The Great Lillian Hall

In the movie, “The Great Lillian Hall,” Jessica Lange portrays a much-loved theater actress, Lillian Hall, who begins to show signs of dementia during rehearsals of the Chekhov play in which she stars. As Lillian Hall accepts this next phase in life, she reflects upon her life and begins to regret some of it. Ongoing with the personal aspect of the film is the show’s Producer, who is ready to replace Lillian with the understudy, much to the chagrin of the Director and audience.

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Lily Rabe (Tender Bar) plays the daughter, who is the cause of much regret for Lillian and herself. Kathy Bates has a minor role as Lillian’s long-time assistant. Both excellent in their roles.

Jessica Lange is flawless in this role. Pain, doubt, regret, and fear are easily seen in her performance, especially in her expressions. The film avoids melodrama and keeps the attention focused on Lillian’s struggles. For a movie about dementia, the ending is satisfying and happy.

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Dementia is a syndrome of with many neurodegenerative diseases. Characterized by a general decline in cognitive abilities that impacts a person’s ability to perform everyday activities. This typically involves problems with memory, thinking, behavior, and motor control. Aside from memory impairment and a disruption in thought patterns. The most common symptoms of dementia include emotional problems, difficulties with language, and decreased motivation. The symptoms are described as occurring in a continuum over several stages.

Movie Details

Director

Michael Cristofer

Writer

Screenplay by Elisabeth Seldes Annacone

Actors

Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Jesse Williams, Lily Rabe, Pierce Brosnan, Michael Rose, Cindy Hogan, Keith Arthur Bolden, Jonathan Horne, Clayton Landey, Allison Mackie, Bryan McClure, David Vaughn, Katerina Eichenberger, David Chin, Erik Parillo, Kenneth Trujillo, Lauren Buglioli, Blaque Fowler, Robert Stevens Wayne, Emily Rachel Gordon, Keisha Gray, Rebecca Watson, Zele Avradopoulos, Derrick LeMont, Meg Gillentine, Tenz McCall, David Marshall Silverman, Jeffrey Charles Morgan, Robin K. Johnson, Noshir Dalal

Runtime

1 h 51 min

Release Date

31 May 2024

Genres

Drama

Overview

As beloved Broadway star Lillian Hall pours her heart, soul, and time into preparing for her next big role, she finds herself blindsided by confusion and forgetfulness. Battling against all odds to make it to opening night, while holding on to her fading memories and identity, she must navigate a tumultuous emotional journey – balancing her desire for the spotlight and the stark demands of the real world.