You might dismiss The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe, thinking it is just another biopic and Hollywood has certainly made enough of them. However, as someone who has seen nearly all of the representations, I urge you to reconsider. I watched this miniseries on the big screen, not a small television set. I was able to see every detail projected onto the width of the room's wall, so any flaw, dissimilarity, or wrong movement of Kelli Garner would be completely noticeable. She was perfect. I kept grabbing my mom's arm across the theater seat, exclaiming, "It's her!"
Miss Garner looks so completely like Marilyn, from the minutest movement of her eyebrows, to the slight downturn of her mouth before she smiles. Any girl can imitate Marilyn's walk, but it takes a true talent to recreate the way she sighed. From her teen years as Norma Jean, to the excruciating detail of her Marilyn mannerisms, from her private dramatics with her mother, to her terror at being institutionalized herself, it is an absolute crime Garner wasn't nominated for a single award. She should have swept the season. Had this movie been released prior to My Week with Marilyn, Michelle Williams's showstopper would have never gotten off the ground. I thought Michelle had the market cornered, but now I've seen the very best there is. Michelle took the angle of "Marilyn knows exactly what she's doing" (which was wonderful), but Kelli plays the victim. She's been victimized and manipulated her entire life, and from start to finish, all she ever wanted was to be loved. If you watch Kelli's performance first, you'll probably hate what Michelle did to the 1950s icon. Kelli is vulnerable and tragic, and she breaks your heart.
The format of the story is Marilyn with a new psychiatrist, played by Jack Noseworthy. Although a cutie, Jack's character is a terrible therapist! He poses unrealistic questions and lets his face show everything he's thinking - taboo for psychiatrists. However, for television audiences, if he removed the twinkle from his eye and stopped smiling, his scenes would be far less enjoyable. The therapy sessions provide natural breaks in the story, so the present-day Marilyn can reflect on her past (and sometimes break for commercials). The miniseries has a great focus on Marilyn's insane mother, Gladys, played by Susan Sarandon. I've never seen her in such a creepy role, but she certainly did it well. There's a balance between the private moments of Marilyn and Gladys, and the public scenes biography fans are looking forward to. Iconic outfits are recreated for the ultimate Marilyn fan to enjoy, and her transition from Norma Jean is completed with exactly the right hair and makeup styles. We see all three of her marriages as well as friendships, romances, and "bargains" with more of the Hollywood crowd. Though Jeffrey Dean Morgan is infinitely more handsome than Joe DiMaggio, he does give both an endearing and frightening performance. Stephen Bogaert as Arthur Miller looks like he stepped out of a photograph. You'll also see Embeth Davidtz, Emily Watson, Peter MacNeill, Giacomo Gianniotti and Eva Amurri (Susan's real-life daughter playing the young Gladys!). If you're a fan, you owe it to Marilyn to watch this biopic. Of all the versions, I think she'd like this one the best.
