Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
A mother's tidy-closet rule becomes the film's proof that she is dangerous. The shrieked 'no wire hangers' was meant as horror, but it was taken as camp, and the film won five Razzies; the line now gets quoted at any coat hanger. Few lines have so thoroughly swallowed the biography of the woman who supposedly said it.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Mommie DearestShow the scene
In Frank Perry's 1981 film of Christina Crawford's 1978 memoir, Faye Dunaway plays Joan Crawford at the height of her fame and her control. Late one night Joan finds one of her adopted daughter Christina's expensive dresses hanging on a wire hanger, which she cannot stand. The rant that follows opens with these words, and ends with Joan beating the girl with the hanger, making her scrub the bathroom floor and hitting her with a can of cleaning powder. The film was nominated for nine Razzies and won five, including Worst Picture and Worst Actress.
Sources (2)
- Mommie Dearest (film), WikipediaPlot; ReceptionReference checked
- Mommie Dearest, WikiquoteJoan Crawford sectionReference checked
Context reviewed