FX's "FEUD: Bette and Joan" starring JESSICA LANGE and SUSAN SARANDON (March 5th @ 10PM) — Page 3

After rewatching the pilot I don't know, a dozen times, I'm still awestruck. It's fascinating how immediately essential Lange and Sarandon are to one another's performances. This truly is a dance; a tango impossible to achieve without both actresses bringing their A game, which they both do briliantly so.

Sarandon's Bette Davis is sharp, sensual and blunt as a hammer. She manages to fuse her personality to Davis', creating an authentic and intelligent homage to one of the greatest actresses in film history. In Sarandon's standout scene, she imbues her Davis with both strength and vulnerability as she watches herself as Baby Jane in an iconic scene from "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?".

Lange as Joan Crawford is truly a force: regal, broken, strong, pathetic, tragic and electrifying. She's the divine ruin at the center of the piece.

When asked at TCA earlier this year how she would come to find Crawford's voice, Lange revealed that it was a series of candid interviews in which Crawford was drunk that provided her with her entryway. Lange noticed that while usually composed, with a studied mid-Atlantic accent, once Crawford started drinking, an entirely different voice would "slip through the cracks". Lange captures Crawford's layered voice beautifully, vascillating between deep, rich tones punctuated with mid-Atlantic heirs and high, bright tones accentuated by what Lange identified as Crawford's "San Antonio twang".

As Lange plays her, Crawford is a bundle of frayed nerves barely kept in check by her rigid routines and carefully crafted personality. She's at once infuriating and heartbreaking.

Both Lange and Sarandon have exceeded my expectations. I don't know how I'll survive 7 more episodes of this blinding brilliance.

I watched tonight and found it a pretty mixed bag. Nothing about it is bad, really, but it's a little bit of an airless affair. Too serious to be campy but it's not especially well-written to be weightier. The writing here is a mixed bag- some of the Davis/Crawford scenes are good, but a lot of the dialogue feels wooden. I'd also love to know how much they paid to haul out Catherine Zeta-Jones and Kathy Bates to read off that truly awful expositional dialogue. Yuck.

Of the two of them, I think Sarandon is doing better work. No, she isn't attempting to sound like Davis (though her Baby Jane is more on the mark), but she captures her spirit and verve nicely. Lange is fine, of course, but in every Murphy project it feels like she's recycling the same performance for the same woman. It's fun to see Jackie Hoffman pop up, and Judy Davis is quite fun as well.

I'll probably watch an episode or two more because it's such great subject matter, but I'm fully anticipating Ryan Murphy to somehow mess it up like he always does.

I just got around to watching it and I'm pleasantly surprised. It does, I think, mix fact with fiction. I wasn't around then so what I know I've read from film history or stories from TCM, costars...

As much as I detest what Sarandon said and did last year I have to admit she is doing a very good job. She may be slightly better than Lange, but both of these actors probably knew they better know their sh*t for this high profile show. Jessica Lange is always, always amazing. In "Long Day's Journey" it was wonderful to watch her for 4 hours; but even when she does the Murphy AHS schlock she elevates that. (When she makes her first entrance as JC she is Balls to the Wall Shoulder Pads).

Question - is/was there really a special filmed with Joan Blondell, Olivia deHavilland and others? I just don't think OdH or JB would be talking so freely or nastily back then. Hedda Hopper yes, I've read about her. I can't wait for Sarah Paulson to come on as Geraldine Page. (Zeta-Jones was almost unrecognizable). And as always, Jackie Hoffman, so so happy, such a talent! I hope her part gets larger.

Feud does win the award for the "most bitchin' title credits" in a long time. They were definitely inspired by the Hitchcock films. As film history students or film buffs, we have a ball when someone shows us something special or fun and new. The website "The Art of the Titles" is a gold mine of thousands of opening title sequences for movies and tv shows.

I'm sure there will be nominations and awards. I just don't know if Sarandon can pull off any wins after alienating Hollywood in 2016.

(and for god's sake Murphy, Charles and Diana, really?? yeah, it's a nasty story made even more tragic by the outcome; but her children are very much living exemplary lives and continuing the good works of Diana. They shouldn't be put through the Ryan M crapola).

Steve C. said: "
Question - is/was there really a special filmed with Joan Blondell, Olivia deHavilland and others? I just don't think OdH or JB would be talking so freely or nastily back then. Hedda Hopper yes, I've read about her. I can't wait for Sarah Paulson to come on as Geraldine Page. (Zeta-Jones was almost unrecognizable). And as always, Jackie Hoffman, so so happy, such a talent! I hope her part gets larger."

I wondered the same thing and where can I see it.

Jackie Hoffman is in every episode so I'm sure there will be plenty of great moments with her

Well to everyone, "Hello, Daddy"

Artman, the scene ended as a supposed ambush but they both caught on and were semi-nice to each other. Hopper serves a "fish aspic" and the scene ends.

Eris, I can't find anything online or books about these interviews with the other stars. Next week, Sarah Paulson comes on as Geraldine Page. This is the kind of "Ryan" stuff that irks me at times.

Smooth L, we like Feud but you are absolutely right about Big Little Lies. Kidman is unbelievable. The rape scenes and nudity, yes are part of the story but still very disturbing. Alexander Skaarsgard is taking "evil,nasty pills" for sure. Kidman will give both Jessica and Susan huge competition come awards time. Witherspoon and Dern are terrific too.

Overall I'm giving it an above average right now. Even the incidental music is entendre'd into the story; Catch A Falling Star, Autumn Leaves, I Want To Be Wanted, Wives and Lovers. Murphy's music people are always very capable and instrumental to the story. I also didn't know Brad Pitt is one of the executive producers. "Feud" will be a little happy distraction from "Reality USA" for a couple of months.

Yeah... what the heck does Geraldine Page have to do with anything? It's funny because my two favorite actresses are Page and Davis. And of course Sarah paulson is always interesting.

Best line:

"Welcome to the house that fear built!"

The leads are excellent but as always, Judy Davis steals the show.

love it. love it. love it!

Only one small small quibble, I wish Surrandon and Lange had gone a just a tad bigger with their characterizations (make up, eye color, voices) but I understand the Mommie Dearest, caricature drag act was/is a very real concern.

Does anyone know what the mentioned televison pilot was that Crawford was filming, prior to 'Baby Jane'?

Watched the pilot last night. I thought it was pretty flat and uninspired. The writing was bad and some scenes were lifted straight out of Mommy Dearest. Zeta-Jones and Bates were painful to watch.The only good thing I can say is that Sarandon really captured Davis' essence, without imitating her. I spent the second half of the show alternating between being mesmerized watching her and then waiting for her to be back on screen. I'll probably not watch any more episodes. But if I do, it will be to see Sarandon's performance.

I'm detecting an interesting trend with respect to casting for both the big and small screens. Over the past couple of decades, somewhat senior actors have been cast in roles that would have gone to actors at least 15 years their junior during Davis and Crawford's heyday. As someone north of 50 myself, that doesn't really present a problem, provided the actor has the chops and both proper makeup and good lighting at his or her disposal. However, Lange and Sarandon read old on screen in this particular production, especially Lange.

When What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? premiered, Davis and Crawford were in their 50s, and director Robert Aldrich in his 40s. On screen, Lange looks every bit her age from neck down with the gait and movement of a senior citizen. Sarandon's salvation is her bug-eyed similarity to Davis facially and her impeccable timing. Acting-wise, I picked Sarandon as the obvious underdog of the pair but have been pleasantly surprised by her ability to deliver the goods. Like other posters, I really wish both had gone bigger in depicting their iconic predecessors. On balance, both ladies acquit themselves well in the acting department. However, I wish Lange hadn't been handed so much exposition. It bogs things down a bit. Then there's Alfred Molina. He's a gifted actor just not terribly credible as a 40-something pugnacious Hollywood film director & Lothario at this point in his career.

There was a missed casting opportunity here. Alison Wright was born for the role of Bette Davis and is right in the sweet spot age/talent/appearance-wise. All she needs is the right makeup to make her look like she's been "rode hard" as folks say. And as Joan, Rose McGowan instantly comes to mind followed closely by Winona Ryder with a few added pounds. The standouts to me are Stanley Tucci apart from the unfortunate hairpiece, Alison Wright, the barely recognizable Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jackie Hoffman as Mamacita, and the divine Judy Davis as the divine Hedda Hopper.

The series so far isn't bad, just not really my cup of tea.

Updated On: 3/12/17 at 08:58 AM

I re-watched both WEHTBJ and Feud earlier today. The repeat viewings gave me a greater appreciation for Lange's craft on display in Ryan Murphy's pilot. I concede that Lange captures Crawford's vulnerability masterfully. Not only did Crawford have to battle her own inner demons during filming; she also had to deal with the colossal ego of a scene-stealing acting powerhouse of a co-star and the reality that she was no longer the plumpest grape on the vine at a time when Hollywood wasn't at all kind to screen doyennes.

Sarandon is set up to soar akin to Bette Davis in the earlier big screen adaptation. I still think that she's surprisingly good. But, it remains to be seen whether she can sustain the level she's struck so far which already exceeds our collective expectation. The mental trick for me now is to move past the average ages of the leads and several members of the supporting cast in order to suspend my disbelief. I see a group of actors many of whom would have been better suited for their roles 10 - 15 years ago.

Updated On: 3/12/17 at 04:00 PM

PalJoey: Glad you joined the conversation! What made you change your mind about watching? I couldn't stay away, even though I share your revulsion of Sarandon.

I think her Bette Davis accent stinks, to the point of sounding very amateur hour. BUT, credit where it's due, for me she somehow has capture my beloved Bette. The glare, the bluntness, and the peculiar sexuality.

Yes, Lange is playing a three dimensional character, but she just doesn't read as Joan Crawford to me. She doesn't seem " fake" or artificial the way Crawford comes across in interviews. She lacks Crawford's warm, cello like voice which I love.

I'm still optimistic about this series.

I was fascinated by Davis and Crawford and other Golden Age Hollywood divas long before Sarandon's repulsive entitled and dangerous dilettante politics, and my admiration for them will survive her miscast, misconceived and misdirected performance, about which Bette Davis herself might have said "Miss Sarandon turns in a performance that is rotten...to the CORE."

It's actually quite satisfying that Lange is so good and Sarandon is so bad. It lends an extra level of enjoyment to watching the miniseries.

I actually feel sorry for her.