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Postcards from the Edge

  • 1990
  • R
  • 1h 41m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
20K
YOUR RATING
Postcards from the Edge (1990)
Home Video Trailer from RCA/Columbia
Play trailer2:19
1 Video
55 Photos
Dark ComedyShowbiz DramaComedyDrama

A substance-addicted actress tries to look on the bright side even as she is forced to move back in with her mother to avoid unemployment.A substance-addicted actress tries to look on the bright side even as she is forced to move back in with her mother to avoid unemployment.A substance-addicted actress tries to look on the bright side even as she is forced to move back in with her mother to avoid unemployment.

  • Director
    • Mike Nichols
  • Writer
    • Carrie Fisher
  • Stars
    • Meryl Streep
    • Shirley MacLaine
    • Dennis Quaid
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.7/10
    20K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Mike Nichols
    • Writer
      • Carrie Fisher
    • Stars
      • Meryl Streep
      • Shirley MacLaine
      • Dennis Quaid
    • 82User reviews
    • 37Critic reviews
    • 71Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Oscars
      • 2 wins & 12 nominations total

    Videos1

    Postcards from the Edge
    Trailer 2:19
    Postcards from the Edge

    Photos55

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    Top cast67

    Edit
    Meryl Streep
    Meryl Streep
    • Suzanne Vale
    Shirley MacLaine
    Shirley MacLaine
    • Doris Mann
    Dennis Quaid
    Dennis Quaid
    • Jack Faulkner
    Gene Hackman
    Gene Hackman
    • Lowell Kolchek
    Richard Dreyfuss
    Richard Dreyfuss
    • Doctor Frankenthal
    Rob Reiner
    Rob Reiner
    • Joe Pierce
    Mary Wickes
    Mary Wickes
    • Grandma
    Conrad Bain
    Conrad Bain
    • Grandpa
    Annette Bening
    Annette Bening
    • Evelyn Ames
    Simon Callow
    Simon Callow
    • Simon Asquith
    Gary Morton
    Gary Morton
    • Marty Wiener
    CCH Pounder
    CCH Pounder
    • Julie Marsden
    • (as C.C.H. Pounder)
    Sidney Armus
    • Sid Roth
    Robin Bartlett
    Robin Bartlett
    • Aretha
    Barbara Garrick
    Barbara Garrick
    • Carol
    Anthony Heald
    Anthony Heald
    • George Lazan
    Dana Ivey
    Dana Ivey
    • Wardrobe Mistress
    Oliver Platt
    Oliver Platt
    • Neil Bleene
    • Director
      • Mike Nichols
    • Writer
      • Carrie Fisher
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews82

    6.720.4K
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    Featured reviews

    7slokes

    Mommie Blearest

    Luke Skywalker is not the only member of the Star Wars gang with parent issues. Carrie Fisher, the actress who played Princess Leia, channeled hers into a novel that became another winning Mike Nichols domestic comedy, "Postcards From The Edge."

    Meryl Streep stars as Carrie alter-ego Suzanne Vale, a once-successful actress trying to restart her career after a near-fatal O.D. Her mother, a screen legend in her day named Doris Mann (Shirley MacLaine), happily takes on the responsibility of overseeing Suzanne's recovery, especially given the attendant oversight she gets on daughter's life and career.

    "I really hate that you have to go through this," Doris sighs upon visiting her daughter in the rehab clinic. "I wish I could go through this for you." MacLaine gives, frame for frame, the best performance in the film, one of her best ever. She and Streep seem to feed off the best aspects of each other's prior screen work, Streep picking up on MacLaine's sass and comedic chops, MacLaine on the way Streep can give you a sea of sadness through just a flickering gleam in her eyes.

    Streep's comedy turn is the big surprise here, especially given how successfully she pulls it off. No dingoes running off with babies in this production. Nichols helps by putting her in situations that are very un-Streepish, like being threatened by cheesy "Scarface" extras or inhaling Fritos. Whatever the props, Meryl herself makes me laugh, something I never expected. Not that she lays back. Her gift for inhabiting others' skin is on fine display, as she gives Suzanne Carrie Fisher's wry intonations and wan half-laugh.

    You can hear the connection on the DVD commentary; a candid, amusing piece by Fisher in which she explains the background of "Postcards," why she considers it "emotionally autobiographical" in the way it deals with her own past drug issues and especially her relationship with her movie-star mother, Debbie Reynolds. At the same time, it's fictional in many key details.

    Fisher's clever Hollywood-dream-factory send-up of a script gives MacLaine and Streep plenty of great lines that pop off the screen like cherry bombs. "Instant gratification takes too long," Suzanne whines. "I know you don't take my dreams seriously, even when I predicted your kidney stones," crows Mom.

    The film does get rather pat in the second half, especially when both bond by rounding on Suzanne's ancient grandmother (Mary Wickes). Given that Suzanne's the central character, and the one with the drug problem, more effort should have been made on exposing her flaws and weaknesses, rather than making her seem the most normal character in the story. Fisher makes this point herself in her commentary, wishing she was "tougher" on Suzanne.

    "Postcards" is most effective when it focuses on the paradox of how these people perform so well in the limelight and so clumsily outside of it. "We're designed more for public than for private," is how Suzanne puts it at one point. Some comments here complain of too many musical numbers, but of course entertaining is what these women live for. Watching Suzanne watch her mother sing "I'm Still Here", realizing for an instant that a throwaway line in the song is really a cry of pain over Suzanne's way of life, and finally responding, silently but in a nakedly emotional way, communicates all you need to know about how much these two people love each other, beneath their banter and blame.

    Such subtle touches allow Streep, MacLaine, and Nichols to keep the longer dialogues crisp and funny. You may have a hard time understanding the lives these people lead, but you will enjoy their company.
    arsportsltd

    Bravo MacLaine and Streep

    Shirley MacLaine is only 12 years older than Meryl Streep but played Streep's Movie Star mother -to a fare thee well. Closely resembling the real life story of Debbie Reynolds and her daughter Carrie Fisher this film has lot of inside baseball about Reynolds and Fisher. Ms. Streep is as always brilliant as the tormented "Carrie" and Ms. MacLaine is superb as "Debbie". Liked Gary Morton as the agent. Gene Hackman, Dennis Quaid, Richard Dreyfuss, and Annette Bening give fine support to the Stars. Mary Wickes is priceless as Shirley's Mother much resembling the real Mom of Debbie Reynolds if you read Debbie's book.

    Mike Nichols deserves credit for brining this story to the screen and even has a great windup with Streep singing over the credits. Is there anything Ms.Streep cannot do?

    Shirley MacLaine belts out Sondheim's great song of survival "I'm Still Here" and no doubt Shirley MacLaine is still here with over 50 years a Great star working with great Directors such as Wilder, Hitchcock, Wyler, and co star with Eastwood, Lemmon, Sinatra, Bancroft, Newman, Hepburn, Garner, etc, etc. etc.
    7secondtake

    Nothing heavy here, but such virtuosic lightweight brilliance!

    Postcards from the Edge (1990)

    Mike Nichols is as close to a William Wyler as the New Hollywood (post-1967) gives us. His movies are both impeccable and emotionally taut. They feature the very best production values and impressive acting. And they take chances carefully, which isn't actually an oxymoron. Nichols knows he's pushing boundaries, but within the established forms. Even this movie, with its insider look at Hollywood, feels ingenious in a safe way, with echoes of "The Bad and the Beautiful" but with everyone toned down to a perfect realism.

    One of the tricks of this movie, which is a little over the top in so many small ways (again, careful restraint all around), is keeping the acting believable. And foremost is Meryl Streep, lovable and sympathetic but not quite admirable or otherworldly the way older generation actresses so often get portrayed. Streep as a drug-troubled actress is a wonder, and right behind, with deliberate hamminess, is the woman playing her mother, Shirley MacLaine. Add Gene Hackman and Richard Dreyfuss in smaller roles, a cameo by Rob Reiner, and a pretty boy role for Dennis Quaid, and you can see there is something cooking here.

    So why isn't this a great movie? It has the trimmings of greatness, even beyond the acting. Story by Carrie Fisher, music written by Carly Simon (and performed by the cast). Photography by German import Michael Ballhaus (who by the 1990s was also working for Coppola and Scorcese).

    Well, some might say it really is great. Even though it is lightweight, even airy as a farce, and even though it leaves you only slightly glad, or happy, at the end rather than transformed, you could argue that Nichols intended something with this flavor, and achieved it. Could be. But for a simple example, take his second movie, "The Graduate," and notice the same tone, humor and irony laced with important topical and emotional strains. How different the effect there, and maybe for a couple of reasons. One, I think, is the subject matter here is the famously glib, plastic, unsympathetic world of overly rich, tabloid saturated Hollywood itself. Another is the inherent plot. What happens? A woman overcomes her addiction to star in another movie, and she seems to move a little forward in her relationship with her mother. Enough? Maybe not.

    But knowing it's not trying to change the world, you might appreciate the illusory nature of the medium, exposed for us in a whole bunch of different ways (moving props, back projection, doubles used for blocking and framing, lights and camera in action, screening rooms and overdubbing, and so on. This is the stuff behind the drama enacted by Streep and MacLaine and the rest. It's worth watching in its own right.

    And Nichols and Ballhaus have filmed this to glossy perfection, layering and moving and keeping the long takes going as long as possible (with an apology by Hackman, as a movie director, to Streep, the actress playing the actress, for using such long takes all the time). It's almost as if Nichols is making fun of himself, and the excesses that cause the cast and crew to go a little crazy.

    Brilliant and entertaining? Completely. Probing or socially satirical in any way? No, not even into Hollywood, which is safely behind all these layers. Still, a film not to miss.
    6edgeofreality

    Void at the centre

    A good supporting cast and director, and a pleasantly ironic view of Hollywood life, can't quite save this from the perfectly soulless, textbook actress Streep totally miscast as the insecure (and infinitely sexier, more intuitive actress) Fisher. I never believed for a minute this woman was vulnerable: Streep is a ballbreaker who should only play larger than life villainous roles.
    7Cheetah-6

    Triumph For Fisher

    Great performances by Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine. They are both hilarious and poignant in this Carrie Fisher story about a show business daughter coming through the process of working out emotional trauma and baggage in relation to her mother, upbringing and subsequent addiction problems. Also especially good is Gene Hackman in a small supporting role and a cameo by Rob Reiner. Streep and MacLaine carry this film with their talents and are very entertaining as they confront each other and themselves about personal flaws and foibles. What makes this work so well is the smart and oblique humor that is employed to address the internal pain of the main character. I also liked the little jabs at the movie industry itself as well as its nonchalant way of revealing some of it's visual tricks too.

    One particular touching and bittersweet scene is between Hackman (as movie director) as he comforts Streep (an actress he's working with) with a sort of lighthearted understanding and encouragement to overcome her drug addiction as he builds her up with appreciation of her talent.

    Considering the obvious autobiographical nature of this story for Fisher, it would appear to be sort of a catharsis for her. She does a good job in bringing painful personal issues to light with humor through her writing. Personal pain and demons often seem to be the source of great art and entertainment as well as amusement for many artists and through their art, for the rest of us as well. This is a case in point and definitely worth the time.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Debbie Reynolds reportedly wanted to play the role of Doris Mann, loosely based on herself. However, director Mike Nichols personally requested Shirley MacLaine.
    • Goofs
      When Suzanne speaks to the pianist before performing, "You don't know me", there is a visible red tape mark on the ground to instruct her where to stand.
    • Quotes

      Doris: Will you please tell me what is this awful thing I did to you when you were a child!

      Suzanne: Okay, you want to know? Do you?

      Doris: I want to know! Tell me!

      Suzanne: Okay, FINE! From the time I was 9 years old, you gave me sleeping pills!

      Doris: That was over-the-counter medication, and I gave it to you because you couldn't sleep!

      Suzanne: Mom! You don't give children sleeping pills when they can't sleep!

      Doris: They were not sleeping pills! It was store-bought and it was perfectly SAFE! Now don't blame ME for your drug-taking! I do not blame my mother for my misfortunes or for my drinking!

      Suzanne: Well, you don't acknowledge that you drink. How could you possibly blame your mother for something you don't even do? Remember my 17th birthday party when you lifted your skirt up in front of all those people, including that guy, Michael?

      Doris: I did not lift my skirt, it TWIRLED UP! You only remember the bad stuff, don't you? What about the big band that I got to play at that party? Do you remember that? No! You only remembered that my skirt accidentally TWIRLED UP!

      Suzanne: And you weren't wearing any underwear.

      Doris: Well...

    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Postcards from the Edge/Saving Grace/White Hunter, Black Heart/After Dark, My Sweet (1990)
    • Soundtracks
      I'm Checkin' Out
      Written by Shel Silverstein

      Performed by Meryl Streep and Blue Rodeo

      Blue Rodeo appears courtesy of Risque Disque, Inc.

      WEA Music of Canada, Ltd.

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    FAQ18

    • How long is Postcards from the Edge?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 14, 1990 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Sony Movie Channel (United States)
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Recuerdos de Hollywood
    • Filming locations
      • Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Columbia Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $22,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $39,071,603
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $7,871,856
      • Sep 16, 1990
    • Gross worldwide
      • $39,071,603
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 41 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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