The Great Lillian Hall

The leading actress Lillian Hall, Played by Jessica Lange, is having a tough time remembering her lines and eventually she is sent to a doctor by her director. We watch her fumble through a memory test and ultimately she's diagnosed with Lewy body dementia. But she's a tough old bird, and she is not interested in giving up being in the Broadway production of The Cherry Orchard.

We watch her trying to tell her daughter what her problem is, but she can't bring herself to say the words. Her daughter and family are confused that she's paying them more attention that she ever does, but they can't figure out what's up.

Her assistant, Played by Kathy Bates, has been hired by her now deceased husband to help her in every way, but she is horrified that it has come to this point.

The producer of the show wants her understudy to play the part but Lillian is wandering around Central Park when she's supposed to be at the opening of the play. I won't tell you what happens next. It's a wonderful job, a wonderful story, and an excellent movie.

Cannot express how brilliant Jessica Lange is in this film. What else does she have to prove in her career - nothing. She's one of a few actors to have the triple crown (Oscar, Tony, Emmy) and here she is at this point in her career giving one of her best performances, and that's saying a lot. As someone who has dealt with dementia in my own family this was a tough watch. The subject matter is dealt with much care however. The supporting cast is also fantastic, with a standout being Lily Rabe. But the price of admission is all Jessica Lange and she doesn't disappoint. This is a masterclass in great acting. Do not miss this. What an actress!

A lot of folk who have been around theater collaborate to provide a convincing look at putting on a show, and how difficult it is when your leading lady, "the first lady of the American theater," is in the early stages of dementia. Supposedly it's based on the latter-day career of Marian Seldes, and Jessica Lange is, as others have said, rather magnificent in suggesting a Broadway star's pride, neglect of loved ones, and denial of her medical crisis. The theatrical details are by and large convincing, though that's clearly no Broadway house (the movie appears to have been made largely in Marietta, Georgia), and, much as we'd like it to be true, opening-night audiences these days don't dress in formal wear. Good acting all around, especially from Kathy Bates as Lillian's no-nonsense caretaker and Lily Rabe as her justifiably resentful daughter; Pierce Brosnan is also around, as an aging-roue next-door neighbor who provides acid commentary and sympathy where it's really needed. Michael Cristofer, an award-winning playwright from way back, directs capably, and if the ending feels a bit unrealistic, it's still a compelling, if often hard-to-watch, journey to it.

Jessica Lange is Magical & Astounding. This movie is the perfect platform to remind the world of her prolific acting. While being engrossed in the movie, you can find yourself feeling the same emotions that she is portraying on screen. It truly says something, when you can be so taken aback by a film. The Great Lillian Hall should be nominated for some serious awards. Lily Rabe and Katy Bates were also remarkable. Lange portrays a broadway actress preparing for her next role and an obstacle that could end it all, makes her pour her everything into the production, singing her swan song. The struggles of navigating this chapter makes her character win the hearts of millions and myself.

Watching this movies was difficult. The lead performances were excellent and the screenplay was sensitive to the subjective and beautifully written. What more can be said about Jessica Lange. As in the role she played, she is the consummate actor who leaves nothing on the table.

The artifice of the play within a play was well done. The ending was difficult to decide how to go. But it landed well although there could have been an alternate ending. Using the Cherry Orchard was a an apt allegory. The director and the actors put all they had into thier roles and it showed. Thank you HBO for producing such a wonderful movie.