brefane Overly long, pointless, standard issue biopic that doesn't seem to know what to make of Frances Farmer who never was a big film star, but who was apparently a big train wreck, and so is the film. She's portrayed as a victim of the press, the law, the studio, the medical profession and her mother. Hollywood and the world in general appear to exist for the sole purpose of making her life hell. And the sole purpose of the film seems to be to earn an Oscar for Lange by giving her a series of show downs that has her shrieking at and/or physically assaulting any and everyone, and though Lange does indeed resemble Farmer, she's largely shrill and one-note making Farmer look like an obnoxious, self righteous, self appointed martyr; a Lindsay Lohan with delusions of grandeur. The film is a dud and Sam Shephard plays a fabricated character who wanders in and out of the proceedings in an attempt to provide an unfocused script with a sense of structure. It's a mess, and the scenes set in the mental institution recall such camp classics as The Caretakers(1963) and Valley of the Dolls (1967). Kim Stanley who plays Frances' mother gave a powerful performance in The Goddess (1958) as a lonely, unloved, unwanted girl who sought fame as a way to escape her emptiness, but discovered Hollywood was not a cure nor as the film had it the cause of her unhappiness. Frances lacks that insight and observation.

LeonLouisRicci Jessica Lange's Acting in this Film is one of the Best Performances In Motion Picture History and is Pitch Perfect in every way. She plays Real Life Hollywood "Star" Frances Farmer that was Completely Forgotten except for the most Die Hard of Movie Fans. Her Story is told here and it has been Criticized for not being Accurate on all Accounts. But although She as a Real Person who did Attain some Fame, from this Picture's Point of View that can be seen as Irrelevant. A Sounding Board and an Outlet to Explore the Human Condition, Institutional Tyranny and Malpractice with a Central Character that is Inviting, Intelligent, Talented, Rebellious, Committed, Deep, and Forever Looking for Love in a World that can be Loveless.A Tragic Tale of Dramatic Dissidence and its Consequences in a Society both Culturally and within the Family Structure that Expects, and Sometimes Demands Conformity and Obedience. Frances is a Free Spirit that cannot fit in. She is Haunted and Troubled by Life Itself. The Movie is a Fascinating Show Piece of Significance that is Spellbinding, and Haunting, Disturbing and Determined. It is a Timeless Tale and a Cautionary Movie that is so Deeply Layered it Completely Covers the Viewer in its Sincere Ability to use the Life of Frances Farmer to make Statements about the Insensitivity and Unfairness of it All. She would, most likely, Proudly Approve.

TheRenegadeTaoist To begin with, Thank you to everyone involved in this project.I watched this film and was drawn in to a point of feeling constantly off balance.That says a tremendous amount about the participants. They set the right mood, tone and pace and performed the hell out of their roles.It is, as many have said, an important and underrated film. In truth Frances Farmer was an actress best known for "sensationalized and fictional accounts of her life", a Hollywood legend so to speak for all the wrong reasons. (Especially her involuntary commitment to a mental hospital.) But the this account speaks volumes on the Institution system and treatment of those "non-compliant" with social norms of the time.As in the the film Changeling (2008), this film pricks up our ears to the dis-empowerment of women during that era (which still goes on globally). Like many other women of the period who were deemed disruptive, women often times were forced into the secret custody of a mental institution or denied rights (turned over to spouses, parents or other family). After the passing of the 19th Amendment, as women started to openly assert their independence many establishments tried to maintain their control over the free will of women. In the end they were in large part manipulated by a number of agencies and political machinery and ultimately had involuntary medical treatments/experiments in behavior modification performed (or extensive removals from society). Sadly there was a great deal of old school thinking that feed into that from prior generations of other women. This film pulls no punches in areas that are well documented historically.You can easily see where this film is headed but the deceptively simple script and compelling composition wrings out every bit of viewer-ship you have. I was welded to my seat until the end credits. I would have to say it would be very hard to watch this piece and not want Jessica Lange's "Frances" to win.Great work... definitively should be on the major "must watch" lists.

T Y At the time Frances was released, a full-court-press of PR for Lange was underway, with Hollywood marketing departments insisting that we all loved Lange, and that she was some sort of prodigy. Many people fell for this. And Brooksfilms was being rightfully criticized ("Whose Life is It, Anyway?" American Film) for cynically noting that a few lives of interest were now in the public domain (Frances Farmer, The Elephant Man) and getting a movie out before the other productions could finish theirs.Those matters aside, Frances is not very edifying. What audience was such a miserable story intended to capture? The story-arc goes from depressing to even more emphatically depressing. Harry York is a piece of fiction. The most I can muster is a grudging respect for a movie that will show a protagonist combatting a pair of insane parents; and one extra star for some infrequent, nice compositions.