The Great Lillian Hall
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ (out of 5 stars)
Jessica Lange has had an enviable career on multiple levels. She has won an Academy Award, played opposite some of Hollywood's incredible acting talent, and continues to deliver outstanding performances after decades of work. Yet, The Great Lillian Hall has all the markings of a great actress who wants to prove she has more to give her audiences. Her on-screen persona is a fictionalised account of another great from the theatre, Marian Seldes.
Lange's portrayal has her play a celebrated thespian who has conquered most of the great works on stage is ready to lead in a Broadway production of Anton Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard." Yet, something has been troubling her throughout the rehearsals, and the production team has noticed. Lillian lacks the focus she is known for from other plays and continually drops her lines. Events prompt her to see her physician, who diagnoses her with an aggressive form of dementia, which puts her life and production in jeopardy. As the award-winning actress struggles to make opening night, her friend Edith (Kathy Bates), her daughter Margaret (Lily Rabe) and David (Jesse Williams), the director, try to salvage the night and her legacy.
Reminiscent of Anthony Hopkins performance in The Father, Jessica Lange puts in unforgettable work in this tragic role. This emotional journey will resonate with all who have friends or family who struggle with this viscous condition. Director Michael Cristofer takes the audience into the internal recesses of his lead actress while showing us the ripple effects her dementia has on all of those in her relational orbit. A story that proves that this disease is not discriminatory in who it comes upon and regardless of how successful they may be in life, its claws are unrelenting once they take hold.
Even as Lange takes centre stage in this film, she is wonderfully surrounded by a cast who perfectly complement her throughout. Kathy Bates toes the line from stealing every scene to showing how she can be a strong supporting role and friend. Still, if there was anyone to take the attention away from Lange during the story, it would be Lily Rabe. She embodies a star's child's emotional highs and lows watching her mother about to 'exit stage right' in her career and life. Jesse Williams and Pierce Brosnan bring other layers to this tale, making it a well-rounded affair worth discovering.
The Great Lillian Hall honours a theatrical legend by allowing a screen icon to deliver one of the best performances of her career.
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Reel Dialogue: Forgiveness
Throughout The Great Lillian Hall, discussions abound about forgiveness and family. The Reel Dialogue team has curated discussion guides on these subjects. Click on the links below to get your free discussion guides and start the conversation today.
