Postcards from the Edge (1990) Columbia/Comedy-Drama RT: 101 minutes Rated R (language, brief partial nudity, alcohol use, drug references, mature themes, adult situations) Director: Mike Nichols Screenplay: Carrie Fisher Music: Carly Simon Cinematography: Michael Ballhaus Release date: September 14, 1990 (US) Cast: Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine, Dennis Quaid, Gene Hackman, Richard Dreyfuss, Rob Reiner, Mary Wickes, Conrad Bain, Annette Bening, Simon Callow, Gary Morton, CCH Pounder, Robin Bartlett, Barbara Garrick, Anthony Heald, Dana Ivey, Oliver Platt. Box Office: $39M (US)
Rating: ***
The recent deaths of mother-daughter actresses Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher prompted me to revisit Postcards from the Edge, a comedy-drama based on Fisher’s semi-autobiographical novel about her rocky relationship with her mother. It should be said that Fisher vehemently denied it was about her and Reynolds yet we can’t help wonder how much of it is true. There are similarities between Fisher and Reynolds and the characters played by Meryl Streep (Out of Africa) and Shirley MacLaine (Terms of Endearment), but how close does it come to the truth? That I can’t say for sure. What I do know for sure is that Postcards from the Edge is an entertaining, sometimes very funny movie featuring two solid performances from its leading ladies.
Actress Suzanne Vale (Streep) lands in drug rehab after nearly dying from an overdose. It was her mother, legendary actress Doris Mann (MacLaine), who committed her in hopes her daughter will finally kick her nasty cocaine habit. After her release, she’s eager to get back to work but no insurance company will cover her unless she moves in with a responsible person who will supervise her. Somebody like her mother.
Suzanne doesn’t want to move back in with Doris. Besides being a functional alcoholic, she’s also loud, competitive, manipulative and self-absorbed. She still treats Suzanne like a child. For her part, Suzanne spent years living in her famous mother’s shadow and isn’t eager to go back. They definitely have issues to work out and there’s never any doubt they will. Getting to that point won’t be easy; they have to fix themselves before they can start to mend their relationship. Therein lies the challenge.
For the most part, Postcards from the Edge is a pretty good movie. It has a few problems. It drops the ball when it comes to Suzanne’s recovery from addiction. This aspect of the story isn’t fully realized. Her stay in rehab seems awfully brief. Once she gets out, we hear but never see her attend an NA meeting. She makes a friend in rehab, Aretha (Bartlett, Regarding Henry), who we rarely see after they’re released. You’d think that a fellow recovering addict would play a bigger role in the story.
Streep and MacLaine are both quite good in their respective roles as daughter and mother. Streep shows a gift for comedy as she tries to put her life back together while an overbearing mother hovers about. One of her best scenes is her confrontation with the lover (Quaid, The Big Easy) who turns out to be a liar and a lothario. When it comes to the more serious stuff, Streep more than holds her own against MacLaine who delivers one of the best (and funniest) performances of her career. My favorite scene in the movie is an exchange between the two women about how Doris embarrassed Suzanne at a birthday party in front of her friends. The real surprise is how well the actresses can sing. MacLaine belts out a brash rendition of “I’m Still Here”; Streep sings a country song called “I’m Checkin’ Out” in the films closing scene.
Postcards from the Edge has a strong supporting cast that includes Gene Hackman (No Way Out) as a sympathetic but tough director who wants the best for Suzanne but not at the expense of his movie. Richard Dreyfuss (Down and Out in Beverly Hills) plays the ER doctor who develops feelings for Suzanne after pumping her stomach. Mary Wickes (Sister Act) and Conrad Bain (Diff’rent Strokes) have a few good scenes as Doris’ parents. Director Mike Nichols (The Graduate) does his usual good job. As a director, he has a knack for finding the humanity in his characters with all their flaws. I like how he takes a satirical approach to the world of show-biz. He depicts movies sets as both absurd and surreal. It’s one of the most interesting aspects of the film.
Postcards from the Edge is that rare breed of movies, adult movies for adults. I hadn’t seen it in its entirety since it first came out in September ’90. I forgot how good it is. It’s undisputable proof that there was a time when Hollywood made movies for people with IQs that exceed double-digits. I said it before and I’ll keep on saying it, studios need to start making movies like this again. I’ll take good writing and well-rounded characters over CGI and noise any day and twice on Sunday. Postcards from the Edge may not be one of the greats, but it’s good enough that you won’t feel like you wasted your time.
