Florence Foster Jenkins 2016

     This story was first adapted into a play in 1994.  Florence is an heiress living in New York City.  She has always wanted to be a concert pianist and play at Carnegie Hall.  She contracted an illness at the age of 18 and she was not able to properly use one hand.  She decides to devote herself to singing instead and this is how she can get to Carnegie Hall.  She will need training and she will need to practice, practice, practice.  Her husband loves her very much and he supports her venture.

     I didn’t know this film would be so funny!!  I don’t know how Streep and Grant could complete their roles without bursting into uncontrollable laughter?  Florence was born July 19, 1868 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and she died November 26, 1944.  Her father was an attorney and he was born into a family of wealthy landowners.  She had a sister named Lillian but she died at the age of eight in 1883.  Florence had a lifelong passion for performance and she started at the age of seven.  In her later years, she was able to open doors and make things happen for herself because she had plenty of MONEY!!  4* (I really liked this movie)

111 min, Bio directed by Stephen Frears with Meryl Streep, Hugh Grant, Simon Helberg, Rebecca Ferguson, Nina Arianda, Stanley Townsend, Allan Corduner, Christian McKay, David Haig, John Sessions, Brid Brennan, John Kavanagh.

Note:  Imdb 6.9 out of 10, 87% critic 69% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3 ½*, Amazon 4.3* out of 5* with 151 reviews (video 3.9* out of 5 with 903 reviews)

Special Note:  Filmed in Glasgow and Strathclyde, Scotland, UK; Liverpool, Holylake New Brighton, Merseyside and Middlesex, London, England, UK.  Meryl Streep commented that she thought she was too old to play opposite Hugh Grant as a romantic partner but he seemed to get older?  Grant was semi-retired but Stephen Frears convinced him to take the role of St. Clair Bayfield.  Streep had early opera training in singing, she does her own singing and Simon Helberg does his own piano playing. Florence created all her own gowns and they were inspired by the style of a Mexicana senorita and 18-century ball gowns.  Florence was in an accident in a taxi, she wasn’t hurt but could now sing a higher note.  She gave the driver a box of cigars to express her appreciation!!