Frances

Infobox Film
name = Frances


caption = Movie poster for "Frances"
director = Graeme Clifford
producer = Jonathan Sanger
writer = Eric Bergren
Christopher De Vore
Nicholas Kazan
starring = Jessica Lange
Kim Stanley
Sam Shepard
music = John Barry
cinematography = László Kovács
editing = John Wright
distributor = Universal Pictures
released = December 3, 1982
runtime = 140 min.
country = USA
language = English
gross = $5,000,000
amg_id = 1:18428
imdb_id = 0083967

"Frances" is a 1982 Universal drama film starring Jessica Lange, Kim Stanley, Sam Shepard. When it was released this film was advertised as a purportedly true account of actress Frances Farmer's life but the script was largely fictional and sensationalized. The film's tagline is: "Her story is shocking, disturbing, compelling... and true."

Directed by Graeme Clifford, the story was written for the screen by Eric Bergren, Christopher De Vore and Nicholas Kazan (son of Elia Kazan, who worked with the real Frances Farmer in several plays), based upon William Arnold's "Shadowland", a fictional biography of Farmer. In pre-production, the producers reneged on their option to use the book as source material. Arnold filed an unsuccessful copyright infringement lawsuit but many of his fictional elements were incorporated into the final film. On the commentary of the latest DVD release, director Clifford stated, "We didn't want to nickel and dime people to death with facts." It was produced by Jonathan Sanger and Mel Brooks.

"Frances" was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Jessica Lange) and Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Kim Stanley). The original music score was composed by John Barry.

Plot summary

The movie ostensibly tells the life story of actress Frances Farmer, but major plot elements shown, most notably the dramatic lobotomy scene, never happened. The title role is played by Lange, and her mother is played by Stanley. Shepard played fictional character Harry York, who was developed by the writers after the falling out with Arnold forced dramatic changes in the script.

Born in Seattle, Washington, Frances Elena Farmer is a rebel from the word go, winning a high school essay award by writing about God's death. Determining to become an actress, Frances is equally 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 City, Frances learns to her chagrin that the Group Theatre 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, result in a complete mental breakdown. Even while institutionalized, Frances is abused by the powers-that-be; she is forced to undergo a brain operation, is treated like a mad animal, and periodically raped by the male orderlies and visiting soldiers.

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 film comes to a climax when Frances is feted by the smarmy network program "This Is Your Life"; she spent her last years as host of a local TV program in Indianapolis, Indiana, dying of cancer on August 1, 1970 at age 56.

Main cast

External links

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* [http://jeffreykauffman.net/francesfarmer/sheddinglight.html "Shedding Light on Shadowland"] - In-depth essay detailing the many fictionalized elements in the film "Frances" and its source material.