Search - These Old Broads on DVD

Thumbs up for the older women!

Scott A. Humphries | 07/29/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A thoroughly enjoyable film...three veteran stars are brought together to recapture their stardom of yore, however they can't stand each other, so an uphill task from the word go for the remake of their old musical/play...but in the end it was a success. Joan Collins was great..as she always is, a combination of the older woman charm and timeless sex appeal...if you want an enjoyable night in this is a must!"

Four Legends In An Enjoyable And Often Revealing Romp

Simon Davis | 08/06/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Boasting the likes of silver screen legends Elizabeth Taylor, Shirley MacLaine, Joan Collins and Debbie Reynolds all combined in the one movie how could you resist taking at least a peek at this effort from 2001 titled "These Old Broads". Being a fan of all four women, this at times funny, over the top, and startlingly candid little effort is definately one of my "guilty pleasures". Certainly all four acting legends deserved a far better screenplay to sink their collective creative teeth into but on the level of pure entertainment and for the joy of seeing these legendary actresses working for the first time with each other this film is worth viewing. The result of the creative talents of Carrie Fisher, the real life daughter of Debbie Reynolds and Elaine Pope who was responsible for television's "Seinfeld" series, the pair have managed to weave much that is true to life in the four actresses often controversial acting careers into the screenplay so that the final film often has a "mirror house" feel to it that adds to the general fun as fantasy and reality mix in together.

The eternal hope of the "great comeback", is something that is a way of life for those performers in Hollywood who are past their peak or to use a polite industry term are "resting". "These Old Broads", tackles that very theme of what do ageing veteran actresses do when the limelight shifts onto younger performers . They make a comeback of course!! Here we have three veteran Hollywood actresses, Kate Westbourne (Shirley MacLaine), Addie Holden (Joan Collins), and Piper Grayson (Debbie Reynolds)who have been in "resting" mode, for longer than any of them would have liked when out of the blue a campy musical film that they made together during the 1960's called "Boy Crazy", is suddenly re-released and becomes a cult hit with new audiences. Under studio pressure a producer of "serious", documentaries Wesley Westbourne (Jonathan Silverman), who is the long estranged son of Kate, is forced to create a cheesy television special reuniting the three actresses to perform their old musical hit. Wesley however gets more than he bargained for as not only does he have to contend with the three women's man eating, hard as nails, agent Beryl Mason (Elizabeth Taylor), but also the womens seperate ego's, neurosies and the fact that all of them absolutely loath each other. Wesley finds himself literally drowning in the not so nice world of old Hollywood and he quickly learns what he will be contending with on his visits to each of the ageing divas to convince them to do the special. Because of course all of them haven't worked in years and need the money they all agree rather too quickly to put aside their own personal differences for the "sake of the show". Famous last words! and before long a battle royale breaks out between the women over prominent placing, lighting, and attention from the director. Kate has a wacky mystical bent to her character, Addie is the star who still thinks she's twenty and Piper is still pretending to be the sweetness and light types of characters she played in her heyday. Production of the special is anything but smooth sailing as Addie mobster boyfriend breaks out of jail and seeks her out pushing all the women into a tabloid scandal when he has a fatal heart attack after a night of too vigorous lovemaking in Addie's suite. Jonathan also finds himself not only having to be referee to all the women's vicious barbs against each other but also finds himself trying to attempt a reconciliation of some sort with Kate who has a few surprises in store for him. Through threats to cancel the show from the network after a preview ends in total disaster the old show biz adage "it'll be alright on the night", definately comes true when the final show goes off brilliantly without a hitch and the women are back in the limelight.

A total farce maybe but if you dont take "These Old Broads", too seriously you are guaranteed some good laughs and a bit of a look at the actresses real lives along the way. Most anticpated in this television movie was of course the on screen meeting of 1950's rivals Elizabeth Taylor and Debbie Reynolds who starred in their own real life scandal when Taylor went off with Reynold's husband Eddie Fisher. This is amusingly covered in the story where Beryl talks with Piper about having stolen her husband "Freddie", years before. Shirley MacLaine's well known interest in the mystical New Age arts is also highlighted with her best line being that "her inner child is throwing a tantrum" during one of her many arguments with her son! Joan Collin's well known forays into getting involved with much younger men is also good naturedly displayed in the script. All this is done of course in good fun and full marks to all four actresses for being good sports for allowing it. Admittedly the passage of time has not been that kind to legendary beauty Elizabeth Taylor who made a mighty effort to film her part having just gone through hip replacement surgery. Her scenes are almost entirely filmed with her propped up in bed which admittedly adds to the humour here as she conducts all her meetings from within her boudoir! Shirley, Joan and Debbie show what great troupers they are through all the preparation and rehersals for their "Boy Crazy" special. All of them look marvellous and their ability to still high kick and perform dance numbers is amazing.

Perhaps this television movie hasn't got the most flattering title and it's a pity that Elizabeth Taylor doesn't appear more through the movie, but for any lover of old Hollywood and of these legendary performers in particular you are sure to enjoy the assorted cattiness and outright bitchery that fills the movie. A piece of fluff perhaps but harmless fluff that needs to be appreciated on that level. Enjoy four of Hollywood's larger than life Divas staging the comeback to out shine all comebacks in Carrie Fisher's "These Old Broads".
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