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We just finished watching the finale of “Feud: Bette and Joan” on FX. (Thanks, OnDemand!) Here are my thoughts, in no particular order.
I found this show to be delightful. We looked forward to watching it every week. The performances were nuanced as well as spot on by the two lead actors.
Re: ageism and sexism in Old(?) Hollywood. One of the things I found the most fascinating was the ages of Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. This series focused on the time period of 1960 to 1977/1978. The movie, “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?” came out in 1962 which means it was probably/possibly made in 1961. In 1961 Bette Davis was 53 years old. Joan Crawford was 57. The actors playing them? Susan Sarandon is 70 playing a 53 year old; Jessica Lange is 67, playing a 67 year old. Both Sarandon and Lange look years younger than their counterparts.
I realize that Davis and Crawford were both hard drinkers and smokers. And I suppose it’s possible that Sarandon and Davis have had some “work” done. It still boggles. It makes me feel extremely sympathetic towards Davis and Crawford (and even towards Sarandon, Lange and all female actors of a “certain” age) and all of the tumult they went through to just keep working.
There has been some buzz about a fantasy scene in the final episode. Without spoiling, I felt it was a fitting summing up of both women’s careers and how they, possibly, really felt about each other.
I like to think this was a love letter to both women. They had their weaknesses, their pettiness but mostly they had greatness. We should always remember.
I found this show to be delightful. We looked forward to watching it every week. The performances were nuanced as well as spot on by the two lead actors.
Re: ageism and sexism in Old(?) Hollywood. One of the things I found the most fascinating was the ages of Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. This series focused on the time period of 1960 to 1977/1978. The movie, “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?” came out in 1962 which means it was probably/possibly made in 1961. In 1961 Bette Davis was 53 years old. Joan Crawford was 57. The actors playing them? Susan Sarandon is 70 playing a 53 year old; Jessica Lange is 67, playing a 67 year old. Both Sarandon and Lange look years younger than their counterparts.
I realize that Davis and Crawford were both hard drinkers and smokers. And I suppose it’s possible that Sarandon and Davis have had some “work” done. It still boggles. It makes me feel extremely sympathetic towards Davis and Crawford (and even towards Sarandon, Lange and all female actors of a “certain” age) and all of the tumult they went through to just keep working.
There has been some buzz about a fantasy scene in the final episode. Without spoiling, I felt it was a fitting summing up of both women’s careers and how they, possibly, really felt about each other.
I like to think this was a love letter to both women. They had their weaknesses, their pettiness but mostly they had greatness. We should always remember.
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