Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter

STRANGERS: THE STORY OF A MOTHER AND DAUGHTER was a deeply moving 1979 TV movie that brought the divine Bette Davis to the small screen near the end of her career. Davis plays a cranky old woman who is totally thrown by the appearance of her daughter (Gene Rowlands)who has come to stay with her, despite the fact that they have been estranged for years. Davis' Lucy can't understand why Rowlands' Abigail now wants to have a relationship with her until it is revealed that Abigail is dying and wants to make peace with her mother. Bette Davis won an Emmy for her work in this well-written tearjerker but Rowlands is equally effective as a woman thrown a devastating curve in her life and realizes that she needs the mother she had forsaken so many years ago. Watching these two dance around reconnecting with each other is sometimes difficult to watch, but these two amazing actresses make this TV movie grand television.

Irreproachable middle-aged woman comes home to her strong-willed mother to reconcile their differences--ostensibly; turns out she has a problem to share, which causes her mercurial mama to take offense. Thanks in no small part to the superlative performances by Emmy-winner Bette Davis and Gena Rowlands (two incomparable actresses), this made-for-TV drama turns out to be a wrenching and moving examination of an estranged relationship with a begrudging love still left inside. Milton Katselas' beautiful direction, from a careful, thoughtful teleplay from Michael De Guzman, allows the two ladies room to emote and sound off, yet the histrionics aren't over-the-top. Katselas is able to weave the intricate, touchy emotions together into a nearly-seamless pattern, making this a real acting showpiece for his stars.

I "discovered" Bette Davis when I was a teenager and read her autobiography. After that I made every effort to view as many of her movies as I could and became an avid fan. This movie is an example of some of her finest work. I can vividly remember, even after all this time, one particularly emotional scene between Bette and Gena in which Bette, as the mother, lets her daughter know how painful it is to love someone the way she loves her daughter. It's powerful stuff and quite thought provoking. If this movie is ever replayed on TV or is available on video, do yourself a favor and watch it. You'll see why Davis is considered one of the greatest actresses of all time.

Strangers is a fine made for TV drama, short on plot, but long and deep on character portrayal. The two characters here are mother and daughter Bette Davis and Gena Rowlands and Gena Rowlands has come home to her Rhode Island home town after years away.

Davis is not thrilled to see her and we only get bits and pieces of why she left and stayed away. It was a nasty split though.

The film is the story of their reconciliation and Rowlands has a terrible secret that she eventually tells Davis.

Bette Davis won an Emmy to go with her two Oscars for Strangers. It's a pity that the Emmy couldn't be given jointly to both women. Davis and Rowlands play beautifully off each other.

One of the best made for TV films out there. For Gena's and Bette's fans a must.

In this television drama, Gena Rowlands returns to her small town to visit her estranged mother, Bette Davis. Bette isn't happy to see her and tells her repeatedly to leave. The bad blood between them is still a very fresh wound, even though it's been fifteen years, and she's not ready to discuss it. Gena is persistent and keeps a smile on her face through Bette's caustic remarks. Is she broke and needs a roof over her head? Is she wanted by the law and thinks the cops will never look for her there? It's clear she has a reason for coming home, but we don't know what it is.

Most of the movie features the type of acting Bette Davis used when she was older: a blatty, one-dimensional shout that tries to reach the back row. Even though she was a stylized actress in the 1930s, her "style" seemed to change when she got older, as if she wanted to tell her audience, "I'm not going to adapt to modern times and you can't make me!" I always found it very sad to watch Bette when she got older. I'm glad I gave Strangers a chance because there were a couple of scenes when she let her "modern façade" down and allowed her good, old-fashioned acting shine through. When she stopped shouting at her daughter and allowed her heart to break open, it was very effective. She could have adapted to modern times if she wanted to!

Gena's performance used her usual, professional style, and both women put as much into the teleplay as they could. However, the script wasn't as moving as it could have been. It felt like a good skeleton, with the key plot points laid out, but the meat of the dialogue was only just touched upon. It truly seemed like a second draft, with third and fourth ones in progress but not yet typed. The difference between a ninety minute movie and the original six-hundred page novel can be felt in this tv drama. Where's the companion piece we can read to understand the characters better?

If you love Gena, you can rent this one. She's far softer than in some of her other movies like Gloria. In the supporting cast, you'll see Donald Moffat, Royal Dano, and a cameo as a doctor (what else) Whit Bissell.