The marriage of Princess Diana and Prince Charles has long since grown cold. Though rumors of affairs and a divorce abound, peace is ordained for the Christmas festivities at the Queen’s Sandringham Estate. There’s eating and drinking, shooting and hunting. Diana knows the game. But this year, things will be profoundly different. SPENCER is an imagining of what might have happened during those few fateful days. Director by Pablo Larrain and Written by Steven Knight. Starring Kristen Stewart, Jack Farthing, Sally Hawkins, Timothy Pall, and Sean Harris.
Spencer – The Review
Ask anyone in my inner circle, and they will tell you I am obsessed with British history, specifically as it pertains to the royals. There is not a documentary, movie, podcast, or book that I haven’t consumed on these subjects. I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when Princess Diana died in that fateful car crash in Paris. (Newsflash, I wasn’t sober!) I’ve even already finished the newly released series Diana from CNN.
So, to say I was excited and even nervous to see Spencer is an understatement. I’d already had multiple conversations with friends over concerns that Kristen Stewart would either nail the character completely or entirely F it up. On a cold and rainy Sunday in Seattle, my bestie Erin and I bundled up in our best athleisure outfits, masks, and iPhones, holding our vaccine card information, and headed to an actual movie theater. Please don’t F this up, vampire girl! Puh-lease!
Spencer – Not what we thought it would be
Don’t go in thinking you’re going to see a re-do movie version of the famous Netflix series The Crown because that is not what you are going to get. Spencer does a fantastic job showing a fragile woman, haunted by her demons, roaming around an opulent yet sterile mansion. And it’s clear right from the start that Stewart did her homework to play this role. The way her body moves, how she tilts her head and lowers her eyes in that bashful, dear-like way, is pretty good. And the custom designs are superb.
As for the actual storyline, I’m not even sure what to say. We see the princess (Stewart) get mocked for her eating disorder and be ordered to keep up with appearances. We also know why she was dubbed the “People’s Princess” for her love of fast food, driving herself instead of being chauffeured, and showering love and affection on her two sons.
Anyone would suffer from mental health issues, including her eating disorder, under scrutiny and constant surveillance as the princess was under. It shouldn’t surprise you, dear reader, that I wanted more from the addiction storylines than what was delivered. The film takes many artistic liberties in its storytelling, which means, of course, we’re going to hear Oscar buzz for it. But is it worthy of the golden trophy? I’m not so sure. The movie itself would not get my vote. I have no plans to watch it again. (I’ve watched The Crown all seasons, at least 6+ or more times all of the way through with my mom, in case you are questioning my royal devotions.)
Does Stewart deserve the golden trophy? Umm…maybe. She did well, and she showed that she’s not the one-trick pony actress that I’ve previously thought she was. And she was 200% better than the Naomi Watts version of Diana from 2013. I can say that without question.
As my friend Erin and I walked out of the movie theater that stormy Sunday afternoon, we both felt underwhelmed. We had skipped our traditional movie theater bucket of popcorn with Reese’s Pieces sprinkled on top and two flavored Bubly sparkling waters. I turned to Erin and said, “Do you think that’s why we didn’t love it?” Erin chuckled and said that no amount of chocolate peanut butter-flavored popcorn could have fixed that storyline. And I have to say, I don’t think she was wrong.
Sober Curator Pro Tip: But if you want to see some really good Princess Diana footage, I highly recommend the new series on CNN, which includes actual voice recordings of Diana talking in her own words.
The Sobees Movie Night Score: 3 out of 5
I also highly recommend the podcast Your Wrong About Multiple episode series, which takes a much deeper look into Princess Diana’s struggles with mental illness, depression, and her eating disorder.
MOVIE NIGHT WITH THE SOBER CURATOR: Because it’s movie night and the feelings right, it’s movie night! Since you’re not binging on alcohol and drugs anymore, you’re going to need other activities to fill your time. Especially considering we are in the middle of a global pandemic. Get your binge on with movies and TV series that The Sober Curator recommends.
Pop the popcorn, grab your fav alcohol-free bevies or make your favorite mocktail, dish out your favorite treats and sweets, and settle in for some good old-fashioned cinema entertainment.
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