Frances

Frances is an American biographical drama film released in 1982. The film is directed by Graeme Clifford and stars the exceptional Jessica Lange in the primary role, along with notable performances from Jonathan Banks and Bonnie Bartlett, embodying various supporting characters. This film is a portrayal and exploration of the life of Frances Farmer, a controversial and tormented Hollywood actress from the 1930's and 40's -- a life burdened with turbulence, battles against the system, and personal demons.

The movie kicks off with a young and very promising Frances Farmer, perfectly reincarnated by Jessica Lange, who displays an unusual intellectual precociousness for her age. Frances is seen as a bright, talented, and fiercely independent young woman striving for excellence in her life. She manages to carve out her destiny when a controversial essay she pens awards her an all-expenses-paid trip to Moscow for the summer—an uncommon opportunity in the 1930s. Her trip to the Soviet Union seems to become a transformative point in her life, shaping her views of the world, people, and the overpowering system.

Upon return, Frances decides to venture into the acting world and embarks upon a journey towards unravelling her destiny. The film offers an insider's view of Hollywood's golden era, filled with studios' domineering control over their contracted actors and the often debilitating pressure the limelight cast on them. Her decision to refuse to conform to the system’s demands, combined with her unease at being the 'America's sweetheart', sets Frances on a collision course with the powers that be.

Jonathan Banks plays a supporting role as Ernest, a character symbolic of the men drawn to Frances but ill-equipped to handle her complexity and non-conformist persona. Bonnie Bartlett imparts a powerful performance as Bertha Farmer, Frances's mother, whose domineering and controlling nature validates much of the tension and familial challenges faced by Frances. Her relationship with her mother forms an essential subplot of the film, hinting at how it may have contributed to Frances's turbulent life and emotional instability.

Frances's defiance against Hollywood's system becomes the turning point, plunging her life into a vortex of many personal and professional calamities, deeply affecting her mental health. The film also subtly delves into the archaic and brutal practices of mental institutions and the perverse alliance between Hollywood and yellow journalism, which further worsens Frances's plight. The heart-wrenching depiction of her bouts with sanity, the resultant brutal treatments, and the courtroom drama form the climactic part of the movie.

Roughly balancing its palette with instances of Frances's early triumphs at the commencement and her calamitous declines afterwards, the film is a harrowing tale of a woman caught amidst personal struggles, social stigmas, and an oppressive system, fighting and enduring it all. It is a testament to the unyielding human spirit against adversities.

Jessica Lange, the film's beating heart, delivers an electrifying performance, capturing Frances's charm, notoriety, manic bouts, and life’s darker moments with great intensity. Her portrayal earned her a well-deserved Academy Award nomination and embedded her dramatic capabilities in the halls of acting giants. The masterstroke of her performance lies in her ability to render an empathic character study of a woman who was initially perceived as an uncompromising rebel by industry standards.

Jonathan Banks, with his near stoic portrayal, creates an earthy character that complements Jessica's stormy performance, while Bonnie Bartlett embodies the character of an overbearing mother with such realism that it terrifies and infuriates in equal measure.

The director, Graeme Clifford, has painted a raw and compelling picture of a besieged woman's life and her struggle for freedom by keeping the narrative honest and real. The screenplay by Eric Bergren and Christopher De Vore is richly detailed, evoking a strong sense of time and place. Miroslav Ondricek's cinematography flawlessly captures the various shades of Frances's life, from the glitz and glam of Hollywood to the bleak walls of asylums, encapsulating the devastating beauty of Frances’s journey.

Frances is a film of outstanding performances that give a volatile yet empathic portrayal of a woman battling social, political and personal demons. It is a tragic tribute to an immensely talented soul whose life was scarred by rebellion, wronged by circumstances, and victimized by an unforgiving system.