THE SECRET LIFE OF MARILYN MONROE
US, 2015, 160 minutes, Colour.
Susan Sarandon, Kelli Garner, Emily Watson, Jack Noseworthy, Embeth Davidtz, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Eva Amurri Martino, Stephen Bogaert, Giacomo Gianotti, Peter McNeill?, Barry Flatman, Tony Nardi.
Directed by Laurie Collyer.
After so many films about Marilyn Monroe, biographies, portraits, documentaries, and conspiracy theories, this miniseries is welcome.
The framework is Marilyn Monroe, a year or two before her death, going to see a therapist (Jack Noseworthy) giving her the opportunity to reflect on her life, her career, her ambitions, her relationship with her mother, celebrity and stardom, her marriages, her drug dependence, her infatuation with John F. Kennedy…
She is played very well by Kelli Garner, from her teenage years to the age of 36 when she died, Kelli Garner looking remarkably like Marilyn Monroe in some shots and sounding like her with her voice and mannerisms.
Susan Sarandon gets prominent billing playing her mother, with Susan Sarandon’s daughter, Eva Amurri Martino, playing her when young. Marilyn’s mother spent a lot of time in institutions, with erratic behaviour, getting religion at one stage, wearing a uniform because she liked control, the continued presence in Marilyn Monroe’s life with Marilyn having some kind of dependence on her. In the meantime, she was cared for by her aunt, Grace, played interestingly by Emily Watson.
The film traces the young Norma Jean in an orphanage, visiting her mother, with her aunt, dating Jim Dougherty and, to avoid the orphanage, marrying him, the separation and divorce to follow.
The film traces her ambitions, auditions, the famous nude photographs, her relationship with mogul Joseph Schenk, with Johnny Hyde her agent, the introduction to drugs. There are some glimpses and mentions of various films including a scene from All About Eve, Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend from Gentleman Prefer Blondes, mention of Bus Stop, a poster for Some Like It Hot, the subway scene from The Seven Year Itch and many references to The Misfits.
The film shows her meeting Joe Di Maggio, his love for her, his violent outbursts, separation and divorce, the screenplay plunging immediately into her marriage with Arthur Miller, his support of her but then his second thoughts as well as writing The Misfits.
Marilyn also has a friendship with Patricia Lawford, JFK’s sister, is introduced to the president and is immediately infatuated, the screenplay suggesting that she imagined the president divorcing Jackie after the 1964 election and Marilyn becoming his wife.
There are some sad moments with Marilyn’s mental breakdown, time in an asylum, brought out by Joe Di Maggio, ever devoted to her. The film does not suggest any Kennedy complicity in the overdose which led to her death.
The film was directed by Laurie Collyer, director of Sherrybaby and Sunlight Jr.
1. The status of Marilyn Monroe as 20th-century celebrity, icon? Audience knowledge of her as a person? Her career?
2. The film made for television? Audience knowledge of her, interest in her, her childhood, her erratic mother, the kindness of Grace, the experience of the orphanage, in her teens, her ambitions, auditions, developing a style, auditions, contracts, parties, the relationship with Joseph Schenk, moving into films?
3. The framework of the film, her age, the family, the doctor, the influence on having the therapist, her meetings, the therapist and his personality, style, questions, the sessions? Marilyn and her behaviour, drinking, the drugs, the come-on? The talking about her life, surfacing her attitudes, especially the influence of her mother, going to the orphanage, the sense of loneliness, her talent, ambitions?
4. Norma Jean, no father, her mother’s erratic behaviour, mental condition, going to the orphanage at two, the scenes at home at the clothesline, the authorities coming? Her aunt Grace? Her mother in and out of institutions? Grace and her support, the visits to her mother? Her attachment to her mother? Growing up, Grace having to move, Norma Jean’s friendship with Jim, Grace urging her to marry and to get away from the orphanage? Norma Jean’s hesitation, agreement, the ceremony?
5. Her mother, her character, her mental state, in the various institutions, getting out, getting religion, becoming very proper, her wanting to wear a uniform and have control, her denunciations of the daughter, sitting primly, the wedding ceremony and her comments afterwards?
6. Jim, the date, at the movies, Norma Jean impressed by the style of the girl selling ice creams, the voice and tone? Outings, the wedding, the ceremony, his family, Norma Jean and her hesitation about sex? Her mother coming home, providing excuses for Norma Jean? Jim going into service, the phone calls, Norma Jean going to her mother, the separation, the divorce?
7. Meeting Joseph Schenk, the party, glamour, his interest, the affair and her using the affair for her career?
8. The nude photos, their fame, the sessions, the photographer and his wife? The magazines – and her mother tearing them up?
9. The meeting with Johnny Hyde, his influence on her career, her nerves, his giving her the drugs? The issue with drugs, the doctor?
10. The scene from All About Eve? Singing Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend? The success of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the comments about Jane Russell’s salary? The premiere of the
film, Grace watching, the interviews, Marilyn becoming a celebrity?
11. The role of Grace, Grace and her illness, Marilyn and Grace’s pills, Grace committing suicide and the effect on Marilyn?
12. Marilyn Monroe and her clashes with Daryl Zanuck, the visits to his office, his arrogance, the pressures on her, his suspending her? Her defiance? Sending the script of The Seven Year Itch? Her wanting to do the film? Rewrites? The famous sequence with the subway breeze? The film’s comment on producers through Zanuck?
13. The meeting with Joe Di Maggio, the girl in the bar, wanting to approach him, Marilyn entering, autographs, her thinking he played football, his not having seen her films? The relationship, development, the nature of the attraction, the love, the affair, the media response, the visit to his family for dinner? The discussions about her career, about children and family, her thinking temporarily, he thinking permanently? The clashes, his comments on her drinking and pills? Watching the famous scene of The Seven Year Itch and his disgust, discussing it afterwards, slapping her, her reaction? His being sorry? The later violence, bashing her, the physical abuse, the mental abuse? Again being sorry?
14. Joe Di Maggio later, coming into a life, helping her, rescuing her, her reactions, the sexual encounters? The death? His sending flowers to her tomb? For decades?
15. The coach, working with her, Joe wanting to get rid of her, her resuming her work with Marilyn?
16. The omission of references to various films – but the therapists reference to Bus Stop? The poster for Some Like it Hot?
17. Arthur Miller, the film plunging into the relationship, not much explanation of how they met and married? Her being pleased that he asked her to read his work for comedy touches? The socials? His exasperation with her? The doctor, the pregnancy, communicating it, her happiness? The impact of the miscarriage? On her emotions, on her mental condition? Miller’s severe condemnation of her? The tensions in the relationship, his writing The Misfits, wanting Clark Gable? Continual rewrites? Her reading his comments on the pad? The pills, her drinking? Filing for divorce?
18. The friendship with Patricia Lawford, walking along the beach, the discussions, Patricia concerned about Marilyn’s health? Discussing JFK, the number of women that he had and not loved?
19. The meeting with JFK, the preparations, the effect on Marilyn, thinking that there was some electric effect, her pining for him, telling Patricia Lawford that he would divorce Jackie after the new election, the Jackie did not read his speeches? That she was the complete partner for JFK?
20. Her nerves, being interned, the padded cell, Joe Di Maggio getting her out?
21. The visits to her mother, taking Joe Di Maggio to meet, her mother wanting his faith in Jesus? The later discussions, telling Marilyn that she was self-centred?
22. Being invited to sing happy birthday for JFK – and the sequence not being re-enacted?
23. Marilyn and her emotional, mental decline, the pills and the drink? Are being found dead? (In the film not going anywhere near conspiracies with the Kennedys?)
24. The final fantasy sequence of Marilyn together with her mother?
25. The effect of the framework and the recurring discussions with the therapist, the opportunity to reflect on her life, her feelings, his asking her about her feelings, his personal response, her changes throughout the interviews?
26. Audience opinion about Marilyn Monroe after seeing this film?
