Luke Skywalker is not the only member of the Star Wars gang with parent issues. Carrie Fisher, the actress who played Princess Leia, channeled hers into a novel that became another winning Mike Nichols domestic comedy, "Postcards From The Edge."

Meryl Streep stars as Carrie alter-ego Suzanne Vale, a once-successful actress trying to restart her career after a near-fatal O.D. Her mother, a screen legend in her day named Doris Mann (Shirley MacLaine), happily takes on the responsibility of overseeing Suzanne's recovery, especially given the attendant oversight she gets on daughter's life and career.

"I really hate that you have to go through this," Doris sighs upon visiting her daughter in the rehab clinic. "I wish I could go through this for you." MacLaine gives, frame for frame, the best performance in the film, one of her best ever. She and Streep seem to feed off the best aspects of each other's prior screen work, Streep picking up on MacLaine's sass and comedic chops, MacLaine on the way Streep can give you a sea of sadness through just a flickering gleam in her eyes.

Streep's comedy turn is the big surprise here, especially given how successfully she pulls it off. No dingoes running off with babies in this production. Nichols helps by putting her in situations that are very un-Streepish, like being threatened by cheesy "Scarface" extras or inhaling Fritos. Whatever the props, Meryl herself makes me laugh, something I never expected. Not that she lays back. Her gift for inhabiting others' skin is on fine display, as she gives Suzanne Carrie Fisher's wry intonations and wan half-laugh.

You can hear the connection on the DVD commentary; a candid, amusing piece by Fisher in which she explains the background of "Postcards," why she considers it "emotionally autobiographical" in the way it deals with her own past drug issues and especially her relationship with her movie-star mother, Debbie Reynolds. At the same time, it's fictional in many key details.

Fisher's clever Hollywood-dream-factory send-up of a script gives MacLaine and Streep plenty of great lines that pop off the screen like cherry bombs. "Instant gratification takes too long," Suzanne whines. "I know you don't take my dreams seriously, even when I predicted your kidney stones," crows Mom.

The film does get rather pat in the second half, especially when both bond by rounding on Suzanne's ancient grandmother (Mary Wickes). Given that Suzanne's the central character, and the one with the drug problem, more effort should have been made on exposing her flaws and weaknesses, rather than making her seem the most normal character in the story. Fisher makes this point herself in her commentary, wishing she was "tougher" on Suzanne.

"Postcards" is most effective when it focuses on the paradox of how these people perform so well in the limelight and so clumsily outside of it. "We're designed more for public than for private," is how Suzanne puts it at one point. Some comments here complain of too many musical numbers, but of course entertaining is what these women live for. Watching Suzanne watch her mother sing "I'm Still Here", realizing for an instant that a throwaway line in the song is really a cry of pain over Suzanne's way of life, and finally responding, silently but in a nakedly emotional way, communicates all you need to know about how much these two people love each other, beneath their banter and blame.

Such subtle touches allow Streep, MacLaine, and Nichols to keep the longer dialogues crisp and funny. You may have a hard time understanding the lives these people lead, but you will enjoy their company.

Great performances by Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine. They are both hilarious and poignant in this Carrie Fisher story about a show business daughter coming through the process of working out emotional trauma and baggage in relation to her mother, upbringing and subsequent addiction problems. Also especially good is Gene Hackman in a small supporting role and a cameo by Rob Reiner. Streep and MacLaine carry this film with their talents and are very entertaining as they confront each other and themselves about personal flaws and foibles. What makes this work so well is the smart and oblique humor that is employed to address the internal pain of the main character. I also liked the little jabs at the movie industry itself as well as its nonchalant way of revealing some of it's visual tricks too.

One particular touching and bittersweet scene is between Hackman (as movie director) as he comforts Streep (an actress he's working with) with a sort of lighthearted understanding and encouragement to overcome her drug addiction as he builds her up with appreciation of her talent.

Considering the obvious autobiographical nature of this story for Fisher, it would appear to be sort of a catharsis for her. She does a good job in bringing painful personal issues to light with humor through her writing. Personal pain and demons often seem to be the source of great art and entertainment as well as amusement for many artists and through their art, for the rest of us as well. This is a case in point and definitely worth the time.

Postcards from the Edge (1990)

Mike Nichols is as close to a William Wyler as the New Hollywood (post-1967) gives us. His movies are both impeccable and emotionally taut. They feature the very best production values and impressive acting. And they take chances carefully, which isn't actually an oxymoron. Nichols knows he's pushing boundaries, but within the established forms. Even this movie, with its insider look at Hollywood, feels ingenious in a safe way, with echoes of "The Bad and the Beautiful" but with everyone toned down to a perfect realism.

One of the tricks of this movie, which is a little over the top in so many small ways (again, careful restraint all around), is keeping the acting believable. And foremost is Meryl Streep, lovable and sympathetic but not quite admirable or otherworldly the way older generation actresses so often get portrayed. Streep as a drug-troubled actress is a wonder, and right behind, with deliberate hamminess, is the woman playing her mother, Shirley MacLaine. Add Gene Hackman and Richard Dreyfuss in smaller roles, a cameo by Rob Reiner, and a pretty boy role for Dennis Quaid, and you can see there is something cooking here.

So why isn't this a great movie? It has the trimmings of greatness, even beyond the acting. Story by Carrie Fisher, music written by Carly Simon (and performed by the cast). Photography by German import Michael Ballhaus (who by the 1990s was also working for Coppola and Scorcese).

Well, some might say it really is great. Even though it is lightweight, even airy as a farce, and even though it leaves you only slightly glad, or happy, at the end rather than transformed, you could argue that Nichols intended something with this flavor, and achieved it. Could be. But for a simple example, take his second movie, "The Graduate," and notice the same tone, humor and irony laced with important topical and emotional strains. How different the effect there, and maybe for a couple of reasons. One, I think, is the subject matter here is the famously glib, plastic, unsympathetic world of overly rich, tabloid saturated Hollywood itself. Another is the inherent plot. What happens? A woman overcomes her addiction to star in another movie, and she seems to move a little forward in her relationship with her mother. Enough? Maybe not.

But knowing it's not trying to change the world, you might appreciate the illusory nature of the medium, exposed for us in a whole bunch of different ways (moving props, back projection, doubles used for blocking and framing, lights and camera in action, screening rooms and overdubbing, and so on. This is the stuff behind the drama enacted by Streep and MacLaine and the rest. It's worth watching in its own right.

And Nichols and Ballhaus have filmed this to glossy perfection, layering and moving and keeping the long takes going as long as possible (with an apology by Hackman, as a movie director, to Streep, the actress playing the actress, for using such long takes all the time). It's almost as if Nichols is making fun of himself, and the excesses that cause the cast and crew to go a little crazy.

Brilliant and entertaining? Completely. Probing or socially satirical in any way? No, not even into Hollywood, which is safely behind all these layers. Still, a film not to miss.

This is a very addictive movie. It got me hooked on its genuine and rich characters, sassy and intelligent dialogue that made fun of a serious subject. The performances were spectacular, not only by Streep and Maclaine, but also by the veteran Mary Wickes, Dennis Quaid and Robin Bartlett as Aretha ("my parents expected me to be black"). All of the cameos were enjoyable and added SO much to this fabulous film. It's refreshing to see Streep do something where you don't need to buy out a store's tissue supply to get through the movie. And Maclaine shines as this disturbed yet determined matriarch. I like almost everything about this film. Especially the singing at the end, and Maclaine's rendition of "I'm Still Here"

Great Movie!

Debiee Reynolds/Carrie Fisher or MacLaine/Streep? It doesn't really matter. A comedy that swims around a theme without ever getting anywhere. To see Streep and MacLaine together is enough to make this a collector's item. The cheerful side of the Ingrid Bergman/Liv Ullman grim Ingman Bergman "Autumn Sonata" I know that Carrie Fisher with her American wit was telling us something, something personal but did it have to be so shallow? There is nothing about this characters with a hint of depth. Drugs and alcohol part of a culture in permanent denial. Maybe that's what it is. We're witnessing the replicas of what used to be human beings. The hurt is so flimsy. He may have told a million women that they smelled like Catalina, so what? Didn't she notice the phoniness in Dennis Quaid's smirk? I had to rush and see "Plenty" and stare into Meryl Streep's face to be reminded of her greatness. Not that she's bad here, not at all, she's wonderful, it's the character that made me recoil in horror. Okay, enough of that. the combination of MacLaine and Streep is terrific and the film will keep you entertained even if, like in my case, will leave you with a toxic aftertaste.

Meryl Streep is just about the best actress around and this, I think, is one of my favourite performances by her. (so far). Why? Because she is not playing her usual self -- she is a total nut case in this film --- neurotic and downright hilarious. Much like 2002's "Adaption" she is playing against her normal dramatic type and is a wonderful comedienne -- a role she should play more often --- actresses usually playing actresses usually are not memorable --- this is a "keeper" role --- and what a voice. (had she not been an actress, she could give most singers these days a run for their money!) Do rent it and laugh --- it is worth the trip to the video store!

Screenwriter Carrie Fisher adapted her own book--about an actress in drug rehab--into this film about a drug-addicted actress and her alcoholic movie star mama, and the two barely resemble each other. No matter, because director Mike Nichols stages the behind-the-scenes/show-biz material very well (he's visually clever, with a humorous wink to the audience). However, it's momentarily disappointing that the film is so lightweight and doesn't strive to be more substantial, or that Meryl Streep hasn't really zeroed in on her character (she spends much of her time being comically frazzled). Streep's scenes with mother Shirley MacLaine are colorful and well-written, but her interludes with smug lover Dennis Quaid are embarrassing, with both stars spitting out silly lines of dialogue--and Nichols and his editor just letting them ramble. A plot-thread about Streep's shady business manager is brought up only to be forgotten about (we meet the man in question early in the film and he appears to be a forthright person of integrity), while the finale is a musical dead-end (is it supposed to be part of a movie or a music video?). Streep does an amiable Wynnona Judd impersonation here--and even resembles her!--but the picture is thin (it is exceptional, perhaps, only in its thinness). Gene Hackman as a director has a forceful moment at the beginning before he's turned into an understanding daddy, while Richard Dreyfuss plays a doctor who pumps Streep's stomach and sends her flowers the next day. Fisher and Nichols stay soft; they never get offensive or edgy--and maybe that's part of the problem. **1/2 from ****

Drug-addicted Hollywood star Suzanne Vale (Meryl Streep) is working for director Lowell Korshack (Gene Hackman). She showed promise early but her career has spiraled down. Former classmate Jack Faulkner (Dennis Quaid) brings her to the ER after she OD'ed. Dr. Frankenthal (Richard Dreyfuss) pumps her stomach. Aretha (Robin Bartlett) is her roommate in rehab. Doris Mann (Shirley MacLaine) is her stage mom and a hard-drinking Hollywood legend. The insurance company for her movie demands that she stays with her mother.

This is written by Carrie Fisher as a thinly veiled biography of her life with her mother Debbie Reynolds. There are great memorable moments like Suzanne overhearing the crew ridiculing her. The plot meanders too much and lacks a direction. There are terrific bits of scenes but the whole doesn't build to something better.

This is easily one of the best American films of the 90s and certainly one of the best screenplays of the last 50 years.

Carrie Fisher writes dialogue like nobody else in show business and she outdoes herself with this semi-biopic about her life growing up in the biz with her actress Mom, Debbie Reynolds.

The film is loosely based on the novel of the same title by Fisher, and I say "loosely", because Nichols asked Fisher to re-write several parts to make them more "film-friendly". The book is more about drug addiction and the character of the mother (played brilliantly by Shirley MacLaine) is barely involved.

The film focuses (smartly) on the relationship between mother and daughter and Maclaine and Streep have a field day and create some of the most memorable mother-daughter scenes in American cinema history, thanks to the able direction of Mike Nichols. Dennis Quaid is also wonderful as the narcissistic drug addicted man that plays with Streep's character's emotions.

This is one of my all time favorite films, it's the only film on my top 10 list made in the last 25 years, and will be remembered for generations to come as the gem that it is. The screenplay is so amazing that about 80% of the dialogue is totally quotable and can be repeated ad nauseum to the delight of its fans (and annoyance of their relatives and significant others).

Wonderful cameos from everyone from Mary Wickes, Rob Reiner, Gene Hackman, Annette Benning, Oliver Platt and more...if you can get your hands on the DVD with Carrie Fisher commentary, it's just as hilarious as the film itself. The woman is a genius and it's a crime she wasn't nominated (or won) an Oscar for Best Screenplay for this film.

"Postcards from the Edge" represents one of Hollywood's occasional attempts to turn its cameras on itself by making a film about films and film-making. The central character is Suzanne Vale, a drug-addicted actress who is the daughter of Doris Mann, a leading cinema actress of the 1950s and 1960s. It is based on a novel by Carrie Fisher, an actress who at one time suffered from drug addiction and is the daughter of Debbie Reynolds, a leading cinema actress of the 1950s and 1960s. Despite these similarities, Fisher has denied that her novel was autobiographical. (Some, including Minnelli herself, have also seen parallels with Liza Minnelli and Judy Garland).

The main theme of the film is the relationship between mother and daughter. Suzanne's drug habits have been affecting her career and even after treatment in a rehab centre she is warned that the studio's insurance policy will cover her only if she lives with a "responsible" individual, such as her mother. Suzanne, however, finds it difficult to live with Doris, who is about as irresponsible an individual as they come, and has her own substance dependence problems, in her case with alcohol. Doris is loud, selfish and manipulative, never missing a chance to interfere in Suzanne's life. There is also a sub-plot about Suzanne's relationship with movie producer Jack Faulkner, who professes passionate love for her on their first date, which she believes until she discovers that he is also sleeping with one of her co-stars in her latest picture.

I watched this film largely because it stars Meryl Streep, one of my favourite actresses, and she is the best thing about it, even if I would not rate her performance quite as highly as the one she gave in "Silkwood", her earlier collaboration with Mike Nichols. (I have never seen "Heartburn", another film on which they worked together). Meryl even manages to do something which I would have thought beyond the capabilities of a first-rate actress- to give a convincing impersonation of a second-rate one. It is clear from the scenes where she is shooting her movie that Suzanne Vale is not meant to be an actress in the Meryl Streep class. Streep even gets to sing, and shows us that at one time she had a far better voice than the one she displayed in last year's awful "Mamma Mia!". I wondered what has happened to it over the last couple of decades.

I also liked Shirley MacLaine as Doris, which is strange as I disliked her in "Terms of Endearment", another film in which she played a domineering mother who interferes in her daughter's life. I think that the difference is that her performance as Aurora in "Terms of Endearment" was such an over-the-top caricature that it seemed quite out of place in that lugubrious tearjerker. Her performance in "Postcards from the Edge" is no less a caricature, but then the film is less serious and lighter in spirit than "Terms of Endearment", and Doris is written as the sort of larger-than-life character who is such a drama queen, offstage as well as on, that her whole life almost becomes a deliberate self-caricature. It is the two women who are at the centre of the film, but there are also cameos from three major male stars, Dennis Quaid as Jack, Gene Hackman as a film director and Richard Dreyfuss as Suzanne's doctor, who also seems to be romantically interested in her.

What I didn't like about the film was that it was, at times, too static and that it never finished what it seemed to be starting. It starts off as what seems to be a serious film about drug addiction, but this theme is never really developed. It then turns into a satire on the ways of Hollywood, but this theme is not developed either, and the film then becomes a study of a mother-daughter relationship, without approaching that subject too seriously. It has been described as a comedy, although I am not sure that is the right description if by "comedy" is meant a film primarily intended to make people laugh. (I doubt if many of the lines in "Postcards from the Edge" would have had audiences rolling in the aisles). It is a film notable for two good acting performances, but it never seems to know where it is going or what it is supposed to be saying. 6/10

The first five minutes are fine. And the film's eight-minute musical finale exudes terrific country/western spirit. But, in between, the characters reek of a glossy shallowness characteristic of a script that is not well fleshed out.

Flighty, ungrateful Suzanne Vale (Meryl Streep) is a young actress hooked on drugs, and lorded over by her annoyingly controlling, alcoholic, show-biz mother named Doris Mann (Shirley MacLaine). Their bumpy relationship provides the main thrust to the plot, as pill-popping Suzanne tries to continue her acting, while judgmental Doris imposes herself on Suzanne, as a kind of career counselor. Around these two swirl an assortment of photogenic Hollywood types, who initiate or aggravate various conflicts between Suzanne and Doris.

One would think this setup would imply a drama. Not here. The film tries to be a comedy. Some of the dialogue is indeed funny. But the comedy element contradicts the painful plight of the script's two main characters. In addition to their substance abuse problems, both Suzanne and Doris are so wrapped up in themselves, so self-centered, they're hard to root for.

The film's acting generally is overdone, at times hammy, the most egregious example being Dennis Quaid. Production design is credible. Color cinematography is conventional, but competent.

The story premise had merit. But Director Mike Nichols and writer Carrie Fisher needed to give a little more thought to the characters in this story, all of whom come across as glib, shallow, cosmetic, superficial, devoid of depth. Comedy can indeed be integrated with serious topics. But in the case of "Postcards From The Edge", it needed to be integrated with a little more finesse.

Meryl Streep, cast against type in a comedic role plays Suzanne Vale, an actress struggling with drug addiction and a difficult relationship with her alcholic has-been singer/actress mother played by Shirley McClaine. The film starts with Vale, making a film, high as a kite and making a mess of her scenes, then she overdoses and is put into rehab.

Following her rehab stint, she is forced to live with her mother in order to be able to keep her job on a new film. Her mother tells her that she is making all the wrong career moves, stays up all night waiting for to come home from a date and generally otherwise makes her life very difficult. I won't give away anymore of the plot than that. Streep and McClaine are amazing here, and suprisingly, Streep can sing, very well.

A good supporting cast and director, and a pleasantly ironic view of Hollywood life, can't quite save this from the perfectly soulless, textbook actress Streep totally miscast as the insecure (and infinitely sexier, more intuitive actress) Fisher. I never believed for a minute this woman was vulnerable: Streep is a ballbreaker who should only play larger than life villainous roles.

With screen talent like Streep, MacLaine, Hackman, Quaid, and Mike Nichols directing, this should have been so much better. Unfortunately, despite some very solid elements the final result is disappointing. There's just not enough bite to this story, all the edges seem to be rounded off and polished smooth, leaving the viewer with nothing to really bite into. Streep, MacLaine, Hackman, and Quaid are all solid and fun, but that's all there is to Postcards from the Edge.

Postcards From The Edge is one of my all-time favorites. It's a truly addictive movie that's always funny and touching no matter how many times I see it. Some of the criticism I've read have always seemed just a tad off base, particularly the ones that say that Streep never seems to get a handle on her character--she just acts kind of comically frazzled. Well I think that's the point, isn't it? Streep as Fisher doesn't know what she wants or who she is, and while trying to discover these things, she must battle her drug dependence, rebuild her career against all odds and hope, in addition to trying to reconcile her relationship with her outlandishly domineering mother, who just happens to be a legendary star with issues of her own. In this scenario, "frazzled" would seem to be the way to go.

In any case, those who have commented positively on the movie have mostly mentioned the great performances (as well as Carrie Fisher's wonderful screenplay), and rightly so since this is one the most smartly acted (and well-written) movies you will ever see. But it seems strange that the outstanding direction of Mike Nichols is rarely mentioned. I remember one Oscar ceremony when a producer whose movie had just won Best Picture, and, indeed, swept all the major awards--except Best Director--said "apparently the Academy thinks that the actors directed themselves." It would seem that many of the viewers of Postcards From The Edge think the same thing. In my opinion, Nichols doesn't get enough credit for the seamless way this movie moves or for the crispness of the comic timing. At every turn, he brings out the best in his actors, most especially in the dynamic scenes involving Streep and McLaine. I also love the way he shows, through shifting background effects, how movie illusions are created, which he further uses to illustrate how we often hide our true motivations. (The great example of this is in the scene on the lot with Streep and Dennis Quaid where he was trying to convince her he has always been sincere in his feelings for her--and maybe they should even marry. Then suddenly the background, a house and white picket fence cardboard front, is moved away by a production crew.)

This is a wonderfully entertaining movie, brilliantly acted and written and, yes, superbly directed.

I finally saw this film last night, and I really enjoyed it. It was funny, and I could relate to the characters. Lots of great cameos too from Richard Dreyfuss, Annette Benning, Oliver Platt, and Rob Reiner. The director Mike Nichols(Silkwood, Working Girl) is also great. I would recommend this film to anyone who likes Meryl Streep, or movies with a lot of well-known actors in it.

The first thing that comes to mind while watching this is Meryl Streep is too old for the role and Shirley Maclaine is too young.

This is based on the book by Carrie Fisher however, it's hard to believe Meryl in the role. She seems so wishy-washy and unfocused. If the character she portrays is supposed to be Carrie Fisher then it's even harder to swallow because I highly doubt Carrie Fisher would be this low key and demure. I would imagine she would be much more assertive and aggressive. Is Meryl supposed to be a wounded sparrow? Her character doesn't seem very interested in being an actress. She comes off lazy and slovenly.

Shirley Maclain's character, while portrayed very well, is sort of a mix of all the older, glamorous, heavy drinking actress' from films of an era long gone living in her Beverly Hills mansion. Always acting, always on.

I do like the film but there is something off about it. And we never really see anything so horrible happen to Meryl's character that makes us feel any empathy for her. She's never had to deal with anything horrible in her life so what is her problem?

It's not a bad film it just isn't very well done.

I saw this movie for the first time recently after avoiding it for so long "who wants to watch a movie about Hollywood drug problems" was always my thinking. But it's a good movie. Not great. Mostly because it holds back. I am not familiar with the way Hollywood people live or act in real life. I am a writer by trade and the last thing I would do is write for Hollywood. But I cannot help but think that this semi-breezy comedy pulls it's punches by offering merely the tiniest parts of the pain that Carrie Fisher must have gone through as an addict. Imagine your life as one. I guess if the movie were too real, people wouldn't want to see it, as I felt. But making this a comedy hides the real problem. A serious drug problem exists in Hollywood and it would be great if somebody showed how that is handled and problem solved for these poor wretches. There's still a great movie out there about it...but this is not it. That said, I did like the movie, even the comedy. But sadly, even with all of Carrie's talent, charm and funny one-liners, let us not forget how it ended for her.

A really wonderful, funny and sad film with bravura performances by Streep, MacLaine, Quaid and a hilarioius cameo by Annette Benning ("they give you and endolphin rush!"). One of Streep's best performances and won of the many Oscars she should have won but was passed over for. This film holds up each time I see it.

I found Postcards from the Edge under the Comedy section of the neighborhood video store. Comedy? What's so funny about drug and alcohol addiction in a dysfunctional mother/daughter relationship? They played it up sit-com style, all one liners, without giving it the depth the subject matter deserves. It was like watching Friends, if they were all co-dependent substance abusers.

The film is directed by Mike Nichols, and the main characters played by MacLaine and Streep; and they have nevertheless created an entertaining movie. I just expected a lot more from those making it. The family gave it a 7, just barely, and then only for MacLaine and Streep.

Sub par film about life in yawn inducing LaLaLand. Even the greats Streep and McLaine can't salvage this mess. Just take all the postcards and throw them off the ledge and call it a day!

When you watch "Postcards from the Edge", you wonder how much of the character is Carrie Fisher and her mother, Debbie Reynolds. Both deny that the book and movie are about them and their relationship. However, you can't help but wonder if any of their relationship is what you read or see on the screen...especially when there are so many parallels between the characters in the film and Fisher/Reynolds. And, considering that both died not too long ago, it's a bit of a bittersweet picture to watch.

The film is very unusual in that instead of telling an entire story from start to finish, it's more a small look at a small portion of Suzanne Vale's life (Meryl Streep). So, if you are the type person who likes everything tied up nicely at the end or offer some definitive change, then you might consider skipping this one. As for me, I am glad I saw it and felt the film provides one of the most realistic looks at addiction you can find.

The film consists consists of showing Suzanne's life from just before she overdosed on pills and ended up in rehab to a period shortly after....when she's still struggling with her addiction. Through this period, it's obvious that many of her problems revolve around her problematic relationship with her world famous actress mother (Shirley MacLaine).

The best thing about the film is the writing...and Carrie Fisher left me wanting to see more of her work. Streep, as usual, was amazing. I should point out that unlike "Mama Mia", Streep's singing is good as it fits her range. Well worth seeing...and a film that left me wanting more.

Meryl Streep can be the villain, the hero, the sister, the daughter, the mother, the spirit, the icon. In Postcards from the Edge, however, she is a flat out mess. Streep portrays Suzanne Vale, a successful actress who is about to hit the post-I Know Who Killed Me Lindsay Lohan stage of her career. She relies on cocaine just to get through the day. She partakes in casual affairs she doesn't remember the next day. She is like a robot, barely able to function in her daily job. She doesn't want to hurt anybody, but her habits are about to.

Suzanne is finally given a wake-up call when she accidentally overdoses on a deadly mix of narcotics. After getting her stomach pumped, she ends up in rehab, struggling to piece her life back together. But her shaky mind begins to rattle even more when her mother, Doris Mann (Shirley MacLaine), arrives on the scene. Doris is not just Suzanne's mother; she is a celebrated legend, a symbol of the '50s/'60s era of Hollywood musicals.

Doris means well, but she's possibly too self-centered for her own good. When she throws Suzanne a "welcome-home" party, she opens the front door, mugs for the varying cameras, and, with dramatic emphasis, declares, "My baby is home!" When the party is hitting its last legs, she pressures Suzanne to sing in front of everybody. Yet, the second her daughter finishes, she pulls one of those don't-make-me-sing (wink!) acts and one- ups her without even realizing that it may be just a little bitchy.

The rehab clinic advises that Suzanne live with Doris in order to have someone constantly watching her, but that probably isn't a good idea. Whether she'd like to admit it or not, Doris is an addict herself, popping champagne in the early hours of the morning or mixing in an absurd amount of vodka into her fruit smoothies. Within the important first months of Suzanne's recovery, the mother/daughter dynamic is challenged after years of repressed emotions and unexpressed opinions.

Postcards from the Edge originally began as an autobiographical novel by Princess Leia herself, the self-deprecating Carrie Fisher. As a film (which was also penned by Fisher), it contains a darkly funny sting. Deeply rooted in time-to-get-my-life-together reality and over-the-top, Norma Desmond-like expression, it's a comedy that is solidly entertaining but also bitterly true. One can only wonder how much of the film is lifted directly from the lives of Fisher and her famous mother, the inimitable Debbie Reynolds.

Mike Nichols has made movies that range from profoundly moving to breezily humorous, and Postcards from the Edge lands somewhere in the middle. It isn't as vigorously thought-provoking as many of his other undertakings, but it captures the mindset that, no matter how terrible life is, you can always find the laughter in it. Surely, Doris' diva attitude is sickening to the long-suffering Suzanne, but we see the events through Nichols' eyes. We're laughing, uncomfortably of course, but there's also unrelenting sympathy for both Suzanne and Doris. Suzanne has never lived a day without stooping under Doris' grand shadow, and Doris has never been able to meet the expectations of her ever-grumbling mother (Mary Wickes). Nichols films these women through a comedic lens, but there's an underlying anguish that he captures with enrichment.

If Postcards from the Edge is more scathing than it is meaningful, we have Streep, MacLaine, and Fisher to thank for all of its successes. Streep and MacLaine immerse themselves in their roles, understanding the women they're playing with unforced ease, while Fisher's screenplay contains absolutely scintillating dialogue. It isn't without its faults, but Postcards from the Edge rarely misses the mark.

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Apparently, Carrie Fisher and Co. decided to let all us common folk in on the big secrets of Hollywood. All major celebrities are drug addicts and everything is just a big gimmick. All kidding aside, Postcards from the Edge might seem ground breaking to someone who lives in Kansas and thinks that movies are made magically. For people aware of how the Hollywood system works, the film just grows tiresome.

Is the film about Carrie Fisher and her mother Debbie Reynolds? Probably. Or perhaps some other doped up actress and her has been of a mother. The film is filled with uncalled for cameos -- and two stiff performances by the two leading ladies. Especially Shirley MacLaine, who seems to think she is cute no matter how annoying she is. Dennis Quaid is quite good however.