1981 film by Frank Perry
Mommie Dearest is a 1981 American biographical psychological drama film directed by Frank Perry and starring Faye Dunaway, Steve Forrest, Mara Hobel, and Diana Scarwid, with supporting performances from Xander Berkeley in his feature film debut along with Rutanya Alda and Jocelyn Brando. Adapted from Christina Crawford's 1978 autobiography of the same name, the film follows her and her brother Christopher's upbringing under their adoptive mother, actress Joan Crawford, depicting her as abusive, controlling, and manipulative, prioritizing her Hollywood career over her family.
The executive producers were Christina's husband, David Koontz, and Terry O'Neill, Dunaway's then-boyfriend and soon-to-be husband. The film was distributed by Paramount Pictures, the only one of the Big Eight film studios for which Crawford had never appeared in a feature film.
Released in September 1981, Mommie Dearest swiftly garnered a reputation among audiences for its highly charged performances and melodramatic style, leading Paramount to retool their marketing campaign, presenting the film as an unintentional comedy despite its dark subject matter. The film grossed $25 million internationally against a $10 million budget. Crawford's family condemned the film for portraying Joan as more abusive than Christina alleged in her original book, with some family members disputing whether abuse occurred at all. The film received mixed reviews from critics with praise for Dunaway's performance but criticisms for its poor editing and screenplay. Despite this, the film's perceived bizarre script and performances, particularly Dunaway's, have brought a cult following to the film.
It was also nominated for nine Razzies at the 2nd Golden Raspberry Awards, and won five, including Worst Picture and Worst Actress for Faye Dunaway.
Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.