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Jessica Lange, Kim Stanley, Sam Shepard, Bart Burns, Jeffrey DeMunn ... see more see more... , Jordan Charney , Allan Rich , Christopher Pennock , Sarah Cunningham , Jonathan Banks , James Brodhead , J.J. Chaback , Daniel Chodes , Rod Colbin , Kevin Costner , Donald Craig , Lee de Broux , Anne Haney , Anjelica Huston , James Karen , Darrell Larson , Gerald S. O'Loughlin , Woodrow Parfrey , John Randolph , Jack Riley , Lane Smith , Andrew Winner , Biff Yeager , Keone Young , Alexander Zale , Jack Manning , Sandra Seacat , David Schroeder , Rod Pilloud , Nancy Foy , Larry Pines , Vern Taylor , Bonnie Bartlett , Robert Harris , Richard L. Hawkins , Jeffrey De Munn

As played by Jessica Lange, Frances Farmer is a rebel from the word go, winning a high school essay award by writing a piece in defense of Communism. Determining to become an actress, Frances is equal... read more read more...ly determined not to play the Hollywood game: she refuses to acquiesce to idiotic publicity stunts, and insists upon appearing on screen sans makeup. Her defiance attracts the attention of Broadway playwright Clifford Odets, who convinces Frances that her future rests with the Group Theatre. But once she leaves Hollywood for New York, Frances learns to her chagrin that the Group intends to exploit her movie fame in order to draw in customers. Her desperate attempts to restart her movie career, combined with her increasing dependence on alcohol and the pressures brought to bear by her monster mother (Kim Stanley), result in a complete mental breakdown. Even while institutionalized, Frances is abused by the powers-that-be; she is forced to undergo an injurious brain operation, is treated like a mad animal, and periodically raped by the inmates. Frances is released in the custody of her mother, who persists in browbeating her tortured daughter until Frances discovers the legal means to break away. The real-life Frances spent her last years as host of a local Indianapolis TV program, dying in 1970 at age 57; the film comes to a climax when Frances is feted on the smarmy network program This is Your Life. Other actual personages depicted herein include Clifford Odets (played by Jeffrey DeMunn), Harold Clurman (Jordan Charney) and Ralph Edwards (Donald Craig). Frances' first husband Leif Erickson is fictionalized as "Jeffrey York", and played by Lange's real-life inamorata Sam Shepard. And if you listen closely, you'll hear the voice of Kevin Costner, whose minor role was whittled down to one line when he, like Frances Farmer, had the temerity to argue with the director. The unhappy life of actress Frances Farmer was also covered in Farmer's autobiography, Will There Ever Be a Morning? While the film rights for that book were sold to a TV-movie concern, the producers of the theatrical feature Frances were able to ship their production out to the public first. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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76% liked it

3,131 ratings

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93% liked it

15 critics

R, 2 hr. 20 min.

Directed by: Graeme Clifford

Release Date: December 17, 1982

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DVD Release Date: March 15, 2000

Stats: 155 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (155)

  • deano
    July 1, 2011
    deano
    Wonderful biopic of the late 1930s Hollywood star Frances Farmer that tells a little known yet horrific, story but is over-Hollywoodised. Jessica Lange makes a miraculous job in playing Frances with paranoia in her rolling eyes and makes her look-like a madwoman indeed. And I thi... read morenk Kim Stanley who played France's mother, Lillian, is perfectly. The movie shows how someone can be completely destroyed by misunderstandings, enlarged by a ridiculous amount of media attention.
    This is truly a very discomforting look at how the human spirit can be totally crushed by tragic, though changeable, circumstances.
  • FrizzDrop
    June 30, 2011
    FrizzDrop
    The film starts as a standard biopic, charting the success of actress Frances Farmer in all her mundane glory. There are scenes of her atheism, lack of fear towards becoming a social outcast when she journeys to Communist Russia, and a very quick rise to prominence at a major stu... read moredio. These are the trivial aspects to the rebellious Farmer, not wanting to be labeled a Hollywood starlet, but instead a Broadway actress, even starring in a play while staying out of the press' spotlight. It's when she becomes blacklisted by her former Hollywood studio and forced to leave the stage for low budget B-movies that Farmer cracks, leading to arrests on the charge of assault and battery, trying to force the men keeping her from doing what she wants to look at her as outspoken. Still, Farmer's antics become outrageous and erratic, screaming at police officers, psychiatrists, and her own mother. Her exploits are spread across the papers, and her only recourse seems to be more screaming and physical violence towards everyone around her. In these instances there is an element of over the top Hollywood spin on the film, to create more drama. The thing that makes this film amazing, is Farmer's relationship with her mother, who continually admits her to filthy mental hospitals, from which her daughter runs away with her longtime boyfriend, Harry. In the final part of the film, we are finally shown an act that diminishes everything Farmer strode for: independence, her own voice, her own life. It's taken away, and replaced by mild temperament and neutral stance. It's quite a powerful scene, and anyone who watches will be terrified by society and their lengths to keep outspokenness in the Dark Ages. Dramatic and wild, Frances is hard to swallow, but captivating to watch.
  • mjgildea
    May 11, 2010
    mjgildea
    Frances left me feeling (obviously not as) torn as Frances Farmer herself in watching it. On the one hand I praise it for Jessica Lange's powerhouse performance as the fiery Farmer, which is reason alone enough to watch Frances. Then on the other end of the spectrum the productio... read moren values on this movie age it horrible and I'm pretty sure the set designer has or had glaucoma. Frances is also an incredibly sad movie and for as good as it is, the subject matter, last 20 minutes and running time make it such a goddamn bear to get through. And what's more difficult to deal with concerning this movie is that I've dated women more batshit crazy then Farmer was made out to be and she's the one that gets lobotomized. Life's definitely not fair, but its more sad...
  • groaningbitch
    September 13, 2008
    groaningbitch
    "frances" is a flick based on 1930s rebel actress frances farmer whose life and great potentiality were wasted horridly in mental institution. (raped, marred and lobotomized.)and "frances" is obviously the homage to the un-compromising individuality of frances farmer who lived be... read moreyond her time, a sound proof of social intolerance to outrageous candidness on woman. and there's a great sense of anachronism in the character of frances farmer who propels her tale of "one flew over cuckoo's nest" or female james dean way too early in this world.

    once a feministic author(possibly simone du bouvir) utters that society holds an enormous grudge against the woman who possesses both talent and beauty in the same time. (worse off, if she also has the edgy "IT") such woman is doomed to be ruptured by patriarchal society. beauty makes her the object of covetous desire for men, but her ego keeps her from being the willing puppet for chauvinistic sex commodity and hostility aroused around. then a misdemeanor leaves you into being diagnosed as schizophrenic, and you're F**KED.

    it takes gutsy pride to announce oneself as an atheist in public speech competition at the time frances farmer lived, and she even earns a prize as well as notoriety for it in her adolescence, a teenage girl who dares to shout out "god is not there!"

    then avidly ambitious frances shifts her aspiration from writing to acting since it's more immediate cannon for her spunk and wits. with her porcelain skin and statuesque looks, she reaches hollywood stardom which she rebuffs for its lack of depth, and it infuriates the mgm studio when she decides to nullify her movie contract for stage.

    her life begins to collapse when her beloved stage director, whom she was having an affair with, doublecross her together with the studio, dismissing her with an informative note about his wife's arrival. this event of heart-break detonates the frances' explosive nature then it leads to the accusation of mental illness. her doom ensues.

    firstly, she tries to offend the police officers who rudely abducts her from her private bathroom as well as the press by claiming her occupation is "c***s**ker". her proficiency of verbal defense/offense sinks her into even more severe discrimination. secondly, her rebellion against her overbearing mother who reports her whereabouts to the mad house, isolates her further. thirdly, the injustice of mental institution is sickeningly exploitative, and in one scene, she's ravished by numerous soldiers who buy off the guardian for their filthy privilege. "20 bucks to screw a movie star" is simply too harsh to endure. naked twisted bodies hang around grimly, an macabre image of grotesque. in the end, frances still says "i'm still me! it's one thing you cannot take away from me!!"

    apparently this movie is presented in the perspective of frances' mind, the angst of a wailing individual, and everything seems like others' fault and social wreckage over her incorruptible soul. but i cannot help but wonder why other female stars in her time could still glitter and also remain individualistic without suffering so? (garbo, dietrich, crawford, davis, stanwyck..all are female avant-gardists with the sharp edge.) so why can't she be one of them?

    primarily, farmer's family background is the bourgeois who settle in cozy suburbia, well-sheltered without the hard-boiled survival instincts. contradictorily, she ain't ordinary enough to mold herself in such environment. meanwhile her distinguished beauty makes people indulge her brittleness too easily. (beautiful women always tend to be spoilt. think about your other female classmates in high school.) she cannot take pressure and also too willfully idealistic to reconcile. if she ain't beautiful, she wouldn't be a sudden success. if she ain't beautiful, she wouldn't induce sexual ravages, right?

    it might be inappropriate to deem "frances" as avenging outcry of individuality, and it may be more like a dirge of american dream for female individuality. you're taught in childhood, men are born equal, and everyone has his right for public speech. BUT you forget it merely means MEN.
  • jjnxn
    April 5, 2007
    jjnxn
    a searing performance by jessica lange of a truly sad and tortured woman makes this profoundly downbeat film worth watching.
  • RobertInMemphis
    July 1, 2011
    RobertInMemphis
    Writing and direction were somewhere between Lifetime Movies and Hallmark Hall of Fame. But Jessica Lange as little-remembered actress Frances Farmer and Kim Stanley as her mother are beyond reproach. This movie is worth watching just for their performances.
  • clooneyfan
    March 1, 2009
    clooneyfan
    This is a biopic about actress Frances Farmer. Although she was somewhat wild, I didn't think she was mentally ill.

    Her story is notable because she was committed to a psychiatric institution by her mother because she didn't adhere to how her mother thought she should live.
    ... read more
    She ended up getting invasive therapies such as insulin shock therapy, ECT and a lobotomy. It was fascinating and barbaric look at psychiatry in 1930s and 40s.
  • MyManGdfry
    November 18, 2007
    MyManGdfry
    Jessica Lange took home an Oscar in 1982 for her supporting role in "Tootsie," but she was also nominated in the Lead Actress category for this melodramtic biopic of actress Frances Farmer.

    It is my firm belief that this movie is responsible for the Lifetime Network. It's unc... read morelear how much dramatic license the filmmakers took but it's evident from what they present that every bad thing that ever happened to a lead character in a Lifetime movie happened to Frances during the span of only a few years. It's melodramatic, over the top and often unbalanced--actors probably love this movie.

    I have no knowledge of Frances Farmer nor do I care to research her career any further, however, Lange certainly deserved her recognition for this role that will forever remind me of all my ex-girlfriends.
  • atw1960
    September 13, 2007
    atw1960
    Intensly Haunting,Beautifulful Sad,lonely Heartbreaking performance by Ms.Lange,shows her acting chops,,yet compelling look at the wrong side of Fame & Hollywood, I've seen this from it's inial release in 1982 to many times on Video/DVd
  • jaynyca1
    July 2, 2007
    jaynyca1
    I thought that Jessica Lange really did a nice job of playing this role of the 1930's film star Frances Farmer, and all of her struggles with her family, Holleywood and her problems with mental illness.

View All Frances Reviews

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy
June 15, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

Jessica Lange and Kim Stanley give superb performances as the troubled actress Frances Farmer and her domineering mother, compensating for the shapeless narrative, which is too ridden with cliches of ... Full Review

Michael A. Smith
January 1, 2005
Michael A. Smith, Nolan's Pop Culture Review

In one year (along with "Tootsie") Lange went from joke to respect.

Steve Crum
December 28, 2004
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan

Harrowing story well played by Lange.

Nick Davis
July 20, 2004
Nick Davis, Nick's Flick Picks

Lange is wonderful, and provides a searing, tremendous reason to see a film that would otherwise collapse under even a moment of analytical pressure. Full Review

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
January 17, 2002
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice

Jessica Lange's outstanding performance offers an intriguing portrait of Frances Farmer, an actress who marched to the beat of her own drummer and paid the price. Full Review

Brian Webster
January 1, 2000
Brian Webster, Apollo Guide

Despite the cardboard characters she's surrounded by, Jessica Lange single-handedly makes this depressing film worth watching. Full Review

March 26, 2009
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Roger Ebert
October 23, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Vincent Canby
August 30, 2004
Vincent Canby, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Cole Smithey
May 5, 2008
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com

No review available.

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