When Christina Crawford’s highly popular memoir, Mommie Dearest, was set to become a feature film, producers and studios thought they had the perfect opportunity to not only show a more intimate and haunting side of Hollywood legend Joan Crawford, but also raise awareness to issues such as child abuse and the dark side of fame. Yet when the movie was released, it unintentionally became a camp classic and ridiculed for over-the-top performances by main star Faye Dunaway. Even so, the movie remains a classic nearly 40 years later. Yet the drama behind the scenes illustrates a more complicated process than viewers were ever aware of. With Love, Mommie Dearest by A. Ashley Hoff is a Hollywood nonfiction novel that explores how such a serious memoir-based story became the subject of ridicule from audiences.
Book
The book’s full title is With Love, Mommie Dearest: The Making of an Unintentional Camp Classic. While a mouthful, the full title is an apt summary of what the story entails. I will preface this review by saying that I never knew that Mommie Dearest, the movie, was based on an actual memoir by Joan Crawford’s daughter, Christina. Having seen the movie when I was very, very young, I only watched it for the infamous hanger scene. And I don’t remember much of the movie after that. Additionally, I’m not an expert of cinema or film history. So keep that in mind as you will.
Fortunately, Hoff has done all of the hard work for those who want to know all of the juicy details and drama regarding the making of Mommie Dearest. He has based With Love, Mommie Dearest on interviews with those connected to the movie and memoir – producers, actors, assistants, and more. He recounts the process from concept to completion – the legacy of Joan Crawford, the force of Faye Dunaway, the legitimacy of Christina’s account of events, the struggle to find a writer and a finished script, editing quarrels, and unexpected mockery of the film.
Review
Personally, I find it hard to find Hollywood nonfiction entertaining. Especially when I come from a few generations after the fact. Even so, Hoff weaves all the witness accounts together to compile an objective view of the story, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions about what transpired.
A. Ashley Hoff joins the Cantina Book Club Podcast to talk about his process in bringing this book to the world, and plans for the future. Keep an ear out for the interview on an upcoming episode and preorder With Love, Mommie Dearest, available May 7.
