NORMA JEAN AND MARILYN
US, 1996, 108 minutes, Colour.
Ashley Judd, Mira Sorvino, Josh Charles, Ron Rifkin, David Dukes, Peter Dobson, John Rubinstein, Allan Corduner, Micole Mercurio, Lindsay Crouse.
Directed by Tim Fywell.
Norma Jean and Marilyn does not purport to be a biography of Marilyn Monroe. Rather, it is a psychological portrait of Marilyn Monroe and her alter-ego, the young Norma Jean Dougherty who grew up to become Marilyn Monroe.
Many people are very critical of the playing with events in Marilyn Monroe’s life, criticising the film for not being accurate. While aspects may be true, the film tries to show what happened in the transformation of Norma Jean into Marilyn, the influences, the personalities involved, the ambition, the insecurities leading to drug-taking and promiscuity.
Ashley Judd is very effective as Norma Jean, showing her early life, with flashbacks to her childhood and unhappiness in family and institution, abuse from her foster father. It shows her ambitions to be a model, failing at being an actress, yet attracting men, using her best friend to get access to his show business uncle, meeting Johnny Hyde and breaking up his marriage, acting in films, especially in All About Eve (with a lookalike Bette Davis being very effective). With the transition at 20th Century Fox, Mira Sorvino takes over the role and becomes Marilyn Monroe, doing an impersonation of her look, her manner, her voice and accent.
There are focuses on some films of Marilyn Monroe including All About Eve, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the famous scene in The Seven Year Itch and Billy Wilder with her again in Some Like it Hot. There is talk about her failure with Something’s Got to Give as well as some scenes with Montgomery Clift for The Misfits.
The film also focuses on her relationship with Johnny Hyde, the almost arranged marriage with Joe Di Maggio in the public eye but failing domestically, her encounter with Arthur Miller and his influence on her.
Marilyn Monroe has appeared as a character as well as with people impersonating her. Interesting films are Marilyn: The Untold Story (1980) where she is played by Catherine Hicks. Samantha Morton did an impersonation in Mr Lonely (2007). Michelle Williams got an Oscar nomination for her performance in My Week with Marilyn (2011).
1. Continued interest in Marilyn Monroe? As a person, her background, her career? American, Californian? An icon and sex symbol?
2. The title of this film, the Norma Jean phase, the Marilyn phase? Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino and the interactions? The transition from one to the other? Look, manner, accent? Marilyn Monroe’s image and playing to it? Norma Jean intervening and criticising Marilyn Monroe? The effect on Marilyn Monroe? Their coming together as she died?
3. The background of the 1930s to the 1960s? Recreation of period, look, costumes, decor, atmosphere? Hollywood?
4. Norma Jean and her life, her mother and her contact with her, her mother in the institution, her father and his absence? Her grandmother? In care, the kindly foster mother, the abuse by the foster father? As a girl, in the institution, asserting herself? Emotions, needs?
5. Norma Jean and the institution, her age, foster care? Going out on her own?
6. Norma Jean wanting to be an actress and a model? Her various attempts? Her being attractive for photography, pushing herself forward, displays, advertisements? Her poor performance, people wanting to move her on in terms of acting?
7. Her friendship with Eddie, ordinary, his love for her, the tensions, his studies, support, her ambitions? His acting? Her trying to act – breaking the bond? His later reappearance and support of her?
8. The visuals of the modelling, the portfolio, the famous nude photographs? Encountering Johnny Hyde, his attraction, taking her on, his devotion to her? Johnny Hyde’s wife, her reading the situation? Her antagonism? Hyde and his leaving his wife, staying with Marilyn, promoting her, with Darryl Zanuck, urging the screen test? His illness and death? The effect on Marilyn?
9. The screen test, the studio chiefs and their response? Her small parts in films? In All About Eve, praising Bette Davis and being told to move out of the picture? The result of fans praising Marilyn in their feedback?
10. The transition to Marilyn Monroe, her name? Her public life? The issue of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, her lateness, the antagonism of Howard Hawks? Darryl Zanuck with the situation? Natasha as her coach, advising her? The performance – and the success on screen, despite her difficulties? Her singing voice, coaching? Her career moving on?
11. Natasha, the encounter, the relationship, the hard work, Natasha protecting Marilyn, always present, the emotional clashes, Natasha in love with Marilyn, the break?
12. The meeting with Joe Di Maggio, the restaurant, the glamour, Marilyn’s ignorance about baseball? The public marriage? Their life together, at home, her inability to cook, Joe and his friends watching games on television, the break?
13. The chance with Billy Wilder, the recreation of The Seven Year Itch? His later dealing with her in Some Like It Hot, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, exasperation?
14. Marilyn Monroe leaving Norma Jean behind? The public image, playing up to it? Her ambitions, the public responding? Yet her pills, her needs?
15. Arthur Miller, his status, their meeting, the marriage, sharing ideas, talking, the break? Marilyn and her inability to keep pace with Miller? His writing The Misfits for her?
16. The scenes of The Misfits, her talking with Montgomery Clift, the pessimistic outlook for them both?
17. Going down, being fired from Something’s Got To Give? Her reactions? Abusive?
18. The relationship with John F. Kennedy, the singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to him – and her nerves, the dress, the famous scene? Robert Kennedy warning her off, not answering the phone?
19. Her loneliness, her reliance on pills, the overdose, the credibility of her death?
20. The film acknowledging her achievement, people’s response to her? An American icon – a mixture of sex appeal, insecurity, playing to the camera, getting so many fans, yet ultimately seeing herself as a failure?
