MovieChat Forums > Madame X (1966) Discussion > Mother-in-law + disappointing ending

Mother-in-law + disappointing ending

posted 18 years ago by queentulawanda
12 replies | jump to latest

There were two things I wanted to see in this movie. (1) Watching the Governor taking his mother out and giving her a good switching for the way she treated his wife & for depriving him & his son of a good wife and mother, and, (2) the mother-in-law going back with the Governor to see Holly before she died & beg for her forgiveness! In the courtroom, the MIL appeared to be remorseful for her actions, but still afraid of "what people would think".

Maybe Holly was "low-born", but her heart was far nobler than the "high class" society. Her mother-in-law thought she was the creme de la creme of society; she acted more like the crap de la crap! I wish that old woman had thrown herself on Holly like Sara Jane did on the coffin of her mother, Annie, in "Imitation of Life". Now THAT would be wonderful.

Still, it's a wonderful tear-jerker and one of the finest movies I've seen.

[–] jg67 16 years ago

Love the movie but a plot hole so big you could drive a truck through is the mother-in-law covered up the murder. Holly didn't have to leave town.

Flesh may age, but a franchise is forever.

[–] phillindholm 16 years ago

Yes, she did. That was the bargain she made with her Mother In Law. She was blackmailed into leaving the country. Otherwise, she would have had to face a trial.

[–] jg67 16 years ago

I guess you didn't get my point. Even after Holly disappeared there was no investigation into Phil's death. Even with Holly "dead", the scandal would have tainted Clayton's political ambitions. Estelle covered it up. If Estelle could cover up the murder there was no need for Holly to leave town. Holly simply could have blackmailed Estelle into covering up the murder for the sake of Clayton's career. She hated Holly but of course she would have done it. But then the movie would have been over in a half hour.

Flesh may age, but a franchise is forever.

[–] phillindholm 16 years ago

Yes, I got your point. And you answered your own question. In the end, it was a ''plot device'' that motivated the actions of the characters. And, anyway, Estelle would have made life tough for Holly-so that's probably why she bowed out. That, and the fact that she knew she wasn't in the same Social Class as her Mother-In-Law.

[–] jg67 16 years ago

"And you answered your own question."

It wasn't a question. If you read my original post you'll see I commented that it was just a big plot hole. Thanks for replying though. Have you seen Portrait in Black already?

Flesh may age, but a franchise is forever.

[–] phillindholm 16 years ago

Yes, and if ever a film deserved the description ''Heavy Breathing Melodrama'', this is it.

[–] jg67 16 years ago

It was okay but the ending was just a mess. Literally.

Flesh may age, but a franchise is forever.

[–] mp989 16 years ago

The part that kinda baffles me is the middle bit with the Pianist. Was it just to show that she oculdn't be happy with *anyone* besides her family, even a good man and lead to the drinking? It's just kinda thrown in there, he saves her from death, and then somehow she survives in a far worse alcoolic state for YEARS after. Anyway--it's a fun weepie never elevated the way Doug Sirk's melodramas did for Ross Hunter.

[–] tumapacho 15 years ago

Holly's continuing problems may serve to show the havoc and damage wreaked by thwarted motherhood. She cannot reveal all her deep sense of guilt, shame, and loss with Christian, feels she doesn't deserve his kindness, and that he deserves better, anyway. That's the melodrama.

[–] tumapacho 16 years ago

The screenwriter Holloway seems aware of the problem. He has Holly point out several times that she feels so ashamed and inferior to the Andersons ("I've never been smart enough, or good enough...., etc") that she is railroaded into feeling she must sacrifice her position so that the two Clays would be clear. Despite her glorious 4 years plus as a socialite, Holly never got over her low esteem. It didn't help that she was suffering from neglect, and feeling unloved. Estelle is the villain. Clay Sr is no help. We're dealing with adversarial forces.

[–] douglas-soesbe 10 years ago

But I think there was a deeper motive. The MIL wanted to be rid of Holly from the beginning, and this gave her the excuse.

[–] phillindholm 9 years ago

Exactly- she said, herself: ''I knew what you were from the beginning.'' And: ''Your'e still a litte shopgirl from San Francisco. You should have stayed on the other side of the counter''. And, yes, Estelle was an opportunist who waited for her chance to get rid of Holly.