Displaying items by tag: Jessica Lange

THE GREAT LILLIAN HALL

US, 2025, 110 minutes, Colour.

Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Lily Rabe, Jesse Williams, Pierce Brosnan, Michael Rose, Cindy Hogan, Keith Arthur Bolden.

Directed by Michael Christofer.

As we watch the central performance, we are probably thinking “The Great Jessica Lange”.  For 40 years she has top lined in quite a range of strong films as well as television programs and has won two Oscars. She is perfect casting here.

The film has been directed by actor and writer, Michael Christoffer, Pulitzer and Tony award winner for his play, The Shadow Box. The screenplay is by Elisabeth Seldes Annacone, inspired by her actress aunt, Marian Seldes, who had the reputation, like Lillian, of never missing a performance.

This is a story of a Grande Dame, First Lady, of the Broadway theatre. In a collage during the opening credits, she is seen on stage in rehearsals for Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, intercut with many scenes of her daily life, using the same words, performances. Lillian Hall has been a significant name in Broadway lights for decades. But, a slip and a bump into a fellow-actor during rehearsal indicates some unease.

In fact, the great Lillian Hall is in the early stages of developing dementia. And, we realise, that with these slips, with some dramatic nightmares, with the frequent appearances of her deceased loving husband and her comfortable love for him and need for his presence, she is aware of the situation.

On the personal side, there is her long-time assistant, Edith (a feisty Kathy Bates) who discovers her medication and realises the truth. There is a visit from her daughter (Lily Rabe), reaching out to her mother, but her mother over the decades often emotionally remote from her daughter.

There is a visit to the doctor, clarity of diagnosis, medication, advice. But, as we expect, Lillian Hall is determined that the show must go on, that she will be in command of her memory, reciting her lines, accurate blocking of the performance on stage, communicating with her director. The central character of The Cherry Orchard often like Lillian Hall herself.

She does have some support from her sympathetic neighbour, Pierce Brosnan.

There are many scenes of rehearsal, of slips, of Lillian’s determination, of communication with her serious-minded director who places great hopes in her, hopes that are not shared by the dismal financial prospects for the producer should the show fail.

We may not have liked Lillian Hall very much if we encountered her in real life, nor she liking us. However, the film invites us to share in the dread of dementia, in the upsets that it causes, some hope when she does reach out to her daughter with a visit, and some plain speaking with Edith. But Edith does have one solution, for Lillian to be connected by microphone and Edith to be her prompter – and a sequence in the rehearsal indicating whether this could succeed or fail.

So, ultimately, the dramatic climax is the dress rehearsal, the cast ready, a substitute ready, the anxiety of the director, the impatience of the producer. And Lillian Hall, about to go to the theatre, experiencing another appearance of her husband, remembering his devotion to her, his directing her, his support.

And, even to the final moments, the audience continues to wonder if she will get to the theatre and, if so, could she actually maintain her presence of memory, could she make it through the performance, the eagerly anticipating audience arriving, including her daughter, or, the experience of her condition compelling her to face reality?

Of course, the ending, whether happy or sad, is well worth waiting for.

1. Acclaim for Jessica Lange and her performance?
2. The New York setting, the Broadway settings, the theatre, apartments, the New York streets, homes, restaurants? The musical score?
3. The tradition of Broadway actresses, stars, first ladies? The image, the audiences, over many decades, the range of plays and performances, awards? The public lives, success? Their private lives, character, strengths and weaknesses, marriage, children, relationships, ups and downs? And the issue of ageing?
4. The introduction to Lillian Hall, the opening sequences, in real life, encounters with people, the hotel doorman, friends and associates in the theatre, transferring some of those sequences in words to stage performance?
5. The Chekov background, The Cherry Orchard, the central character, the screenplay drawing the parallels with Lillian Hall?
6. The rehearsal sequences, the members of the cast, their characters, relating to Lillian Hall, the beginning of the difficulties, memory losses, staging and blocking? David, as director, his ambitions, dedicated to theatre, no family, working with Lillian, supporting her, understanding her, visiting her, and the visit to her daughter and family? The discussions with the producer, her hard-headedness, business issues, having the standby? The tensions behind the scenes?
7. Lillian, Jessica Lange’s performance and presence, intensity, the thought behind her close-up sequences, inner intensity? Lillian, her age, reputation, her long career, directed by her husband, her devotion to him, his continued reappearance, her bond with him, wanting to be with him, the park, the park bench?
8. Her forgetting her lines, her seeing her husband, the disturbances at night? Working with Edith, for 20 years, Edith and her personality, asked by Carson to look after Lillian, the sequences at home, arguments, telling Lillian off? Margaret’s visit, the quiche, the tension between mother and daughter?
9. Margaret, her relationship with her mother, her marriage, her artist husband, her son? Visit to her mother, her mother turning up at the home, with David, the meal, the conversation, unable to tell her daughter the truth? The hospital sequence, the doctor telling Margaret the truth, her outburst against her mother, sense of alienation, her mother not disclosing her illness to her? Yet, the memories, her childhood, with the theatre, her parents, Lillian coming home, sitting on the bed, singing the song? And the older Lillian singing the song to her daughter? The finale, at the theatre, her mother acknowledging her daughter in the audience?
10. The visit to the doctor, his talking the truth, the test, the memory, folding the paper and the hand trembling? The pills? The prospects, the symptoms, the decline, her having to expect dementia?
11. Ty as her neighbour, the conversations, support and advice? His character, friendship, relationships?
12. Edith, discovering the tablets, confronting Lillian, Edith frantic when Lillian visited Margaret? The plan, the earpiece for the prompting? The rehearsal? Lillian not turning up for the premiere, Edith frantic again, meeting her at the park bench, the argument, Lillian drawing on her energies, going to the theatre, the performance, Edith with the prompting, the audience, acclamation, the performance, wandering, yet the final achievement, the curtain call?
13. The happy ending, Lillian and a final achievement, reconciliation with her daughter, with Edith, the success for the director and the producer?
14. The film and the themes of dementia, in public figures, diagnosis, prognosis, acceptance and not, decisions how to behave, to relate? The need for letting go?

FEUD: CAPOTE VS THE SWANS

US, 2024, 8 x 60 minutes, Colour.

Tom Hollander, Naomi Watts, Diane Lane, Chloe Sevigny, Calista Flockhart, Demi Moore, Molly Ringwald, Treat Williams, Joe Mantello, Russell Tovey, Jessica Lange, Chris Chalk.

Directed by Gus van Sant, Jennifer Lynch, Max Winkler.

As the second in the television series of Feud, created by Ryan Murphy (also creator of American Horror Stories and Glee). The first feud was between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford during the filming of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane.

Response to this series will depend on audience sympathy or not with its central character, author Truman Capote (previously played by Philip Seymour Hoffman in his Oscar-winning role in Capote as well as by British actor Toby Jones in Infamous). Capote, from the south, found fame with Breakfast at Tiffany’s and then his research for and publication of In Cold Blood. However, effeminate in style, camp, openly gay, he found acceptance in affluent New York society, especially with a group of women in the 1960s whom he dubbed The Swans. However, he wrote fictitious articles about them, but their being quickly recognised, they turned on him.

Response to the series will also depend on audience attitudes towards the Swans, the self-centred way of life, their arrogance, social ambitions – and the vengeance on capacity.

The series has a very strong group of directors as well as acting cast. Tom Hollander is completely convincing as Truman Capote – and a bonus is the presence of Jessica Lange in memories and dreams of his mother.

For some perspective on the characters and moral issues, the fifth episode is interesting in a created meeting between Capote and author James Baldwin, his encouraging Capote but their discussing and analysing his relationship with The Swans and his writing.

The central characters are all real but this is an interpretation of them – and, to the anger of some reviewers, it is a hostile/critical interpretation of Capote.

1. The series on American Feuds?
2. Audience knowledge of Truman Capote? American society in the 1950s to the 1970s? Interest/not?
3. Truman Capote in himself, his life, his writings, success, reputation, vanity, gay orientation, love of society, the expose, vengeance wreaked on him, the impact of his mother, the meaning of his life?
4. The impact of the series, eight episodes, the range of writers, directors? The prestigious cast?
5. The episodes, moving around in time, flashbacks to Capote his childhood and relationship with his mother, as emerging in the 1950s, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the 1960s, the research for writing In Cold Blood? His status? Yet his personal ambitions, the 1960s, society, friendships, his writing, the publication of the article, condemning the swans, reactions? His researching his reply, Answered Prayers? His drinking, drugs, health, relationships? Into the 1980s, his collapse, death?
6. The significance of the fifth episode, the conversation with James Baldwin, his character and career and writing in the light of this conversation, James Baldwin and his reputation, literature, living abroad, homosexuality? Discussing the situation with The Swans? An opportunity for moral evaluation of the themes and characters?
7. The attitude to New York society, wealthy, snobbery, status, moral perspectives, sexuality and relationships, betrayals, the impact of wealth, to be seen, restaurants, balls? Wealthy American New York society of the period? Households, mansions, lifestyle, fashion, beauty parlours and manicure is, servants…?
8. The portrayal of The Swans? Babe Paley and her relationship with Bill, his fears, his impact on the world of television, her patience with him, yet her coldness towards her children and alienation? The 1950s and 60s, Capote entering into this world, Bill Paley’s reaction? The cells next? Babe and her devotion to Capote, his devotion to her? Slick, haughty, her marriages and flaunting her husbands, vindictive attitudes? Gossip, the Royal family, international status? C.Z., her lifestyle, gardens, horses, posing nude for Frida Kahlo, the painting, her friendship with Capote, Brinkley to him, mediating? Lee Radziwill, her relationship with her sister, Jackie Kennedy, her place in society, interactions with Capote? Not supporting him?
9. Ann Woodward, her story, relationship with her husband, the shooting, her confronting Capote, the reaction of The Swans? His writing about her, her suicide? Her family coming later to haunt him?
10. The episode of the Black and White ball, the discussions, the guest of honour, the irony of the editor of the Washington Post, The Swans vying with each other, the visuals of the ball?
11. The Maysles Brothers? Their skills documentarians? The filming of the documentary on Capote in his life, in black and white, the presence of Albert Maysels’, devotion, dancing together? The effect of the film?
12. The bonds between the women, ladies who lunch, Capote and his entree into their world, friendship with Paley, Paley turning against him? Capote exploiting his friendships?
13. His writing, turning against the women, the visualising, the recognising themselves? The articles, widely read? The effect? The reaction of each of The Swans?
14. Capote, the baths, the encounter with John, the relationship, John and his moodiness, leaving his family, some violence towards Capote it? The irony of his daughter, her coming to Capote, his taking her on, as a project, as a model, the incident of her being bottled on babe Paley, Richard Avedon in the photo at his change?
15. Jack, the long relationship, his moving to Switzerland, his companions, trying to give advice to Capote?
16. The background of his feud with Gore Vidal?
17. Capote, the drinking, the intoxication of his connections, status in society, drugtaking, as range of partners and young men? Change of heart on not? The writing of Answered Prayers? Series dramatising the scenes from answered Prayers, the different light on The Swans?
18. Babe, arrogant, yet sympathetic, her husband, illness, revealing it, her death? Her grave?
19. The importance of his mother, her appearance in his fantasies, the reminiscence about the past, his bringing up, her influence, her being a prima donna?
20. His later years, Johnny Carson’s former wife, care for Capote, his death?
21. Audience response to the series, curiosity, prurience, revulsion, interest, judgement?