Grüße aus Hollywood (1990)

Grüße aus Hollywood: Directed by Mike Nichols. With Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine, Dennis Quaid, Gene Hackman. A substance-addicted actress tries to look on the bright side even as she is forced to move back in with her mother to avoid unemployment.

“Postcards From The Edge is one of my all-time favorites. Itu0026#39;s a truly addictive movie thatu0026#39;s always funny and touching no matter how many times I see it. Some of the criticism Iu0026#39;ve read have always seemed just a tad off base, particularly the ones that say that Streep never seems to get a handle on her character–she just acts kind of comically frazzled. Well I think thatu0026#39;s the point, isnu0026#39;t it? Streep as Fisher doesnu0026#39;t know what she wants or who she is, and while trying to discover these things, she must battle her drug dependence, rebuild her career against all odds and hope, in addition to trying to reconcile her relationship with her outlandishly domineering mother, who just happens to be a legendary star with issues of her own. In this scenario, u0026quot;frazzledu0026quot; would seem to be the way to go.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIn any case, those who have commented positively on the movie have mostly mentioned the great performances (as well as Carrie Fisheru0026#39;s wonderful screenplay), and rightly so since this is one the most smartly acted (and well-written) movies you will ever see. But it seems strange that the outstanding direction of Mike Nichols is rarely mentioned. I remember one Oscar ceremony when a producer whose movie had just won Best Picture, and, indeed, swept all the major awards–except Best Director–said u0026quot;apparently the Academy thinks that the actors directed themselves.u0026quot; It would seem that many of the viewers of Postcards From The Edge think the same thing. In my opinion, Nichols doesnu0026#39;t get enough credit for the seamless way this movie moves or for the crispness of the comic timing. At every turn, he brings out the best in his actors, most especially in the dynamic scenes involving Streep and McLaine. I also love the way he shows, through shifting background effects, how movie illusions are created, which he further uses to illustrate how we often hide our true motivations. (The great example of this is in the scene on the lot with Streep and Dennis Quaid where he was trying to convince her he has always been sincere in his feelings for her–and maybe they should even marry. Then suddenly the background, a house and white picket fence cardboard front, is moved away by a production crew.)u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis is a wonderfully entertaining movie, brilliantly acted and written and, yes, superbly directed.”