Lange does a pretty good impression of Beale Sr. and Barrymore is almost there as Jr., but they both come off as far better adjusted than the real deal. This parasite of a film attempts to guess around the original documentary, contriving a corny melodrama to stand for the Beales' lives before and after its making. The Hollywood ending especially is thoroughly embarrassing. Watch the documentary instead, for heaven's sake. It is a vastly deeper and more intricate film.

Worthless and redundant while the legendary documentary is sitting right there, but as an excuse to see Barrymore and Lange play to the cheap seats, it has its charms. It can’t quite concoct an interesting enough backstory to fully explain the Beales’ shocking (and peculiar) descent into squalor – rather surprisingly works best in the scene towards the end featuring a perfectly cast Tripplehorn, which at least approaches the submerged familial tension that may well have come into play.

great.

Would have been much better if it were a documentary staring the real pair...oh wait that has already been done. Accents over substance in this one.

ew. fuck off, hollywood.

An interesting and very successful adaptation of the excellent original documentary with great performances all around.

Just a bit slow for me at first. Still I was hooked. Then Jackie O show up and I am all "wait! is this a true story? Oh it is!!" That really ups the enjoyment level. Drew Barrymore really pulls off a departure from her norm, and Jessica Lange is almost unrecognizable. I loved it!!! I need to see the original documentary now.

The first thing that is striking are the effective lead performances. The simple direction keeps the story straightforward maybe to it's detriment. It's tough to watch characters this damaged. Any attempts at creating sympathy for them did not fly with this viewer.

The two leading performances are among the best in the respective actresses' careers, and while the direction could have been much better, those performances, production design and the sometimes witty and clever script rescue the film from mediocrity.

Absolutely brilliant and intensely heartbreaking.