Overrated

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Having just finished Suzanne Finstad's biography of Natalie Wood, I was eager to see The Cracker Factory because it was one of Natalie's favorite roles and a performance that she was very proud of. I have seen almost all of Natalie's films, and after watching this one, I can definitely say that it is perhaps her best work as an actress. Don't get me wrong, she was excellent in all of her films, but in The Cracker Factory, her acting was sheer brilliance. She was extremely convincing as Cassie, a depressed alcoholic housewife who drifts in and out of mental treatment. The role not only called for tough dramatic acting, which Wood of course tackles excellently, but also calls for an actress that has great comic timing due to Cassie's acerbic wit, which Natalie displays effortlessly and hilariously.The supporting cast is also in top form. Peter Haskell is great as the distant husband, Perry King is good as Cassie's psychiatrist, Juliet Mills is excellent as a supportive nurse, and a young Shelley Long is superb as the manic depressive Cara. The film itself is very good overall, although the music and certain parts of the script make it obvious that it is a made for TV movie.In a great production, however, the highest honors must go to Natalie Wood. In her biography, Finstad writes about how Natalie often felt that her acting was inferior to her peers that had studied Method Acting in New York at the Actor's Studio (like James Dean). Watching The Cracker Factory, it is obvious that she had no reason to feel that way, her acting was brilliant, as good and even better than many of the great Method actors. I only wish that Wood would have received the critical recognition for this performance that she so richly deserved.

Natalie Wood in an unsung tour-de-force, playing relatively ordinary housewife and mother who has a mental collapse. Adaptation of Joyce Burditt's popular book, this TV-movie attempts to deal with touchy subject matter in a straightforward, mature, non-exploitive manner, and for the most part is quite successful. While in recovery mode, Wood is unblinking and unblushing, whether relaying her character's personal feelings or describing childhood haunts. The narrative is a bit clogged with medical minutiae (I would've preferred to see more of Wood at home with her family), however the results are relatively well-wrought and quite memorable, and Natalie's work is blessedly unaffected and heartfelt.

Natalie Wood's performance in 'The Cracker Factory' is quite simply, brilliant. The fact she wasn't nominated for an Emmy for this performance is unforgivable. Her character is a nuanced mix of and belligerence and insecurity - with real depth and humour. When she found a part she could really relate to, there was such honesty in her work.The film itself rises above the 70's telemovie 'disease of the week' cliche, although it would have made an interesting feature film under the right director.It's a shame that Natalie died two years after this film, it would have been fascinating to watch her grow and mature as an actress. We have such a great gallery of portraits from her - from child parts (Tomorrow is Forever, Miracle on 34th St) to ingenue roles (Rebel Without a Cause) to the leading lady material of Splendor in the Grass and Love with the Proper Stranger. She didn't do too many films in the 70's or 80's - but The Cracker Factory shows how well she had developed.Great support by Shelley Long, Juliet Mills etc... (the music score is a little distracting though - esp. during her speech to Perry King)I have seen the movie several times and am floored by Wood's performance each time. Highly recommended.

Of course, the book is usually better. The author has time to develope the characters, while the film makers do not. That having been said, "The Cracker Factory" is a very good movie. I was pleasantly surprised. Natalie Wood did a remarkably good job of bringing Joyce Burditt's "Cassie" to life. The supporting cast was also good, especially Juliet Mills as Tinkerbell, the night nurse. A good book to read, a good movie to watch, either way, you won't feel let down.