Postcards from the Edge
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Movie Reviews of Postcards from the Edge
Movie Review: Fisher Fiascos
Summary: 4 Stars
"Postcards From The Edge" is by all means an autobiographical account of a very chaotic period in actress Carrie Fisher's life. Her inspirations for her debut novel (originally published in October of '89) were her personal experiences in a drug rehabilitation center surmounting a cocaine habit, the relationship between she and her screen-veteran mother Debbie Reynolds and, generally, her wry perspective of life itself. However, instead of sharing her mordant musings as the main character, Fisher created her counterpart in a character named Suzanne Vale (Streep). Vale is a rising talent in the film industry with - surprise - an addiction to cocaine. She has other indulgences as well and one day pops pills until the inevitable occurs - she is rushed to Cedars Sinai emergency room to have her stomach pumped. Upon her near-death experience, she is committed to rehab and makes a deal with her director Lowell Kershak (Hackman): stay sober, get paid. Of course, this is a grueling period not only because Suzanne is trying to curb her addiction but also because part of the deal involves living with her mother Doris Mann (MacLaine), an aging starlet who is eccentric, overburdening and an occasional alcoholic.Meryl Streep said while reading Fisher's acerbic but earnest screenplay that she immediately fell in love with the story from a single line uttered by her character during her struggle with sobriety: "I know my life is good - I just can't feel it." Streep undertakes one of her more complex roles; using Fisher's insight on the driving force behind drug dependence and building from her own interpretation, she portrays Suzanne as a conflicted but staunch individual struggling to gain a sense of authority over her own life. Although the role of Suzanne called for a serious dramatic depiction, Fisher's dry humor and Streep's impeccable comedic timing make her conflict frivolous and fun to watch. Director Mike Nichols (Regarding Henry, Working Girl, Biloxi Blues) had brought out the best in Streep before - she earned an Academy Award nomination in his 1983 film "Silkwood" as the title character. He proved once again to be her good luck charm when Streep caught the Academy's attention for the ninth time, earning her seventh nomination for Best Actress.
Nichols also enlisted Shirley MacLaine as Doris Mann, Vale's brazen mother. She had already been intimately acquainted with the role of an oppressive parent, winning an Oscar for her endearing performance as Aurora Greenway in "Terms Of Endearment". This bawdy, russet-tressed thespian has a long resume; although she has portrayed many a character, she gives Doris a much-needed spark combated by a unique sensitivity, making her performance a markedly impressive one. This is a sorely underrated role, overshadowed by critically acclaimed performances of her past.
Gene Hackman and Dennis Quaid make for entertaining supporting roles as Jack Faulkner and Lowell Kershak, respectively. Quaid is adept at playing the smug spinster and therefore makes his character easy to despise. Hackman, a refined player with credits like "Target", "Mississippi Burning" and "The Firm" plays a hard-edged but sympathetic film director who is willing to forgive and forget, knowing that Suzanne has so much more to offer to the film industry.
Both MacLaine and Streep get a chance to boast their musical theater skills - Shirley sings a lively rendition of "I'm Still Here", a song by Stephen Sondheim that the man himself amended with personalized lyrics especially for her. Streep sings the languid Ray Charles classic "You Don't Know Me" and at the very end of the film belts a country-western tune "I'm Checking Out" written by Shel Silverstein with little-known Canadian rockers Blue Rodeo in accompaniment.
When Fisher was asked to write the screenplay for her novel, the producers wanted the film to focus more intimately upon Vale's relationship with her mother, even though much of the content of her book dealt with her tenure in rehab. Fisher didn't mind the change but much of the facts were slightly exaggerated not only for the drama but the comedy as well. People will find this out as well as several other factoids while listening to Fisher's gravelly voiceover during the commentary mode. It's almost as if one is sitting in the very room with Fisher while watching the movie, cracking odd jokes and having a drink or two. Her dry wit is unique and distinctive, making it easy for the audience to realize and identify with the overall philosophy of the film.
On the whole, "Postcards From The Edge" is an endearing portrait of the impenetrable bond between mother and daughter and, coming from Fisher's point-of-view, a quirky and poignant portrait indeed.
Movie Review: Mother-Daughter Tensions Overshadow the Drugs in Carrie Fisher's Sharp-Tongued Hollywood Tale
Summary: 4 Stars
Carrie Fisher's bracingly candid and acerbically amusing commentary is definitely worth a listen when you watch this scabrous 1990 comedy, especially since she wrote the screenplay based on her first novel, which is turn, was based on her life as a drug-addicted movie actress who happens to be the daughter of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher. With the self-assured Mike Nichols at the helm, the picture is glossy and often smug in its insider's look of Hollywood, but it also has an emotionally resonant quality thanks mainly to the shrewdly observant interplay between Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine as mother and daughter. Streep plays Suzanne Vale, an actress successful enough to star in a cheesy action flick but spiraling out of control with her drug habit. In fact, she barely finishes a film for veteran director Lowell Korshack (an initially snappish Gene Hackman) who reads her the riot act on the set about her budget-escalating addiction.
In the midst of a bleary-eyed one-night-stand, Suzanne becomes comatose from an overdose and is taken to the hospital where she gets her stomach pumped by a smitten doctor (a puppyish Richard Dreyfuss). She recovers and can work on her next picture only if she will live with her movie star mother Doris Mann to appease the insurance company. While the rest of the movie focuses on Suzanne's bumpy road toward recovery, the story really takes flight when it zeroes in on the prickly, dysfunctional relationship she has with Doris, a larger-than-life personality who means well as a mother but can't help being judgmental and competitive. Whether showing off her gams on a piano belting out Sondheim's "I'm Still Here" or revealing her pathetically shorn head after an auto collision, MacLaine is spot-on in the role, probably the best among her latter-day performances after Aurora Greenway in Terms of Endearment.
Liberated from her parade of accents and period costumes, Streep seems at first too accomplished to be playing a second-rate actress, but she makes the bedraggled Suzanne likeably flawed. She also shows off an impressive singing voice with a couple of country-western numbers. Beyond Hackman and Dreyfuss, Dennis Quaid effectively plays an errant lover with smarmy panache, and there are nice near-cameos from Annette Bening as a flaky actress, Gary Morton as Suzanne's agent, Robin Bartlett as Suzanne's sardonic rehab roommate, CCH Pounder as an unctuous rehab counselor and Simon Callow as a two-faced director. In the studio scenes, Rob Reiner, Oliver Platt, Michael Ontkean and J.D. Souther provide even smaller bits. I just wish Fisher could have explored Suzanne's recovery beyond the fatherly pep talk from Korshack and the final moment of vulnerability from Doris. Beyond Fisher's commentary, the 2001 DVD contains partial filmographies for the principal players and several unrelated trailers.
Movie Review: A Wonderful Script and Dynamic Performances
Summary: 4 Stars
This movie was such a refreshing change for Meryl Streep. She truly shined in a brillant comedic performance as Suzanne Vale, a middle-aged movie actress struggling with drug addiction, her relationship with her aloof mother (Shirley MacLaine) and the challenges of day to day life. What impressed me the most about Meryl Streep is that you get to see her as a normal, frumpy woman. Basically, someone you could relate to and sympathize with. Finally, you get a chance to see Meryl in a film that doesn't take place in some era/period with extravagant costumes and accents. Ofcourse, many of you already know that this film is based on actress, Carrie Fisher's, bestselling book of the same name. The dialogue is so witty and fresh that I envy all the actors who got to opportunity to bring the words to life. One of my favourite scenes is between Suzanne and her mother on the staircase. In the scene, Suzanne confronts her mother about giving her sleeping pills when she was a child. She also confronts her about holding her back. A few memorable lines: "You don't want me to be a singer. You're the singer, you're the performer. I can't possible compete with you. What if somebody won ? You want me to do well, just not better than you." I love that scene. It even gets more histerical when her mother defends herself about the "birthday party incident". A memorable line: "I did not lift my skirt. IT TWIRLED UP !!". Then the scene of reconciliation in the hospital. Some memorable lines: "You know what dear ? I think I'm jealous of you. And that is because it being your turn and all. And I find it difficult to face that my time is almost up." Both of the Oscar-winning actresses bring such life and energy to their characters. For this film, Meryl Streep was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar and Golden Globe. Shirley MacLaine was nominated for a British Academy Award and Golden Globe. Don't pass up this fantastic comedy from director Rob Reiner (Misery, A Few Good Men).Movie Review: Surprisingly powerful film.
Summary: 4 Stars
Postcards from the Edge is not a sappy, been-there-done-that comedy. It's actually a movie with a lot of heart and spirit that just happens to be funny. This movie's been classified as an overall comedy, but I felt it dwindled between two genres: comedy and drama. It follows the protagonist--played by Meryl Streep--, a rising actress who is gifted at her craft, but has one thing that is stopping her from reaching her full potential: her drug addiction. The film, surprisingly, does not give us much to work with as a result of her addiction. We do not see a lot of Meryl Streep scarfing down pills and getting high; that all happens within the first ten-to-fifteen minutes of the movie. Instead we see the story of a woman who is attempting to overcome this obstacle and regain her humanity in the process. There are many great scenes shared between Meryl Streep and Shirley Maclaine in this movie. They have incredible chemistry as mother and daughter and, better yet, they give no cringe-worthy performances in this movie. Every line is inflected with the proper tone required for the character and for the story to be effective. I suggest, if you're not a hardcore drama fan, to see this movie plainly for the performances, because they are all great. For those who like a drama sprinkled with some witty dialogue, this is your movie. The merging of the dramatic elements as well as the humorous ones are almost flawless, which makes this movie a true classic for any movie lover. See this movie; it won't disappoint.Movie Review: "You're the realest person I've ever met in the abstract."
Summary: 4 Stars
4.5 stars. The best thing about this DVD, besides the great script and fantastic cast of fine actors, is the price. Brand new, this DVD is under ten dollars?! I should write this review emphasizing that fact alone. As for the writing, it is excellent and witty and cerebral and dramatic, and it is all the more evident with all the incredible actors making the words their own. This exceptional cast includes former Oscar-winners Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine, Gene Hackman, and Richard Dreyfuss. Dennis Quaid, Rob Reiner, and Annette Bening also have good performances here and are worth mentioning. But the finest actor in this film is Meryl Streep, with yet another Oscar-nominated performance, this time showing great comedic timing with hilarious expressions and delivering her dialogue with impeccable precision. I'll stop now, before I wax rhapsodic. The script is sharp and intelligent, the acting is superb all around, and the price for this DVD is amazing! Thank you.