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Mommie Dearest

  • 19811981
  • RR
  • 2h 9m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
17K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,848
780
Faye Dunaway in Mommie Dearest (1981)
The abusive and traumatic adoptive upbringing of Christina Crawford at the hands of her mother, screen queen Joan Crawford, is depicted.
Play trailer4:11
2 Videos
98 Photos
BiographyDrama
The abusive and traumatic adoptive upbringing of Christina Crawford at the hands of her mother, screen queen Joan Crawford, is depicted.The abusive and traumatic adoptive upbringing of Christina Crawford at the hands of her mother, screen queen Joan Crawford, is depicted.The abusive and traumatic adoptive upbringing of Christina Crawford at the hands of her mother, screen queen Joan Crawford, is depicted.
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
17K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,848
780
  • Director
    • Frank Perry
  • Writers
    • Christina Crawford(book)
    • Frank Yablans(screenplay)
    • Frank Perry(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Faye Dunaway
    • Diana Scarwid
    • Steve Forrest
  • Director
    • Frank Perry
  • Writers
    • Christina Crawford(book)
    • Frank Yablans(screenplay)
    • Frank Perry(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Faye Dunaway
    • Diana Scarwid
    • Steve Forrest
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 211User reviews
    • 83Critic reviews
    • 55Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 9 wins & 11 nominations

    Videos2

    Trailer
    Trailer 4:11
    Watch Trailer
    Sneak Previews Season 4 Episode 1
    Video 29:23
    Watch Sneak Previews Season 4 Episode 1

    Photos98

    Faye Dunaway in Mommie Dearest (1981)
    Faye Dunaway and Mara Hobel in Mommie Dearest (1981)
    Faye Dunaway in Mommie Dearest (1981)
    Faye Dunaway and Mara Hobel in Mommie Dearest (1981)
    Faye Dunaway in Mommie Dearest (1981)
    Faye Dunaway in Mommie Dearest (1981)
    Faye Dunaway in Mommie Dearest (1981)
    Faye Dunaway in Mommie Dearest (1981)
    Faye Dunaway in Mommie Dearest (1981)
    Diana Scarwid in Mommie Dearest (1981)
    Faye Dunaway in Mommie Dearest (1981)
    Faye Dunaway in Mommie Dearest (1981)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Faye Dunaway
    Faye Dunaway
    • Joan Crawford
    Diana Scarwid
    Diana Scarwid
    • Christina Crawford (Adult)
    Steve Forrest
    Steve Forrest
    • Greg Savitt
    Howard Da Silva
    Howard Da Silva
    • L.B. Mayer
    Mara Hobel
    Mara Hobel
    • Christina Crawford (Child)
    Rutanya Alda
    Rutanya Alda
    • Carol Ann
    Harry Goz
    • Al Steele
    Michael Edwards
    Michael Edwards
    • Ted Gelber
    Jocelyn Brando
    Jocelyn Brando
    • Barbara Bennett
    Priscilla Pointer
    Priscilla Pointer
    • Mrs. Chadwick
    Joe Abdullah
    • Captain
    Gary Allen
    • Jimmy (Photographer)
    Selma Archerd
    Selma Archerd
    • Connie
    Adrian Aron
    • Wedding Guest
    Xander Berkeley
    Xander Berkeley
    • Christopher Crawford (Adult)
    Matthew Campion
    • Actor in Soap (Bill)
    Carolyn Coates
    • Mother Superior
    Jerry Douglas
    Jerry Douglas
    • Radio Interviewer
    • Director
      • Frank Perry
    • Writers
      • Christina Crawford(book)
      • Frank Yablans(screenplay)
      • Frank Perry(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Faye Dunaway mentions in her autobiography that she screamed herself hoarse during the filming for the notorious wire hanger tantrum scene in this movie. She called Frank Sinatra for help, and he gave her some pointers on how to get her voice back into shape.
    • Goofs
      When Joan Crawford substitutes for her daughter on a soap opera, producer of show gives her a pep talk during a commercial, indicating it was a live broadcast. In reality 'The Secret Storm' was taped and director later said Crawford's performance was so poor he had to patch it together in editing room. Although it was recorded, The Secret Storm was "live tape", meaning that it was treated as if it were a live broadcast. At the end of each act, the actors stopped for the exact length of the commercials and then resumed taping.
    • Quotes

      [addressing the men in the Pepsi boardroom]

      Joan Crawford: Don't fuck with me fellas. This ain't my first time at the rodeo.

    • Alternate versions
      Due to the damage on the film's master, all current video/television prints are missing the dramatic music as Joan destroys her rose garden.
    • Connections
      Featured in Sneak Previews: Continental Divide, Mommie Dearest, Only When I Laugh, Body Heat, First Monday in October (1981)
    • Soundtracks
      I'm Sitting On Top Of The World
      by Sam Lewis, Joe Young (as Young) & Ray Henderson (as Henderson)

    User reviews211

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    6/10
    "Why can't you treat me like I would be treated by any stranger on the street?"
    "Because I am NOT one of your FANS!"

    Simply said, this is superb trash. Enjoyable b.s. Faye Dunaway lobbied hard for the role of Joan Crawford (Christina Crawford wanted Anne Bancroft) and she admirably sinks into the part with relish. I loved the opening montage of "Joan" preparing for her day early in the morning: scrubbing her hands and nails, numbing her face in ice cubes, leafing through a script in her car, getting made-up, and then whirling around in her chair and letting loose with a breathy, "Let's go!"... Sadly, Frank Perry's direction is awkward and unsure, cutting off some sequences before they're allowed to build and letting other scenes ramble on. The movie doesn't do justice to the riveting book by Joan's adopted daughter Christina, committing to film the book's highlights, the talked-about bits where Crawford freaked out, but skimping on the details. We learn absolutely nothing about Christina's many tormented years in an L.A. Catholic Boarding School (we see her check in and we see her check out). Joan's marriage to Pepsi czar Alfred Steele and her three other adopted kids are also given the short shrift. What we do get with "Mommie Dearest" is pure, unadulterated Faye. She acts up a storm and revels in these primal opportunities. It's one of the highlights of her spotty career. **1/2 from ****
    helpful•40
    16
    • moonspinner55
    • Feb 23, 2001

    FAQ2

    • How faithful is this movie to the book, and is it an accurate portrayal of real events?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 25, 1981 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Meine liebe Rabenmutter
    • Filming locations
      • 355 S. Mapleton Drive, Holmby Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA(pool-area and rear of Joan Crawford's house, demolished)
    • Production company
      • Paramount Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $5,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $19,032,261
    • Gross worldwide
      • $19,032,261
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 9 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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