Mommie Dearest

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Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford and Mara Hobel in Mommie Dearest, both wearing large white hats and light dresses, smiling together at a table with wrapped presents.

Mommie Dearest

film by Perry [1981]

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July 15, 2026

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Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford and Mara Hobel in Mommie Dearest, both wearing large white hats and light dresses, smiling together at a table with wrapped presents. — Mara Hobel and Faye Dunaway in Mommie Dearest Faye Dunaway (right) and Mara Hobel in Mommie Dearest (1981), directed by Frank Perry.

Mommie Dearest is a 1981 film directed by Frank Perry and starring Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford. The film is based on Christina Crawford's 1978 memoir of the same name, which details her alleged abusive childhood at the hands of her adoptive mother, Joan Crawford. Despite being widely panned by critics upon its release, the film was a box-office success and has since become a cult classic, celebrated for its campy and over-the-top portrayal of Crawford's alleged behavior.12

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Joan Crawford
…their mother’s hands, and a film version was produced in 1981.
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…their mother’s hands, and a film version was produced in 1981.
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Frank Perry
In 1981 Perry directed Mommie Dearest, a biopic of Joan Crawford based on her daughter Christina’s best-selling memoir, in which she claimed the actress was abusive; Dunaway starred in the title role. Although widely panned at the time of its release, the campy and over-the-top drama was a box-office…
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In 1981 Perry directed Mommie Dearest, a biopic of Joan Crawford based on her daughter Christina’s best-selling memoir, in which she claimed the actress was abusive; Dunaway starred in the title role. Although widely panned at the time of its release, the campy and over-the-top drama was a box-office…
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camp
Camp classics in film
Dutch filmmaker Paul Verhoeven’s tawdry
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Dutch filmmaker Paul Verhoeven’s tawdry
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Faye Dunaway
…Joan Crawford in the biopic Mommie Dearest (1981) thrilled some but alienated most, especially in Hollywood, where she found increasingly less work. She gave memorable performances in Barfly (1987), The Handmaid’s Tale (1990), and Arizona Dream (1993). She later took on supporting roles in the biopic The Messenger: The Story…
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…Joan Crawford in the biopic Mommie Dearest (1981) thrilled some but alienated most, especially in Hollywood, where she found increasingly less work. She gave memorable performances in Barfly (1987), The Handmaid’s Tale (1990), and Arizona Dream (1993). She later took on supporting roles in the biopic The Messenger: The Story…
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