Mommie Dearest Book vs Movie Review 🤱

[@angelaholmes8888]

Yes you are right there were people who knew the truth about what joan did to Christina and Christopher but because joan was a famous wealthy woman she was being protected cheryl crane daughter of lana Turner asked her mother if christina was telling the truth and she confirmed it was true cheryl was totally shocked sadly im not about this as Christopher and the twins they passed away several years ago only Christina is alive

[@wereone3480]

Great job providing a balanced perspective! I agree with your viewpoint since none of us were there, we couldn’t know with certainty exactly what happened, but you make a compelling case that the truth most likely lies somewhere in between. It sounds like Christina, at least somewhat fueled by vengeance, and perhaps not getting her entitled “needs” met, decided to portray Joan only in a negative light in her book. The movie, accurately or inaccurately demonstrates other challenges that Joan was likely experiencing at the time, including being an aging actress in the 1940-1950’s. Without having a dog in the race, most of us realize that life is complicated, there is such a thing as nuance, and people are multifaceted, so we can deduce Christina probably was abused terribly, but maybe not as bad as what she described in her book.

[@asdlogician6536]

Because so many events are impossible to verify, because of the complexities in psychology and parenting, this feels like an impossible topic to tackle. Brava for giving it a thoughtful effort, but this is a rough one. I agree The Glass Castle was on a different plane, that the lack of judgment or bitterness on the author’s part is what separates it from Christina Crawford’s obvious hatchet job. And yeah, I’m guessing she wishes she waited til she wasn’t so raw, but if she was going for the money, maybe not. I have never read Mommy Dearest, but if the movie gave a more balanced look into Joan’s side? Wow. Hard to imagine it was worse in the book.

[@elizabetha.188]

Thanks for the review! I haven't read the book, but I've always wanted to. I love the movie! One thing I'd like to mention about Christina's obsession with money. Often times, parents expect their kids to look "the part". Let's say they were raised in an affluent/rich but abusive home, where it looks like the kids are spoiled. But when the kids grow up and aren't emotionally equipped to hold down a well paying job, they are still pressured to look "the part". I imagine growing up around all these other rich families who don't abuse their kids, she did feel entitled to money. It's like she was owed that money for enduring the trauma her mother put her through. Then, having to type other student's papers to make money must have been humiliating to her. Obviously I believe Christina's accounts of abuse growing up. But who knows. As Faye Dunaway has stated: only God knows the truth about what really happened between the two of them. I have a lot of thoughts on it as I saw the movie on tv as a little kid and it made me cry because I didn't understand why grown ups would let the abuse go on. I now love the movie as a camp classic!

[@FQ8]

If I remember correctly, Faye Dunaway was black listed for doing this movie…so crazy

[@lamontt808]

I love Mommie Dearest book and movie. I think it's one of the best movies ever made. It's just so sad with child abuse, and the actress that plays Joan Crawford (Faye dunaway) embodied the famous actress. Powerful movie and book. Also, I just wanted to add that christina, yes, had a lot of trauma that came with the abuse, why she depended on her mother, like that thing of a mother saying u are NOTHING without me.

[@WhytheBookWins]

Yeah abusers make the people feel they have to keep them in their life, so even once she turned 18 it is harder said than done to cut ties.

[@LucyLioness100]

Talk about an absolute mess of controversies. I do think Christina did tell a lot of truths and considering there were people who knew who abusive Joan was but didn’t help cause she was Joan Crawford, movie star, makes it sadder. I never read the book, but seen bits of the movie and as over the top and weird it can get, the abuse scenes are absolutely awful to watch

[@WhytheBookWins]

Yeah it's crazy how child abuse was treated back then and how they're were no resources!

[@BP-ef8mr]

MILDRED PLACE!!!! Let's GO!!!!! Are you going to be doing the movie or the miniseries???

[@WhytheBookWins]

I'm planning on releasing that video the end of November! My main video will be on the Crawford movie but I might do a follow up video sharing my thoughts on the show.

[@frankducky6130]

i love this movie, it's my favorite guilty pleasure. Fay Dunaway's performance was incredible

[@WhytheBookWins]

She's amazing in this!

[@MandaMalice]

It possibly could have been hard to have been a known child of a celebrity and a young woman at that time and find a good paying job? This may be one of those situations that’s hard to look at with a modern view. I do know it was so difficult to work and go to school when I was doing it 20 years ago. You are sooooo correct about kids having different experiences with their parents!! My husband and I will say that we are much better parents with our youngest and we were with our oldest. Not because of anything nefarious. We were just young and an experienced with our first.

[@WhytheBookWins]

Yeah true, I don't know what the school/job life balance would have been like back then. And yeah, parents change so much jay because like you said, at the beginning they are younger and are figuring it out as they go along.

[@angelaholmes8888]

I really feel bad for christina and Christopher what they went through in there childhood is heartbreaking she was brave to write her book and tell her story especially at the time it came out i heard many people didn't like that she wrote the book including betty Davis of all people hopefully it helped other survivors i didn't know this until recently due to her childhood she choose not to have kids i understand her decision i watched the movie when i was a child it was hard for me to watch it and traumatizing never read the book i hope someday there will be another adaptation on christina book

[@WhytheBookWins]

Yeah a lot of Hollywood came out against the book, which isn't surprising. That would be interesting if they remake it.

[@EstelaAfonso-ws9vd]

This is one of those stories I will never read or watch, because 1) I'm a mom and 2) I also suffer from childhood trauma. I cannot conceive this unacceptable level of abuse. I know about this story for years and all the surrounding drama. I was very curious to listen to your analysis. Some of us won't have the courage to do it. It feels too close to home. Congratulations on that. :) Putting myself on Christina's shoes, you do display some odd behaviours when you're a victim of childhood trauma. You may become flirtatious and an anxious people-pleaser. It's a sign that you weren't loved nor protected at home. You may also dissociate from the events that happened (as in the sexual assault scene) and/or develop an avoidant attachment style. The fact that Christine comes back and forward may indicate some memory fog or confusion, which is quite typical in many victims. You have to try to remember things as clearly as possible. And you're not able to move on and become independent because your caregivers were constantly ensuring themselves you would never be able to fly with your own wings. It's their goal. At the same time, you still crave for their love and attention. And you finally become "infected" by the caregivers "disease". You may not be narcissistic but you still display some of those traits, such as taking revenge. Joan Crawford was hurtful until the very end. Christine's book is only a revenge mechanism against her dead mother. For Christine to succeed in life and with her book she needed to heal first. That is the saddest part. She overcame nothing in the end. She just responded in her own toxic way, allowing the controversy to happen. Maybe one day "Glad My Mother Died" will become a movie. Then, you can compare both book and movie and add this one as an example of what happens when people don't heal. Keep up your excellent work!

[@WhytheBookWins]

Thank you so much for sharing! And yeah people want the "perfect victim" who has a perfect recollection of things but that just doesn't exists. And so true about McCurdy's book! I wish I would have thought to reference that one in this video.

[@EstelaAfonso-ws9vd]

You referenced 3 books to us. At least 2 were turned into movies. Don’t “blame” yourself. McCurdy’s book is not yet a movie. You’re still in time. 😉

[@tinapuddin9923]

Why were the twins never mentioned in book or movie is it because the twins would have gone after Christine for defamation? The one thing that got me was how she didn't like that she was only allowed to keep 1 birthday present and the rest were donated to underprivileged children that's the only part of the movie that I was like why is she so spoiled why not give the presents to underprivileged kids you got a house full of toys and she got mad because she had to give up her toys on her birthday I don't know you know I really don't know cuz I've never been rich...lol..but she was given one heak of a bithday party..if that was even true or just put in the movie idk.Thank you I love your channel 😊

[@WhytheBookWins]

Yeah i agree, donating you many toys seems like a nice thing to do! And yeah, she got lavish birthday parties, but in the book she says she felt lonely because the people and kids invited tended to be people she didn't even know. And thank you! 😊

[@SikeChick]

I think some of it was learned behavior. Joan was also quite entitled. But also she may have been somewhat resentful of the show put on by her mother. Everyone sees her give her daughter all of these presents making her seem so generous and loving. Then, seemingly without discussing it with Christina, Joan tells her she can’t keep them (and even the giving the toys to charity was more PR for Joan). Christina was a little kid and little kids are inherently selfish and entitled because THEIR world revolves around them. They don’t know better yet. Joan should have helped her daughter understand. I don’t hold that against her.