | Flashback Sequence

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Justine Waddell	...	Natalie Wood
Michael Weatherly	...	Robert Wagner
Matthew Settle	...	Warren Beatty
Colin Friels	...	Nick Gurdin
Elizabeth Rice	...	Teenage Natalie Wood
Grace Fulton	...	Young natalie wood
Robert Taylor	...	Nicholas Ray
Alice Krige	...	Maria Gurdin
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stephen Anderton	...	Dennis Davern
Peter Astridge	...	Assistant Director
Michael Atherton	...	Guitar Player
David Baldwin	...	William Goetz
Alexandra Bard	...	Elizabeth
Peter Barron	...	Party Guest
Natalie Bassingthwaighte	...	Marion Marshall
Johann Benét	...	Tony Jorge
Anthony Benson	...	Eddie Canaveri
Lamberto Bianchi	...	Italian Maitre'd
Dion Bilios	...	Anthony Sakal
Colin Borgonon	...	Butler
Shelbie Bruce	...	Natasha age 11 (voice)
Brenton Caine	...	Jimmy's Father
Nick Carpenter	...	James Dean
Emily Cascarino	...	Lana 13-15
George Chakiris	...	Himself
Louise Crawford	...	Waitress
Amanda Crompton	...	Marilyn Wayne
Jeremy Cumpston	...	John Payne
Rebecca Davis	...	Maya Plasetskaya
Jarrod Dean	...	Dennis Hopper
Tiara Dobbs	...	Courtney (8)
Lewis Fitz-Gerald	...	Dr. Thayer
Jane Flanders	...	Warner's Secretary
Sandy Gardiner	...	Party Girl
Jonathan Gavin	...	Reporter
Brittany Green	...	Little Girl (9)
Victoria Harwood	...	Hairdresser
Darren K. Hawkins	...	Assistant Director 1940
Robert Hyatt	...	Himself (as Bobby Hyatt)
Henry Jaglom	...	Himself
Dee Jenner	...	Katherine (17)
Malcolm Kennard	...	Christopher Walken
Michael Kluger	...	Accordion Player
Peter Knowles	...	ER Doctor
Barry Langrishe	...	Jack Warner
Mark Lee	...	William Russel
Mark Lee	...	William Russell
Allan Lim	...	Detective at Beach
Phillip Lye	...	Joseph Mankiewicz
Leanne Mauro	...	Olga (as Leanne Simcic)
Peter McAllum	...	Harbormaster (as Peter McCallum)
Christine McClure	...	Audrey Christie
Patrick McGrath	...	Edmund Gwenn
Glad McInerney	...	Jimmy's Mother
Madison McKoy	...	Interviewer
Sophie Mentis	...	Margaret O'Brien
Sophie Monk	...	Marilyn Monroe
Candice Moore	...	Natasha (11)
John Noble	...	Irving Pichel, Director
Margaret O'Brien	...	Herself
Helen O'Connor	...	On-set Teacher
Tiffany O'Connor	...	School Girl
Slava Orel	...	Priest
Nikki Osborne	...	Jackie Estes
Paul Pantano	...	Sal Mineo
Sun Park	...	Nurse
Christopher Pate	...	Elia Kazan
Matthew Patterson	...	Crew Member #2
Rupert Reid	...	Henry Jaglom
Andy Rodoreda	...	Roy Tremaine
Inga Romansova	...	Gypsy Woman
Nathalie Roy	...	Lana Wood
Nadia Scappa	...	Natasha (5)
Rachel Scobie	...	Joan Collins
Pamela Shaw	...	Announcer
Brett Sheerin	...	Charlie
Stephen Simpson	...	Drunk Man
Igor Smiljevic	...	Party Guest
Chelsea Smith	...	Young Natalie Wood (voice)
Jason Smith	...	Jimmy Williams
Cameron Stewart	...	Manager
Rachael Taylor	...	Maryann Marinkovich
Ellen Tilden	...	Courtney (3)
May Turner	...	Mrs. Mac
Michael Tyack	...	Piano Player ("West Side Story")
Narelle Valentine	...	Party Hostess
Robert Vaughn	...	Himself
Steven Vidler	...	Richard Gregson
Keira Wingate	...	Lana 7-12
Lana Wood	...	Herself
Alan Zitner	...	Harry, SFX Man

Also Known As:

Looking for Natalie Wood (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

USA:180 min (including commercials) | Brazil:172 min | Canada:172 min

Country:

Australia | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Fox Studios, Moore Park, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Cypress Point Productions

Goofs:

Anachronisms: "Tutti Frutti" by Little Richard can be heard playing at Natalie's 15th birthday party. However, this is set in 1953 and the song did not come out until 1956, three years later.

Soundtrack:

Let Me Entertain You

Well done, not pleasant to watch

At the start, we see what happened when Natalie Wood drowned, including footage of CBS anchors Charles Osgood and Dan Rather (ironic considering ABC aired this movie). Then comes the first of many comments by real people (a nice touch), followed by a flashback to when Natalie's mother was told by a fortune teller that Natalie would drown. From that point, Natalie's mother was overprotective, though she cared more about her daughter having an acting career than she did about what that career might do to the little girl, and her treatment of Natalie bordered on cruel.

At age 5, little Natasha (as she was known then) was very persistent with a movie director who thought acting was a terrible career for a child. Still, Natalie (as she was soon called) turned out to be quite talented and charming, and she soon became a big star.

As a teenager, Natalie began to wonder what it would be like to be 'normal'. She went through ups and downs not only in her career but in her relationships. She met many people whose names viewers might recognize. And some of those people met with tragedy. Natalie had many reasons to be sad, and over time drugs became a big part of her life. Would she ever find happiness? Would she give up her career and become a mother, as she longed to do?

I thought Justine Waddell did a wonderful job. She especially shined in one scene where Natalie had to convince a director to let her take an adult role, even though she was best known as a child star. Another scene where a terrible event occurred showed Natalie absolutely paralyzed. I also thought Waddell did quite well in a scene where Natalie talked with two girls in a restaurant just as if they were her own.

The little girl who played Natalie at 5 was also quite good. I thought it was a letdown when Natalie became a teenager played by Elizabeth Rice.

Alice Krige made quite an evil mother, though she could come across as tender and almost make one want to forgive her for everything. Sophie Monk captured Marilyn Monroe quite well, at least to me. She seemed cartoonish, but then that's my impression of Monroe.

It was hard to watch all the terrible things that Natalie Wood went through, but she was such a charming person who could give others the appearance of being happy even when she was really miserable. It was a worthwhile effort, and real footage and interviews with real people helped a lot.