Frances

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Frances

R,

1982,

2h 20m,

Biography

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68%

31 Reviews

Tomatometer

78%

2,500+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

68%

Tomatometer

31 Reviews

78%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

This biopic explores the true story of Frances Farmer (Jessica Lange), a mold-breaking actress from Seattle who moved to Hollywood, Calif., and gained notoriety for her unconventional attitude. After being lured to New York under false pretenses, dealing with her overbearing mother and an addiction to alcohol lead to a mental collapse. Institutionalized, Farmer is abused by patients and staff alike. Following her release, Farmer hosts a local Indianapolis TV show until her death in 1970.

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Critics Consensus

This sordid biopic emphasizes the indignities visited upon Frances Farmer to the detriment of fleshing her out as a person, but Jessica Lange's towering performance invests the tragic figure with a humanity that the script lacks.

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Derek Malcolm

Guardian

Mar 24, 2023

[Frances], though palpably overlong... is on the whole well-directed, decently set within its period, and makes the Jessica Lange of King Kong and the Postman Always Ring Twice look an actress of an entirely different class.

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Bob Thomas

Associated Press

Nov 12, 2018

There was material for a profound human tragedy in her life, but three writers were unable to uncover it. The result is an almost ludicrous parody of the Old Hollywood.

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Mar 9, 2015

Jessica Lange brings so much energy and personal involvement to her portrayal of Frances Farmer that you can't help but feel sorry for her; nothing else in the film remotely matches her talent and dedication.

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Frank J. Avella

The Contending

Feb 17, 2025

B+

The one thing that cannot be debated is the intense ferocity of Jessica Lange’s performance and how this role instantly established her as a cinematic force.

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Molly Haskell

Vogue

Feb 26, 2020

Jessica Lange, blonde, nervy, witty, with great huge restless hands, captures, without self pity, the haunting quality of the eternal misfit.

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Diego Galán

El Pais (Spain)

Aug 29, 2019

The facts are not presented with inspiration. [Full Review in Spanish]

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Han R

Jan 2, 2018

Frances is a 1982 film about the life of Frances Farmer, whose domineering mother interfered with her life to a crippling degree.

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Kylo M

Nov 9, 2017

Eh. Jessica Lange does an amazing job in portraying a fleshed out Frances Farmer but unfortunately she's fighting against the director here. Frances' story is told at arms length and for some baffling reason through Sam Shepard's character (also well acted but) who unfortunately adds nothing except male gaze / narration (and nice 80s hair). Pretty much the only time the audience is left alone with Frances is when the movie wants to highlight her suffering. Unfortunately it never actually portrays any insight into her inner life or the true roots of her problems... Sure, it hints at it. Its THERE... sorta. But they lose their way half way through the film and nothing is ever explicitly hammered home (except when it's about making her mother off as an evil bitch). The whole thing just put a bad taste in my mouth unfortunately. Which isn't to say its BAD, it's not-a mixture of good acting and some excellent cinematography keep it going. But could this have been a deeper, more insightful and more emotionally powerful film had they swapped out the director with somebody who wanted to tell a story of female suffering at the hands of society? Easily.

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Graeme Clifford

Director

Jessica Lange

Frances Farmer

Kim Stanley

Lillian Farmer

Sam Shepard

Harry York

Bart Burns

Ernest Farmer

Jonathan Banks

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Synopsis

This biopic explores the true story of Frances Farmer (Jessica Lange), a mold-breaking actress from Seattle who moved to Hollywood, Calif., and gained notoriety for her unconventional attitude. After being lured to New York under false pretenses, dealing with her overbearing mother and an addiction to alcohol lead to a mental collapse. Institutionalized, Farmer is abused by patients and staff alike. Following her release, Farmer hosts a local Indianapolis TV show until her death in 1970.

Director: Graeme Clifford
Producer: Jonathan Sanger
Screenwriter: Eric Bergren, Christopher De Vore, Nicholas Kazan
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: EMI Films Ltd., Brooksfilms
Rating: R
Genre: Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 3, 1982, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 2, 2010
Runtime: 2h 20m
Sound Mix: Surround

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