This summer HBO has one of the most amazing lineups of documentaries in the networks profound history. One of these documentaries is ‘Love, Marilyn,’ with an all-star cast it is shaping up to be one of the summer’s best. Here are the details for the debut later this month.
The documentary focuses on the 20th-century American icon, with an inside look at not only her public persona, but her private and highly secretive personal life as well.LOVE, MARILYN draws its inspiration from the “recently discovered personal papers, diaries and letters” according to HBO. The film has an amazing cast, including Murray Abraham, Elizabeth Banks, Adrien Brody, Ellen Burstyn, Glenn Close, Hope Davis, Viola Davis, Jennifer Ehle, Ben Foster, Paul Giamatti, Jack Huston, Stephen Lang, Lindsay Lohan, Janet McTeer, Jeremy Piven, Oliver Platt, David Strathairn, Lili Taylor, Uma Thurman, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood. The project itself was directed by Oscar nominee Liz Garbus (HBO’s “Bobby Fischer Against The World”; “The Farm: Angola”), and is scheduled to Monday, JUNE 17 (9:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT), and of course exclusively on HBO.
Highlights of the film include new footage, audiotapes and rarely-seen photographs, as well as a “recently-discovered trove of Monroe’s own handwritten letters, diaries, notes, poems, journals and notebooks” which is where the title gets its name. These documents detail the private life of the tragic star, set against the already well-known stage that was her very public relationships. There are also interviews and archival footage spotlighting Arthur Miller, Joe DiMaggio, Amy Greene, Molly Haskell, Truman Capote, Norman Mailer and Elia Kazan, among others.
The documentary also includes moments from Marilyn’s California childhood (when she was Norma Jeane Mortenson),the orphanages and foster homes she grew up in; and her discovery in Hollywood. Through the film are also the highs of her career, including her performances in “Niagara,” “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” and “How to Marry a Millionaire.” Her short-lived marriage to Joe DiMaggio, her enrollment at the Actors Studio in New York with Lee Strasberg; the creation of her own production company and subsequent roles in “Bus Stop” and “The Prince and the Showgirl”; and her tumultuous marriage to playwright Arthur Miller are also in the film. Marilyn also suffered greatly from the several miscarriages, which was a large part of her constant battle with depression, she also had a three-week stay at the Payne Whitney Psychiatric Clinic, which Monroe described as a “nightmare,” and her subsequent treatment by psychiatrist Dr. Ralph Greenson is also a part of the film. Marilyn died on August 5, 1962 at the age of 36.
As I mentioned before HBO Documentary Films is featuring these amazing documentaries in a weekly series over the summer. There will be new films every Monday from June 10 to Aug. 12. The other films include “Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer” (June 10); “Miss You Can Do It” (June 24); “Gideon’s Army” (July 1); “Gasland Part II” (July 8); “The Crash Reel” (July 15); “The Cheshire Murders” (July 22); “First Comes Love” (July 29); “Casting By” (Aug. 5); and “Americans in Bed” (Aug. 12).
