Pedro Party: Losing Our Minds Over "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown"
Wednesday, May 10, 2017 at 8:32PM We're celebrating Pedro Almodóvar all week. Here's Spencer Coile on his first Oscar nominee...
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Almodóvar is always at his best when also at his zaniest. Through a healthy mix of wacky characters and a unique color palette, he manages to imbue his stories with enough humor, drama, and wit to make any skeptic reconsider his artistry. Such is the case with his 1988 film, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Telling the story of TV actress Pepa (Carmen Maura, Almodóvar most-enduring muse), we are plunged into a world of absurdity, loss, and the cocktails we make to cure us of our loneliness. After serving as his international breakthrough, receiving a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nomination and inspiring a Broadway musical of the same name, it is no surprise that Women on the Verge has secured its place in the top tier of Almodóvar's filmography...
Taking place all in one day, Women on the Verge follows Pepa after her lover Iván leaves her. Drowning her sorrows in sleeping pills and setting fire to her bed, Pepa finds herself surrounded by chaos: her close friend Candela (María Barranco) inadvertently bedded a terrorist and is now on the run from the law, Iván's son Carlos (Antonio Banderas) pays Pepa a visit with his fiancée Marisa (Rossy de Palma), and Iván's ex-wife Lucía (Julieta Serrano) seeks revenge on all parties, attempting to shoot anyone who dares to stop her. The police get involved, spiked drinks make an apperance, and there's even a climactic chase sequence between Pepa and Lucía. To go into greater detail would be a disservice to Almodóvar's work-- a film that functions both as a comedic spiral of control, but also as a portrait of women attempting to hold onto their relevancy.
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Known for her many collaborations with Almodóvar, Carmen Maura holds the film together like the pro she is, playing Pepa as arguably the most crucial woman on the verge of her own nervous breakdown (athough there are many in the same boat here), while serving as the glue that holds all of these storylines together. Making hasty decisions, but always grounding them in humanity, Pepa's journey is one that may seem outlandish... but as is the case with many of Almodóvar's films, it is one that is embedded in its very own rich culture.
Therein lies the real beauty of this 1988 gem: its careful representation of hysteria and the women it depicts. The spanish title for the film reads ataque de nervios, rather than crisis nerviosa (translated to mean nervous breakdown). Ataques de nervios are a Spanish-inspired cultural phenomena during which women experience bouts of negative emotions, which are expressed physically through fainting, acting irrationally, or worse. Bound to the culture in which they are positioned, these moments are often linked to hysteria or panic attacks. This distinction is crucial, because the film plays with the concept of a "nervous breakdown" in a way that honors the women suffering. Sure, the stories are humorous and wild, but that gets at the heart of Almodóvar's style as a writer/director.
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Take for instance Lucía. At first it would seem as if she is a woman scorned, only concerned with wreaking havoc on Pepa, on Iván, on anyone who has ruined her life. After all, why else would she ride on the back of a motorcycle to shoot down Iván and his lover at the airport? Instead, Almodóvar seems more interested in peeling back the layers to this woman's fragile state; one that mixed with loneliness and mental illness. It's easy to laugh at the action, but the film's nuanced approach to hysteria that warrants more than just one viewing.
P.S. The stage musical adaptation of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown may not be as rewarding as the film, but there are still reasons to celebrate it as well (namely: Patti LuPone and Laura Benanti). Still, it feeds into the sheer hysteria that the film depicts. It is a glorious and dizzying look into the madness that many women find themsevles in. But strip away the kooky veneer, and you may catch a glimpse of the very women who are anything but forgotten.
Reader Comments (15)
A great comedy both funny and stylish
This movie is everything! The gazpacho, the burning bed, the dubbing of Johnny Guitar. I know 88 was super crowded, but Maura deserved a nomination.
Best film of its year. Buzz said back then, that probably was #6th at Oscar voting in Picture, Director, Actress (Carmen Maura) and Original Screenplay... it should have swept the Oscars, in my opinion... a timeless, universal classic and one of the best comedies of all time... everyone (specially the women) is (almost) perfect and with so many quotable lines, that it's ridiculous... my fave ones are Chus Lampreave's explanation on why she can't lie, and Carmen Maura entering her flat after the gazpacho apocalypse ("The visitors... so comfy!"). It even manages to let Rossy de Palma steal some scenes by merely having an Orgasm while sleeping. So complex, so mature, so fun and so multilayered. It may very well be Pedro's masterpiece, even if pending on the day, I may switch to "Talk to Her" or my personal favorite, "What have I done to deserve this?" with "The Skin I live in" coming pretty close to this triumvirate.
Anyone who haven't seen "Women..." is missing one of the BEST comedies of all time and should fix that inmediately.
I don't think it was 6th at Oscar voting AT ALL. A comedy? In Spanish? In 1988?
Peggy Sue... I do remember how the whole world went crazy in Hollywood with this movie and with Pedro. Further proof that confirms it was *this* close to be a big player at Oscars, was that when Pedro Almodovar chose Bibiana Fernández (then known as Bibi Andersen, the most famous trans in Spain, back then, and now) as partner for Oscar night, the AMPAS quickly reacted to provide prominent seats to Carmen Maura for the ceremony. That night marked the split between Pedro and Carmen, they never worked together again till 2006's "Volver", and if you carefully look at Almodovar's filmography, you can identify that "Kika"'s starring role was probably originally written for Maura, or having Maura originally in mind.
When news arrived to Spain of the "Almodovar fever" in Hollywood, I dismissed it as likely marketing stunt, even thought the film had already reached and surpassed its commercial run in Spain but that Oscar night incident underlined that yeah, it was probably true... Jane Fonda inmediately bought the rights for an American adaptation and Whoopi Goldberg was supposedly cast for Maria Barranco's role (Fonda wanted to play Maura's). The adaptation ended in the Musical play, and Hollywood started seducing Almodovar to have him jump over the Atlantic and start working for studios, that culminated in "All about my mother"'s Oscar for Foreign Film (even thought it was promoted in 14 categories) and "Talk to her"'s Original Screenplay Oscar.
So, yeah, most likely that Hollywood legend of how close "Women" got to the multi-nomination Oscar player, is true. "Pelle the Conqueror" won, probably thanks to the campaigning for Max von Sydow as Lead Actor and how many members reacted to the "gay vibe" of an openly gay director's film. Maura's lack of nomination is quickly explained if you look at the category... "Working Girl" overshadowed her chances, and probably took "Women"'s chances in all categories.
By the way, Nat, it would be interesting a "Working Girl" vs. "Women on the verge of a nervous breakdown" smackdown. While I do like "Working Girl", I still think it can't hold a candle to Pedro's masterpiece, on any level...
Kika was not written for Carmen Maura at all. Pedro wanted Penélope but she was too young for the raping scene so he offered the role to Miriam Díaz-Aroca who turned it down to be in "Un, dos, tres" (!), so the role finally went to Verónica Forqué which was a blessing because she's marvelous.
None of the other reasons you mention back up the theory that it was 6th at multiple categories. If Frears, Eastwood, Zemeckis or Kasdan didn't make the cut, what makes you think Pedro did? And please remember that Shirley MacLaine, Susan Sarandon, Christine Lahti, Gena Rowlands, and Barbara Hershey, among others, were also in consideration for Best Actress.
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You have to remember how Oscar goes... if two similar films arrive with buzz to the final race, and one sweeps noms ("Working Girl") and the other one is emptyhanded, it's really likely one has drained the votes from the second. "Women" had the problem that "Working Girl" was appealling to the same demographics, was in english language and with huge Hollywood stars, plus directed by a Hollywood legend. The infamous incident with Maura's seat at the ceremony was a clear sign that AMPAS did really care for the film and was a player in the race till the last minute. While certainly it was a crowded year for lead actress, we can't dismiss the fact, the very same year, the AMPAS did nominate a foreign language performance for Lead Actor.
And as I said, the 6th position in several categories was a buzz that developed back then, because of the strong showing of the film and the soon to be iconic parties Almodovar was giving to promote the film itself. The film did extraordinarily well in b.o. everywhere and was universally loved. I think it was 1988's best film, but that almost never translates to a thought a fave film of mine has a shot at an Oscar nom, even if I think it would deserve it.
A similar fact happened with another spanish actress years after. Affter Maribel Verdu was snubbed for "Y tu mamá también", AMPAS invited her to be a voting member, despite never having done an american film before (afterwards she worked with Coppola in "Tetro").
Maura's seats were provided by Orion not AMPAS.
You're delussional if you really think that back in 1988 Mujeres competed at the same level as Working Girl, a 20th Century Fox production directed by Mike Nichols, starring Harrison Ford and Sigourney Weaver.
The only real shot could have been best original screenplay.
I love this movie so much. so at least it would have made FILM BITCH NOMINATIONS ;) had they existed back then. let's go (totally theoretical... don't pretend this is official!)
* = my probable medalists
BEST PICTURE
Bull Durham
Dangerous Liaisons*
Running on Empty
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?*
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown*
DIRECTOR
Almodóvar, Women on the Verge....*
Cronenberg, Dead Ringers*
Frears, Dangerous Liaisons*
McTiernan, Die Hard
Zemeckis, Who Framed...
ACTRESS (I'd have to toss 8 OF THESE 13 but who???? such a good year for actresses!)
Adjani, Camille Claudel
Bujold, Dead Ringers
Close, Dangerous Liaisons*
Curtis, A Fish Called Wanda
Davis, Accidental Tourist
Lahti, Running on Empty
Lake, Hairspray
Maura, Women on the Verge
Midler, Big Business
Pfeiffer, Married to the Mob
Sarandon, Bull Durham*
Streep, Cry in the Dark*
Weaver, Gorillas in the Mist
(no I did not forget about the Oscar winner. She just wouldn't even make my top 13)
ACTOR
Hanks, Big*
Hurt, Accidental Tourist
Irons, Dead Ringers *
Keaton, Beetlejuice
Phoenix, Running on Empty*
(I don't remember Edward James Olmos in Stand and Deliver at all so would have to rewatch)
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Divine, Hairspray ???
Ford, Working Girl ???
Kline, Fish Called Wanda ???
Hirsch, Running on Empty ???
Rickman, Die Hard*
Robbins, Bull Durham*
Stockwell, Married to the Mob*
(I really do not have strong opinions about this year's supporting actors. Do you?)
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
(GOD WHO KNOWS I'D HAVE TO REWATCH EVERYTHING TO KNOW)
Bancroft, Torch Song Trilogy
Barranco, Women on the Verge
Binoche, Unbearable Lightness
Braga, Moon Over Parador
Cusack, Working Girl
Hershey, Last Temptation of Christ
McDormand, Missisippi Burning
Olin, Unbearable Lightness of Being
O'Hara, Beetlejuice
Pfeiffer, Dangerous Liaisons
Ruehl, Married to the Mob
Ryder, Beetlejuice
Serrano, Women on the Verge
Turner, Accidental Tourist
Weaver, Working Girl
1988 is impossible. I absolutely adore everything. Not you, Rain Man!
I have such fun memories of this film, I saw it at an art house cinema and was delighted and transfixed. I remember being so impressed with this director I had never heard of.
Truly unforgettable fun.
Patti Lapone on a segway, and Laura Benanti doing that song on the phone, Broadway gave it a really good try, Who can ask for more?
I love this film! Again, I love this film.
My favorite Almodovar! This makes me want to watch it this weekend! Thank you for this post!