In 1975 Elizabeth Montgomery surprised everyone by owning the role of Lizzie Borden in a fantastic TV movie called The Legend of Lizzie Borden. I loved that movie, she did such a fantastic job in the role. Naturally I was intrigued when I heard they were making a new Lizzie Borden film. So, last night Tony and I sat down to watch Christina Ricci in Lizzie Borden Took An Axe.
First of all, can I say that my expectations were not great considering, A) it's a Lifetime movie, B) Christina Ricci isn't Elizabeth Montgomery and C) seriously, it's a Lifetime movie! The film lost Tony in the first five minutes simply because of the modern hard rock sound track, it just didn't fit. I wasn't feeling it either, it was like watching a '90's music video. Christina Ricci seemed all too out of place from the rest of the cast. It was as if this modern spoiled young girl time warped into the past, as opposed to Clea DuVall who does a wonderful job portraying the stoic Emma Borden.
Lizzie and her father have this weird Lolita-like relationship, it almost appears as if Lizzie is trying to seduce him, totally creepy. Modern Lizzie seems to be in control of her actions, she's like an angst ridden teen disrespectful, defying her parents rules, shoplifting. A complete turn around from the Elizabeth Montgomery portrayal in which Lizzie appeared more to be a woman pushed to the brink of madness under her fathers strong handed rule. Where Elizabeth evoked sympathy, Christina just appears to be a bratty kid who gets away with a crime.
Beyond the character portrayal, her look was all wrong as well. Ricci's big eyes, moon face and petite size were a far cry from the real Miss Borden who was very statuesque. On the upside, if you removed Ricci and the out of place soundtrack the film was pretty solid, for a Lifetime film anyway. Oh look! Flowers in the Attic is on next!
4 comments:
A woman at work (whom I refer to as "West Coast Catfreeek") was telling me about this today.
I heard the Flowers in the Attic remake was pretty terrible too.
I do like Christina Ricci but I feel like she can never get away from the Tuesday Adams role.
Hmmmmm, I must meet this west coast me.
Well that's disappointing. I like Christina Ricci, and I've never heard anyone go to the mat for Elizabeth Montgomery before --
(At this point I realized I wasn't sure who Elizabeth Montgomery was and looked it up and realized I'd been thinking of Elizabeth Perkins, like around He Said, She Said times. Oops. I saw her in a Skhakespeare play around that time.)
Okay, yeah, Samantha Stevens just a few years after Bewitched ended. That sounds a like a treat.
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