Film Review: Frances (1982)

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Only six years after being regarded as talentless bimbo following her first major role in King Kong, Jessica Lange triumphantly proved herself as formidable actress by earning two “Oscar” nominations in a single year. She ultimately won Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Tootsie and was nominated for Oscar for Best Actress for the title role in Frances, 1982 biopic directed by Graeme Clifford.

The protagonist, played by Lange, is Frances Elena Farmer, Classic Hollywood actress who ultimately became better known for her extremely troubled personal life than for her career achievements. The plot begins in 1931 Seattle where Frances, as a teenager, brings public attention and controversies with a prize-winning essay which questions existence of God. Few years later she goes into acting and ends in Hollywood where she lands her first major role in the film Come and Get It. While her mother Lillian (played by Kim Stanley) is delighted with daughter’s career, Frances dislikes Hollywood because of its studio system that stifles individuality and her artistic ambitions. She prefers Broadway and company of left-wing intellectuals, like famed playwright Clifford Odetts (played by Jeffrey DeMunn) with whom she has an affair. It ends badly and Frances is forced to return to Hollywood, where she continues to clash with directors and studio executives. Her behaviour, marked by heavy drinking and use of amphetamines, gradually becomes erratic, which leads to an incident involving a traffic policeman. The incident leads to more arrests and violent outbursts recorded by tabloid reporters, after which she is brought to psychiatric hospital. After a while she is released to her mother’s custody, which leads to series of clashes. She is returned to hospital where she suffers terrible abuse that includes rape and lobotomy.

Frances resembles today’s “give me an Oscar” films, because it looks like its main purpose is to provide Lange with a prestigious acting awards. Lange is indeed presented with very difficult and challenging role that requires her to play sparky teenager and docile middle-aged woman, with all kinds of mental breakdowns and afflictions in between. Lange does her job admirably and she is aided by some very good character actors in small but memorable parts, which include Jonathan Banks as kind-hearted hitch-hiker and Lane Smith as sinister and manipulative head of psychiatric hospital. She is, however, not aided by Sam Shepard, otherwise fine actor stuck with utterly thankless role of Harry York, Seattle left-wing activist who befriends Frances at her early age only to inexplicably appear to offer advice and support during the most pivotal moments in her life. This character, introduced by scriptwriters in order to give some sort of coherence in otherwise episodic film, is product of fiction, just like some of the more “spicier” details of Frances’ ordeal in the hospital. Clifford, previously known as an editor, does decent job in his directorial debut but he can’t overcome deficiencies in the script, which makes Frances overlong and somewhat confusing near the end. Not even the talents of composer John Barry help this film, that should be ultimately recommended only to the most devout fans of Jessica Lange. Although a commercial failure, this film proved to be a blessing for lead actress, because she fell in love with Sam Shepard on the set and started long relationship during which she would bear two children. Tragic stories on the screen sometimes can have happy ends in real life.

RATING: 5/10 (++)