AllMovie

Originally made for cable television, this imaginative biopic chronicles the life of Marilyn Monroe (Mira Sorvino), including the years before she changed her name from Norma Jean Baker (Ashley Judd) and was transformed into the screen persona that made her a legendary sex symbol. The movie employs unconventional, dream-like storytelling techniques in which Marilyn and her former self, Norma Jean, frequently appear in scenes together, with Norma Jean often taunting Marilyn for not living up to her earlier aspirations. Many facets of Monroe's life are examined, including her childhood and adolescence when Norma Jean had to live with foster families because of her mother's psychological problems. In addition to referencing Monroe's work on such films as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), The Seven Year Itch (1955), and Some Like It Hot (1959), the movie explores her marriages to baseball great Joe DiMaggio (Peter Dobson) and famous playwright Arthur Miller (David Dukes), and her romances, including her purported relationship with U.S. President John F. Kennedy (Steven Culp). The film also offers a hard-hitting look at Monroe's struggle with drug- and alcohol-dependency.