How some people can view THE GODDESS in the aftermath of Anna Nicole Smith's tragedy is beyond me. The parallels, not only between Smith but also Marilyn (and Jayne Mansfield) are astonishing! The film is utterly moving and, contrary to other reviews, inspires much empathy for the main character!
The film has a deep and profound insight into the mind of those famous starlets--and the rest of us, as well. This is NOT a Hollywood story; nor is it even the story of a famous woman. It is about suffering and insecurity. From a very early age, the girl is alone. Her mother doesn't want her and the men in her life are only looking for sex. She reaches out desperately for love, and yet she herself (possibly because she has been hurt so many times) is unable to give it back.
By the end of the film, she is completely alone; not able to give or receive love from others, including her daughter, and there is that great line by her first husband: "Life is unbearable if you don't love something." Her secretary tells him, "She will go on making pictures, because that is all she can do."
Hollywood. The dream factory. Places where lonely people go seeking fame--that great idea of being loved by everyone. Only it doesn't solve anything. Not for Joan. Not for Marilyn. Not for Anna.
The film has a deep and profound insight into the mind of those famous starlets--and the rest of us, as well. This is NOT a Hollywood story; nor is it even the story of a famous woman. It is about suffering and insecurity. From a very early age, the girl is alone. Her mother doesn't want her and the men in her life are only looking for sex. She reaches out desperately for love, and yet she herself (possibly because she has been hurt so many times) is unable to give it back.
By the end of the film, she is completely alone; not able to give or receive love from others, including her daughter, and there is that great line by her first husband: "Life is unbearable if you don't love something." Her secretary tells him, "She will go on making pictures, because that is all she can do."
Hollywood. The dream factory. Places where lonely people go seeking fame--that great idea of being loved by everyone. Only it doesn't solve anything. Not for Joan. Not for Marilyn. Not for Anna.