Jessica Lange comes full circle as a Broadway lioness in ‘The Great Lillian Hall’

Review by Brian Lowry, CNN

(CNN) — Jessica Lange met the movie public perched in King Kong’s giant palm, but her real breakthrough came in 1982 when she played a pair of actresses, earning Oscar nominations for both roles: as a fictional soap-opera star in “Tootsie” and the real-life Frances Farmer in the tragic biography “Frances” (she won a statuette for the former).

In a way, Lange’s storied career comes full circle with “The Great Lillian Hall,” playing an aging Broadway star in a movie HBO acquired and is premiering on the final day of Emmy eligibility, no doubt hoping that there are additional accolades, and perhaps awards hardware, in her future.

As a format, the TV movie has surely seen better days (limited series have largely supplanted them), and “Lillian Hall” is a modestly scaled production, punctuated by a trio of female leads: Lange as the title character, billed as “the first lady of the American theater;” Kathy Bates as her loyal assistant; and Lily Rabe (like Lange, a veteran of producer Ryan Murphy’s “American Horror Story” repertory company) as her daughter.

While rehearsing for a play with an avant-garde director (Jesse Williams), Lillian begins forgetting lines and experiencing other memory lapses, clear signs that she might be in the early throes of dementia. Her first reaction, though, leans toward denial, then defiance, while gradually triggering uncertainty for those around her about a show that suddenly might be as difficult to put on with her as without her.

Directed by Michael Cristofer from Elisabeth Seldes’ screenplay, the film doesn’t turn over new ground but nevertheless yields poignant moments, primarily in the interplay between Lange – a fierce lioness in winter, hungry for one more curtain call – and Bates, who could play this part in her sleep and still makes the most of it.

“Will you remind me who I was?” Lillian asks, a line that beautifully captures the fear associated with her condition.

Although Lange has kept busy working for Murphy in recent years – including her turn as another actor, Joan Crawford, in “Feud: Bette and Joan,” about the rivalry between Crawford and Bette Davis – the new film feels like a nice bookend to those earlier roles. At the same time, “The Great Lillian Hall” operates as a love letter to the theater while catering to those who can appreciate an “All About Eve” reference or two.

“I am not some broken-down old Chevy,” Lillian rages at one point. The movie works hard to reinforce that message by providing Lange with a worthy showcase, in a vehicle that might be light on horsepower but feels as polished as its central character.

“The Great Lillian Hall” premieres May 31 at 8 p.m. ET on HBO, which, like CNN, is a unit of Warner Bros. Discovery.

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