Anna Nicole

Anna Nicole (2013)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Made-for-TV movie from Lifetime about the life of Anna Nicole Smith (Agnes Bruckner) who we see as a young single mother to her marriage to billionaire J. Howard Marshall (Martin Landau) and of course through her troubled drug use. ANNA NICOLE is nicely directed by Mary Harron and it features some good performances but in the end there are just way too many problems for it to work as well as it needed to. For starters, the film seems pretty rushed trying to fit all of Smith's story into a 90-minute running time as we bounce around quite a bit and the film never really seems to focus on anything. Another problem are a few gimmicks that are used throughout the picture including a really silly one where the young Smith sees a "future" version of herself. At the same time, the older Smith seeing a "younger" version of herself has no impact either. I'd also say that the movie doesn't work with the silly narration, which is coming from the dead Smith looking back over her life. With that said, Bruckner does a nice job in the lead role even though she never really looks or acts like the real person. For the most part I thought she did a good job at showing a troubled person. Landau easily steals the picture as the elderly man who falls in love with the stripper he meets and Cary Elwes is also good as his son. Adam Goldberg does a nice job in the role of Howard K. Stern and Virginia Madsen is good as Smith's mother, although the screenplay really doesn't do many favors for the character. Harron does a nice job at keeping the film moving at a good pace but there's just too many issues with the screenplay for this to be a complete winner. It also doesn't help that Smith isn't all that sympathetic. Still, for a made-for-TV film this here isn't too bad as a quick time killer.

Pretty pre-teen Vicky Lynn is visited by her future self, in her mirror; she's bosomy blonde Agnes Bruckner (as Anna Nicole Smith). The tyke idolizes Marilyn Monroe while her parents holler, fight and drink. This apple will not fall far from the tree. When she becomes a teenager, our heroine stuffs her bra and becomes pregnant. After acquiring extra large breast implants, Ms. Smith is an exotic pole-dancing sensation. She poses for Playboy, meets wealthy octogenarian Martin Landau (as J. Howard Marshall) and soaks up whatever drugs are available. Alas, tragedy waits...

Anna Nicole Smith was a celebrity due to her looks and lifestyle. The comparison to Marilyn Monroe falls flat because Ms. Monroe was skilled at a craft we can (still) see and admire (although her own drug problems eventually hindered her work). Ms. Smith was not able to develop much of an artistic skill, though she may have had the potential. Smith's wretched TV program "The Anna Nicole Show" (2002–2004) featured the overweight star in obvious stages of alcoholism and drug abuse. This biographic TV movie covers that travesty, along with Smith's tabloid headlines...

Looking much like his counterpart, Adam Goldberg (as Howard K. Stern) plays the sleazy lawyer lover. Grown-up Graham Patrick Martin (as Danny) finds his own way out of mama's mess. Mary Harron orchestrates them well. Everyone here does a good job conveying the excess and incredible sadness in watching Smith waste her life away. Even worse is the heartbreaking story of her neglected son. However, there is nothing special about this celebrity's life. That could have been the point, but it isn't; instead, the subject is herein cheapened by false elevation and evaluation.

Anna Nicole (6/29/13) Mary Harron ~ Agnes Bruckner, Martin Landau, Adam Goldberg, Graham Patrick Martin

So much was left out. When i first saw it on and saw that brief moment when she met her daughter's father. That should've have been longer. There is no detail about their relationship cuz clearly it was more then a one time thing otherwise the custody battle after her death wouldn't have happened. Her weight loss journey wasn't documented enough, hell her weight gain wasn't talked about. Absolutely no details of the court case was really given. And that's all public records.

Biography films just isn't for lifetime.

Following the rocky road and life a times of Playboy model and 'actress' Anna Nicole Smith up to her untimely death of 39.

Actress Agnes Bruckner delivers a fine portray of the larger than life troubled Anna Nicole/Vicky Lynn. While not being an Anna look-a-like Bruckner certainly captures Anna's spirit and persona, at times effectively laying down some of heart wrenching scenes. Although this a steppingstone presentation of her life, it covers the main highs and lows but leaves you with a lingering feeling that it's a little rushed.

The acting for the most part is impressive especially from Bruckner, Cary Elwes - Marshall's son, Virginia Madsen - Anna's mother and Martin Landau as billionaire J. Howard Marshall. American Psycho (2000) director Mary Harron keeps it interesting and fast paced. The prosthetic make-up effects of Anna's assets and weight gain are particularly notable.

The Anna's voice from the grave aspect, her younger self and Marilyn Monroe vision/dream additions scripted by Joe Batteer and John Rice keep the proceedings at times eerily compelling.

Its an especially well made for a TV movie and thankfully treats the departed with respect while at the same time being entertaining and highlighting the superficial world of celebrities. As an anti-drug movie look no further and to the producers credit ironically and in contrast to Anna's real life job offers it's certainly not a cheap cash-in.

TV biopics rarely have the sort of depth that a feature has. I was looking forward to this one because I've always admired and enjoyed Director Mary Harron's work. But not even a really good cast and director could make this film any deeper than its subject matter. In all fairness, there wasn't that much to say without speculating -- which wasn't really the purpose of the film.

Fresh on the heels of the amazing HBO documentary called "Love, Marilyn," I was anxious to see how Anna Nicole's story would unfold, given that Marilyn Monroe was such an obvious inspiration for Anna Nicole. Certainly, if anyone in this century embodied sex appeal in some of the same ways as Marilyn, it would be Anna. However, unlike Marilyn - there was really never any attempt apparent that she took acting very seriously as Marilyn did.

I'd be interested to know how much Lifetime producers may have interfered with the production of Anna Nicole because that would be a sure indicator of a less than stellar production to follow.

I wasn't expecting all that much, given the subject matter - but I was at least expecting a more enlightening rendering of it. It's not bad enough not to see -- but it was nothing that merits seeing again, for sure.