Mommie Dearest (1981)

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 3/11/05 at 8:33am

Now Faye, you know you're a comedic actress. Mommie Dearest ruined your career? Honey, ad libbing the words "don't you tell me what I'm doing don't tell me don't" under your breath during the setting lotion scene ruined your career (or immortalized it, IMO... she's great!).

My favorite scenes:

1. Joan, sweaty from running with Carol Ann trailing her in the car, goes into hysterics after getting the film role (Mildred Pierce). She puts the sweaty towel around giddy Carol Ann's neck, runs upstairs to Christina's room to find that it's empty with the exception of strewn about toys, and then catches Christina pretending to be a movie star at her vanity table.
"Oh yes, it was THRILLING. I'm so GRATEFUL to you all. My WONDERFUL fans. Who've made ME... a STAR."
(Christina sees Joan in the mirror)
"MOMMIE!"
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Nothing Mommie. I was just... just playing."
"What do you mean playing? Going through my things... making fun of me..." (Joan moves around like a snake as she says this)
"I wasn't making fun of you. I was just trying to... (scarf gets ripped off)... I was acting. Play acting. Like you're always doing."
(pause)
"Look at yourself." (rips accessory out of Christina's hair, grabs brush and starts madly brushing her hair)
"Owww!"
"Tina... what do you put in your hair... what have you done to this damn hair..." (beginning to cry)
"Owww it was just setting lotion... ow, mom, ow!" (Mommie throws brush aside with a scream and starts cutting her hair)
"Mommie what are you doing!?... don't you tell me what I'm doing... oh Mommie don't... Oh no!... don't tell me don't... Mommie I look awful!"
"I know you look awful!"
(scream)
"YOU BE QUIET!!! You're always rummaging through my drawers! Trying to find a way to make people look at you! Why are you always lookin' at yourself in the mirror? WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT TELL ME!!!!!!!"
(screaming and crying)
"You sit still now! This will teach you. You BIG, spoiled..."
"Mommie I can't go to school like this!"
(grabs her) "I'D RATHER YOU GO BALD TO SCHOOL THAN LOOKING LIKE A TRAMP!"
"No... Mommie...please... don't!"
"Tina why... dammit... why..."
"Mommie I cannot go to school like this..."
"YOU SPOILED IT JUST LIKE I SPOILED YOU!!!"
(both just cry in the mirror together)

2. Self-satisfied Joan gets out of the pool after beating Christina at swimming again.
(melodramatic music)
"Oh! You lost again."
"It's not fair. You're bigger than I am. It's not fair to win twice."
"Ah, but NOBODY ever said life was fair Tina. I'm BIGGER and I'm FASTER. I will ALWAYS beat you."
"Then I'm not gonna play with you anymore... (melodramatic music intensifies)... EVER!" (melodramatic music suddenly stops)
"Don't youuuuu... (throws towel down)...EVER use that tone of voice with me, MISSY. Who do you think you're talking to! I'll tell you what you're gonna do you're gonna MARCH yourself UPSTAIRS (waving finger) to your room and you will STAY there until I tell you to come out!"
"NO. I. WON'T."
"No you won't? YES. YOU. (spank!) WILL."
(Tina screaming)
"Fine you will stay here...no I... until you're ready to apologize!... won't!"
(throws Christina into poolhouse) "AAAAHHHHH MOMMIE!"

3. Uncle Greg: "Are you crazy? Are you? Tell me! TELL ME."
Joan: "I'm crazy." (gets thrown aside)

4. "Go get it Christopher! Come on, get it Christopher!"
(from the upstairs window with contraption tied around her head to block out noise) "CHRISSSSSSTIIIIIINAAA CHRISSSSTOPHERRRR DAAAAAAAAAMIT."

5. "My babies! Someone stole BOTH my babies."
"That's good, darling. They were thoughtless and selfish spoiled children... and now they won't wake you up when you need your rest."
(dramatic pause, Christina turns and storms out of the room)

6. (Christina embarrasses Joan in front of Uncle Ted) "Here's your freshener Mommie Dearest."
"Thank you Tina Darling."
(next scene on the way to boarding school) "Whatever I did, I won't do it again! I promise. I can be better."
"Tina, time will fly by. You can call me any time, COLLECT." (why does she drive her own car anyway?)


What are your favorites?

[bongoboy]

Posted: 3/11/05 at 8:41am

Christina..."Why did you ADOPT me!!??"
Joan...*SLAP*
Christina..."WHY DID YOU ADOPT ME!!!???"
(Joan and Christina wrestle) Updated On: 3/11/05 at 08:41 AM

[Glebb]

Posted: 3/11/05 at 8:44am

"Barbara please!"

"My fans are life and death to me baby!"

[bongoboy]

Posted: 3/11/05 at 8:50am

Joan "Why can't you give me the respect that I'm entitled to? Why can't you treat me like I would be treated by any stranger on the street?"
Christina "Because I am NOT one of your FAAANNS!"

[Feodor Sverdlov]

Posted: 3/11/05 at 8:51am

When this film came out, I was doing a production of CAMELOT, in Philadelphia, and a bunch of us went to see it in between the matinee and evening performances. Everybody thought it was a hoot; but I hated it. All these years later, people still speak of it as a "fun" film. I wonder why I hated it so? Perhaps I need to see it again; because I, generally, appreciate bad, "camp" films.

[bongoboy]

Posted: 3/11/05 at 8:53am

Yes Feodor...PLEASE see it again..it is hilarious. Also, here's a link to famous quotes from IMDB.
Mommie Dearest Famous Quotes from IMDB Updated On: 3/11/05 at 08:53 AM

[Elphaba]

Posted: 3/11/05 at 9:29am

the entire slap, not one of your faaaaans scene, my God that tussle on the floor made the fight Crystal and Alexis had in the water look like romper room.

I watch this movie once a month......I love it!

also

'Christina.....BRING ME THE AXE'.

'I'm not mad at you, I'm made at the dirt!'

'Clean up this ROOM!'

[Justice]

Posted: 3/11/05 at 9:30am

"Don't F*ck with me fella's!"

Christina Crawford was very upset at how this movie portrayed her mother, being that it wasn't close to the book she had written. Bette Davis was a worse mother. Why haven't they made her film showing what an evil bitch she was?

P.S. Poor Faye, love her and all, but her research on Joan Crawford was, basically, watching Joan Crawford movies and playing her like her characters. Joan did not act like her characters in real life, the same way that Marilyn was not the ditzy blonde she comes off to be in the movies.

Updated On: 3/11/05 at 09:30 AM

[Elphaba]

Posted: 3/11/05 at 9:31am

the entire slap, not one of your faaaaans scene, my God that tussle on the floor made the fight Crystal and Alexis had in the water look like romper room.

I watch this movie once a month......I love it!

also

'Tina.....BRING ME THE AXE'.

'I'm not mad at you, I'm made at the dirt!'

'Clean up this ROOM!'

[Glebb]

Posted: 3/11/05 at 9:33am

Hush Hush, Aunt Charlotte Dearest!
Who would play Bette?

Updated On: 3/11/05 at 09:33 AM

[Jimmcf]

Posted: 3/11/05 at 10:04am

http://www.dan-o-ramaproductions.com/club_10b.html

[Elphaba]

Posted: 3/11/05 at 10:15am

OH MY GOD........JIM THAT IS WONDERFUL!
Thank You! I REALLY needed this today!

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 3/11/05 at 11:31am

Jim - that was hilarious.

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 3/11/05 at 11:38am

Feodor - I felt the same way about the film initially - I happen to hate violent films and anything to do with abusive parents or siblings - too close to home for me...but my boyfriend owns the video and we watched it last week and though I did cringe at certain scenes - I actually found myself laughing my ass off at most of it. go to dan-o-ramaproductions.com and see the video mix he did of scenes from the movie - thats what prompted me to want to see it this time.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 3/11/05 at 11:39am

This movie introduced me to one of my favorite and one of our most underrated actresses - Miss Diana Scarwid.

[Jimmcf]

Posted: 3/11/05 at 11:41am

Christina: There's a liquor store on the right
Joan: I should have known you would know where to find the boys AND the booze!

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 3/11/05 at 11:49am

Rath - really? I'm not sure how I feel about her - all through Mommie Dearest, she uses a southern accent - I can't figure out where it comes from or if it is character appropriate - otherwise, I think she's fine in the role. I need to see her do something amazing before I can think of her as a truly great actress - but I'm inclined to think she's pretty good.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 3/11/05 at 11:50am

That is her one problem - can't get rid of her accent. She's like the Southern Olympia Dukakis in that respect. But I always love her in everything.

Posted: 3/11/05 at 12:00pm

I find this film fascinating! It is of course a camp classic but really, Faye Dunaway's portrayal is amazing! She really does get under the skin of her character in a way that is almost unsetling. She was nominated for an Oscar for the part and in a way, the thread is right-- doing such an amazing Joan Crawford pretty much destroyed her for any other part. Diana Scarwid was wonderful I thought. Both actresses did a great job with the subtext. You see so much more than the lines reveal in their roles: It really does hold up for repeated viewing on all levels!

And my favorite line HAS to be "Don't f*ck with me fellas!" I use it all the time!

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 3/11/05 at 12:21pm

Amen - thats almost what I said to my boss right before I left - or would have if I'd had the balls.

[MaTakeALookAtMe]

Posted: 3/11/05 at 4:05pm

I take a bit of an exception to the comment that Bette Davis was a worse mother. I've read Christina's book...which really is not that far off from the movie...and BD Hyman's book My Mother's Keeper. Davis certainly wasn't mother of the year, but she wasn't nearly as abusive or just plain loco as Crawford. Of coures I love them both.

[Jimmcf]

Posted: 3/11/05 at 4:26pm

I have also read "My Mother's Keeper" - I know these are told from the daughter's point of view - but how much do you think is real and how much embellished sour grapes?

[MaTakeALookAtMe]

Posted: 3/11/05 at 4:27pm

I know I bitch about my mom all the time and less than half of what I say is true. HAHA

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/11/05 at 4:49pm

"Tear down that BITCH of a wall, and put a window where it OUGHT to be!"

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/11/05 at 4:50pm

"Yes, Mommy."

"Yes, Mommy, WHAT"

"Yes...Mommy dearest."

"When I taught you to call me that, I wanted you to MEAN it!"