Will There Really Be a Morning?

This was a good movie, but the portrayal of Frances Farmer by Actress Jessica Lange was absolutely worthy of an award. That version of her life is truly a film every aspiring actor should see. "Frances" is one of the most powerful movies I have seen and I highly recommend it.

Trying to reflect an image of a persons life, nothing more or less then it was, is very difficult. Especially when the particular person has lived an extraordinary life. But, 'Will There be Really a Morning' is an exceptional example of how an autobiography should be filmed. The story is simple. A young teenage girl (Frances Farmer, played by Susan Blakely), who grew up in Seattle, turned out to be a very talented actress. She moved to Hollywood (1936), despite the disapproval of her parents, who characterized the glamorous life as Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll, which they rejected strongly. Frances was an instant success, she had the right look, the right talk, and the right walk. All the ingredients for living the American dream. But, she paid a prize for that. Not used to the glamour and glitter, and not able to control her life, she became an addict. Eventually, she was sent into a clinic where she got treatments to recover from her addicts and breakdowns (1942). After 11 years she was declared competent, and healthy. She took care of her parents, and after their death she felt that she was finally ready for her own life. Compliments to the cast, who enabled the viewer to experience the tremendous emotional struggles of Frances almost physically. Watching her life in two hours is like a waterfall of emotions pounding into your head, leaving the viewer wondering when she will explode and becomes really psycho, when everybody around her considers her for 11 years wrongly as incompetent, while she knows she's not. As times goes by, the viewers' amazement changes, via anger, into admiration for the way Frances picks up her normal life again. She starts all over again, she has nothing. But, she knows who she is, she has seen the ultimate limit of herself, and with that knowledge you can't get a better start. This movie is not spoiled with the characteristic 'over-acting' (like in 99% of the American movies), and is not waiting for sentimental sympathy of the viewer. Susan Blakely showed us what acting is all about. It's just what it is, nothing more, and nothing less. Will There be Really a Morning can be considered as one of the best films (in its own genre). All the starting actors should be urged to watch this movie, learning what acting really means.

I read the book, which was very compelling and upsetting. This TV film is pretty average. Blakely is a decent actress when she has a good script. She doesn't in this vehicle.

Lee Grant is awful. She always is. She even sports the same wig she wore in The Swarm and Airport 77. In playing Lillian Farmer, one would think her bitter schtick would come in handy. It doesn't.

This film is devoid of over histrionics which plagued other biopics of the era, such as The Jayne Mansfield Story and The Rosemary Cloney Story. Actually that might have helped. Then this movie might have had some camp value. It is best to just watch the 1982 film Frances.

A copy is on YouTube.

I saw this excellent made for TV film when it debuted on CBS in 1983. However, I have not seen it since! It was never (to my knowledge) re-aired on CBS and I have never seen it played on any cable stations (Lifetime, TBS, TNT, etc.) I wish it would be released on DVD or even played on TV instead of sitting on a shelf somewhere. I found this version of Frances Farmers' story to be more detailed, yet less compelling, than the feature film "Frances" but, still good. I read the book "Will There Really Be a Morning?" as well as the book "Shadowlands" I've read all I can find about the life of Frances Framer and I feel this film presented the facts of the story quite well. I remember Susan Blakley's performance was remarkable. I hope to see it again one day or better yet own it!

Having already seen the movie, "Frances," I was delighted to run onto this TV version. And for a television version, it really comes through with much more complex characterization. The relationship between Frances and her Mother is much richer and more complicated than in "Frances." In "Frances," the mother seems to be the villain right from the beginning. However, in the television version, the mother is portrayed as human but flawed. Although I enjoyed both films, I would say "Frances" is definitely written in true broad Hollywood style whereas "Will There be a Morning?" captures the subtleties of a very intricate and complex relationship between this particular mother and daughter.