Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sluggish Monroe biopic depicts a complicated private life.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Based on the bestselling book of the same name, THE SECRET LIFE OF MARILYN MONROE dramatically chronicles how the star hid her complicated private life from the public. Kelli Garne plays Norma Jeane Mortenson, a young woman whose mentally ill mother Gladys (Susan Sarandon) was largely absent from her life. Despite help from foster parent Ida Bolender (Gloria Gruber) and her mother's best friend, Grace McKee (Emily Watson), the future Marilyn Monroe grows up in foster homes and ultimately marries young Jimmy Dougherty (Giacomo Gianniotti) to avoid being placed back in an orphanage. What follows is a meteoric rise to stardom in Hollywood while she has affairs with people ranging from studio heads to U.S. presidents, fighting through troubled marriages with Joe DiMaggio (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Arthur Miller (Stephen Bogaert) and struggles with mental illness and addiction. She also must take care of Gladys, who is in and out of hospitals. But somehow she manages to keep up her glamorous persona while keeping the media out of her less-than-glamorous personal world.
Is It Any Good?
The overall series will appeal to Marilyn Monroe fans, but there are some slow moments. Garner's portrayal of the late actress isn't the most captivating, either, especially when compared to Sarandon's outstanding performance as her mother. But those who are curious to learn more about Monroe's personal life, which is so remarkably different from her public persona, will find it compelling.
It offers a dramatic interpretation of Monroe's tumultuous personal life, which was largely affected by her mother's battle with paranoid schizophrenia. The facts that most people didn't know that Gladys existed (thanks to the Hollywood publicity wheel) and that Monroe allegedly had schizophrenic tendencies made this all the more difficult. It also introduces some of the other important women in her life, including her first foster mother, her "Aunt" Grace, and John F. Kennedy's sister, Patricia Kennedy Lawford.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about who Marilyn Monroe really was. What made her such an icon when she was alive? Why are people still fascinated by her? Did her early death have something to do with it? Are people interested in the Hollywood version of her or who she really was as a person?
Many popular celebrities have died due to drug and alcohol use and addictive behaviors. Why? Does the media glamorize celebs who engage in these risky behaviors? Is there a connection between the two?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: August 18, 2015
- Cast: Kelli Garner , Susan Sarandon , Emily Watson
- Director: Laurie Collyer
- Inclusion Information: Female actors, Bisexual actors
- Studio: A&E Home Video
- Genre: Drama
- Run time: 180 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: February 26, 2022
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
What to Watch Next
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate