Postcards From The Edge (1990)

After an overdose of pills and cocaine, an actress (Meryl Streep) is placed in rehab. When she is ready to return to work, she finds out that the insurance company will only insure her if she lives with her mother (Shirley MacLaine), herself a famous movie star. The tension of living with her demanding mother and trying to get off drugs is almost too much. Can she do it? Based on the semi autobiographical novel by Carrie Fisher and directed by Mike Nichols. While its hard not to draw parallels to Fisher and her mother Debbie Reynolds, the film stands on its own as both a mother/daughter tale of rivalry and resentment but also as a story of Hollywood excess and drugs. Streep and MacLaine are both excellent here and director Nichols infuses the film with his particular brand of comedic wit. That it never feels exploitative is a tribute to both Fisher's screenplay and Nichols' firm direction. Both Streep and MacLaine get to perform musical numbers with MacLaine's rendition of Sondheim's I'm Still Here a particular standout. With Gene Hackman, Richard Dreyfuss, Dennis Quaid, Annette Bening, Rob Reiner, Mary Wickes,Oliver Platt, C.C.H. Pounder, Conrad Bain, Dana Ivey and Gary Morton.