Sometimes the person you perceive to be your worst enemy is the person who will save your life or give you the will to live, and that's the case for Farrah Fawcett to her mother-in-law Colleen Dewhurst. From the time Dewhurst meets Fawcett, she perceives her to be competition, and certainly, her son Michael Nouri has really had enough of his mother and desperately wants to cut her out of his life for good. But like any loving son, he just can't, even when she shows up at their door on their honeymoon. She is an absolute hideous controller, not just for her son, but for her loving husband (who has put up with her Shenanigans for years, and finally dies when he has had enough of them), her daughter-in-law and her grandchildren. She causes seemingly kind-hearted comments Fawcett's way, but there is always a dig underneath them. There have been many mothers-in-law like this on TV, screen and stage, and Dewhurst is probably the most aggravating, and not even in a lightly amusing way.
As Avery Brown, Murphy's mother, Dewhurst was exactly like this but in a comical way, and in one of her most profound moments said that her biggest fear in life was walking into a room filled with people and not being noticed. That could be said for her character of Barbara here, a truly sad woman who was once a great opera diva but has lost everything outside of her family that she found dear. She is obviously used to being queen bee, and when she can't sting a rival female bee, she has to find other ways to strike. It's only when she has a stroke and is dependent on others that she begin to see the light, and it's obvious that her own constant interference and non-stop involvement has taken a toll on her.
One of the great stage actresses of the 1960's and 70's, Dewhurst could unintentionally command your attention simply by walking into a room. The character of Barbara is a very charming woman, but suffering from a type of mental illness that does not have a diagnosis. She is equally matched by Fawcett who is surprisingly able to match her step-for-step. Their relationship is fascinating to watch, all the way at times, you feel like you're peering into someone's kitchen window and shouldn't be there. But it is inevitably a story of humanity and caring about someone even though they had been absolutely rotten to you. It's that unselfishness that makes this story well worth seeing, with performances that truly stand the test of time.
As Avery Brown, Murphy's mother, Dewhurst was exactly like this but in a comical way, and in one of her most profound moments said that her biggest fear in life was walking into a room filled with people and not being noticed. That could be said for her character of Barbara here, a truly sad woman who was once a great opera diva but has lost everything outside of her family that she found dear. She is obviously used to being queen bee, and when she can't sting a rival female bee, she has to find other ways to strike. It's only when she has a stroke and is dependent on others that she begin to see the light, and it's obvious that her own constant interference and non-stop involvement has taken a toll on her.
One of the great stage actresses of the 1960's and 70's, Dewhurst could unintentionally command your attention simply by walking into a room. The character of Barbara is a very charming woman, but suffering from a type of mental illness that does not have a diagnosis. She is equally matched by Fawcett who is surprisingly able to match her step-for-step. Their relationship is fascinating to watch, all the way at times, you feel like you're peering into someone's kitchen window and shouldn't be there. But it is inevitably a story of humanity and caring about someone even though they had been absolutely rotten to you. It's that unselfishness that makes this story well worth seeing, with performances that truly stand the test of time.
