Postcards from the Edge Review

Most people don't have the time, money, or energy to watch a lot of movies, so when you do get a chance to watch something, you want it to be good. That's why Rotten Tomatoes exists: to give a snapshot of whether a movie is worth your time. But does it always work? I'll be watching all of Rotten Tomatoes’ Certified Fresh movies from this Wikipedia list starting in the year 1990, the decade I was born, and we'll see if these movies are really worth the hype.

Movie 18 of 1990:

Postcards from the Edge, directed by Mike Nichols, is an Oscar-nominated film based on Carrie Fisher's semi-autobiographical novel. At its core, this is a story about the cycle of addiction and how it has impacted a mother-daughter relationship. Our protagonist is Suzanne, in an Oscar nominated role from Meryl Streep, who has just suffered an overdose, and needs to balance work with sobriety under the care of her alcoholic mother, played by Shirley MacLaine.

I'm always interested in stories that peel back the layers of the entertainment industry to show the darker, less talked-about side. We really saw that in how casually drug use was in these circles, as well as the misogyny and lack of care for the recovery process that is shown on a particular film set. It's not a stretch to assume that situations like this are the case on many Hollywood film projects.

While the subject matter is quite dark, the movie never feels dour and bogged down by that. There is a humor and levity to the tone that embody Carrie Fisher's vibrant and hilarious personality. There are also a few musical moments that are always upbeat and entertaining. They add life to the movie instead of bringing the story to a screeching halt.

I appreciate the lesson of this movie, which was about breaking generational cycles of abuse and addiction. It was very apparent and easy to understand, without feeling like an after-school special. MacLaine's character, in particular, is struggling to understand that she still has a problem with alcoholism because she feels like she is doing better than many people she has been surrounded with, including her younger self.

There is a lot to take away from this movie without it feeling too long or too serious. There's a real balancing act the creative team has to strike to get the themes across without becoming those things, and they really nailed it. This could have easily been a movie that was good, but too upsetting for a rewatch. I appreciate that they avoided that because this feels more true to Carrie Fisher's voice.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%

Is it worth the hype?:

Definitely! I sometimes find addiction stories to be presented tediously, but this never felt like that. The performances were engaging, and the tone was entertaining, while still giving the serious subject matter the attention it needed. Give this a watch for some great performances and a surprisingly touching story that won't leave you broken after.