78
Metascore
5 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80The Hollywood ReporterCaryn JamesThe Hollywood ReporterCaryn JamesDespite that ominous theme, The Great Lillian Hall is a lovely tribute to life in the theater, with all its personal compromises, and a showcase for Lange, who deftly shows the character as a vulnerable woman and also displays the distinct style of Lillian the bravura actress.
- 80The New York TimesElisabeth VincentelliThe New York TimesElisabeth VincentelliLike many of the best golden-age melodramas, this HBO film fully commits to both unabashed emotion and a complicated female lead, a role filled by Jessica Lange with a finely tuned mix of showmanship and nuance.
- 80ABC NewsPeter TraversABC NewsPeter TraversStarring the great Jessica Lange as a Broadway legend gobsmacked by a diagnosis of dementia, this is a snappy, stirring tribute to theater as a lifeline. Ignore the occasional drift into soap opera in favor of Lange’s transfixing master class in acting Just sit back and behold.
- 75IndieWireChristian ZilkoIndieWireChristian ZilkoThe film is ultimately most interested in celebrating the irrational levels of devotion that live theater inspires in the people who make it. While it doesn’t pull punches about the challenges that lie ahead, “The Great Lillian Hall” ultimately makes it clear that its protagonist is lucky to have something that’s so hard to let go.
- 70CNNBrian LowryCNNBrian Lowry“The Great Lillian Hall” operates as a love letter to the theater while catering to those who can appreciate an “All About Eve” reference or two.