Ashley JuddNorma Jean and Marilyn (1996) Ashley Judd, Mira Sorvino, Josh Charles, Ron Rifkin [DVD, Import, All Regions, NTSC]

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Oh, Marilyn...an icon if ever there was one. This is one of those movies that people either love or hate. I happen to love it. Ashley Judd delivers a riveting portrayal of Norma Jeane Baker, the fiery brunette vixen driven to overcome her traumatic childhood and succeed on the silver screen. Judd is at the prime of her beauty in this film and her resemblance to young Norma Jeane is uncanny at times. She is simply gorgeous and her acting was superb...viewers can gain some insight into Norma Jeane's ambition, her desire to rise to the top and finally be "somebody". Some people have criticized how Marilyn is portrayed in this film but one must realize that Hollywood can be a brutal place and it took a lot to achieve the success that she did. They must also understand that while much of the film is accurate, some of it was also taken from a book by Ted Jordan, who claimed that he was Monroe's lover in the 1940's. Some of his claims about her are dubious (read the book to know what I'm talking about) but some of it rings true.I love that they stayed true to some things about Marilyn...when she first went blonde in 1946, being sent to the orphanage as a child, and a few other things. I also found my eyes welling up with tears at the scene where she takes on her new identity as Marilyn Monroe...something about that scene is just so powerfully haunting in ways I can't explain. Anyone who has ever struggled with depression, low self-esteem, abuse, rejection, or abandonment will see themselves in this particular scene. Mira Sorvino is now Marilyn and although she does a wonderful job, her appearance is the only issue for me. I find her more believable as Marilyn than I do with Michelle Williams ("My Week with Marilyn") but still...she is a bit too tall and although definitely a pretty girl, something is missing. But I guess no one can really do Marilyn justice...those are big shoes to fill. And the final scene is obviously dramatized because Marilyn did not die that way.I've been a fan of Marilyn since the age of 13 and I have nearly every book written about her. A bit obsessive, maybe, but she is the quintessential icon to me...her story is tragic but it is also about dreams and determination and in a sense, rebirth. Monroe underwent a transformation and to this day she endures. She died at 36 but her magic remains. I love that this movie captures both sides of who she was...not only a blonde bombshell but a complex individual tormented by inner demons. No matter how she tried, she couldn't escape the ghosts of her past. Marilyn is a lot like Dorothy Dandridge, another famous woman of that era who died under mysterious circumstances in 1965. Both of them possessing talent and beauty, yet enduring hardships (sexism and mental illness for Monroe, sexism/racism in the case of Dandridge).Not only does this film show the Marilyn most people are familiar with, all blonde hair and red lips and tight dresses...it shows the lesser-known Norma Jeane, the sad little girl with big dreams and the desire to leave her painful past behind. Some people feel that this is an unflattering portrait of Marilyn's character and who she was, but it might actually be very close to the truth. She suffered from bipolar disorder and numerous physical ailments and she was haunted by a deep insecurity that caused her to work at being close to perfect. Judd and Sorvino are actually showing two sides of her, which calls to mind Elton John's line "goodbye Norma Jeane" in his song "Candle in the Wind". The cost of fame meant that Marilyn had to say goodbye to Norma Jeane, her former self, because Norma Jeane was a reminder of being unwanted and feeling unloved.All in all, definitely worth watching. I just wish I could find another great movie about Marilyn on DVD...I believe it was called "The Untold Story" and it stars Catherine Hicks as Marilyn.

I love MM and have a decent collection of her movies and books . I'd been wanting to see this show for the longest time and I kept searching for this title on Netflix with no success. FINALLY found it on Amazon!! I very much enjoyed Norma Jean and Marilyn except for one tiny, little annoying thing...Mira Sorvino was totally wrong for the part of Marilyn. Just wrong!! Ashley Judd, who plays the unknown Norma Jean, MADE me BELIEVE in her role. Judd's performance was excellent and I fell in love with her version of Norma Jean. The way Judd played NJ is pretty much the way I envisioned her in the early portions of MM's life. There isn't anything new to learn in this film about the life of Marilyn Monroe but it was exciting (and painful) to watch it all play out in front of me. I was totally enthralled with the first half of this movie and couldn't wait for Norma Jean to become Marilyn. I was anxious to see how Sorvino would bring her version of Marilyn to life. Cut to scene where Norma Jean is about to be transformed into the world's sexiest woman with the famous moniker. When I first see Sorvino as MM, my immediate reaction is NO!! How could they have cast her with such horrible hair? The real MM would have NEVER come out of her dressing room with hair like THAT!! And the teeth? When Sorvino smiled, what was supposed to be Marilyn's famous, sexy smile, it was ALL WRONG!! The only thing Sorvino may have gotten a tiny bit right was the Marilyn walk. To be fair, only Marilyn could do that famous signature wiggly-walk, and the signature smile, with the signature style. It was a persona that Norma Jean created and could turn off and on whenever she wanted. Now then, so I am clear and do not dissuade anyone from watching/purchasing this movie, even with the so-so portrayal of MM, this is still a must-see for fans of Marilyn. In my opinion, this was a pretty decent flick and I eventually accepted Sorvino's role. Afterall, I did give it 4 stars for something. Enjoy.

i grew up watching monroe movies and thus am fascinated by her legend and legacy. it pains me to think how under-appreciated she was as an actress and as a singer/dancer. YES, she had natural talent and grace. blah blah blah but really what i want to note is this movie, marilyn and norma jean; well conceived, written, directed and acted by two of hollywood's most beautiful and gifted actresses, ashley judd and mira sorvino. what happened to their budding careers is a question that puts them in the 'marilyn' category as far as being f'ed over by the hollywood machine. did those two refuse to let harvey weinstein have his way with them? who knows, but this movie is interesting and engrossing and i'd already lost one copy to a borrower. so hopefully this is a helpful little rant. enjoy the film.

Ive always loved this movie! It is exaggerated and not completely accurate, but I enjoyed the two actresses potrayl as Marilyn and Norma Jean. Though I know one may disagree, I'm sure could also agree they have seen far worse and much better throughout the years, but I first watched this film as a young girl and it was a hard one to digest, it opened my eyes to mental illness, addiction, abandonment and how far one would go to escape their past by reinventing themselves complely to escape the chokeholds of childhood traumas.In my opinion the only real window we have to speculate her actions and who she was is through watching her actual films, but I did enjoy this story.

題名通り、マリリンモンローの数奇な生涯を画いた作品です。無名時代を表紙左の女優が演じ、整形して映画等で活躍し有名人を右の女優が演じています。有名なグラビア撮影シーンは圧巻でとても綺麗でした。整形して有名人なり活躍中に精神が弱り無名時代の自分の幻覚と会話するシーンが後半よく出ますが不思議な感覚陥ります。一人のヒロインの光と影をよく表現した作品です。

Marilyn Monroeのファンで、Ashley Juddのファンなので、涙もののDVD。国内版はVHSのみのため、高画質で保存したい方にオススメ。Ashleyの美しいNudeも永久保存版です。ストーリーは様々なマリリン本にある通りの、マリリンとノーマの精神の葛藤が丁寧に描かれていると思います。マリリンを知らない世代の方、このストーリーをよりよく分かるために「なぜノーマ・ジーンはマリリンモンローを殺したか」（ルーシー・フリーマン著）をオススメします。ちなみにPAL形式ですので、対応する再生機器がない方はご注意を。※パソコンのDVD再生ソフトであれば、たいていは再生可能なので心配無用かも。

Bought as a present for a couple of friends. Very well received.

Excellent product and service.

I bought this DVD for my girlfriend and she's just told me it doesn't work on my Xbox or any of the 3 DVD players I have in my house !!!!