Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold (2017) User Reviews

Her Answers Will Surprise You

[dear_prudence · 8/10 · 15 November 2017]

Joan Didion was born in 1934, the same year as Gloria Steinham. They both intrigue me as women writers who earned a living as outsiders--reporters--investigating gender, class, community, and the seismic shifts of the larger cultural world from refreshingly different perspectives.

I confess I didn't know much about Didion's personal life--her famous in-laws, her famous friends--and the documentary flicks out photographs, interviews, and archival footage that are a delight to discover. The film gives you a peek into the intimate life of an intriguing person who worked hard to stay hidden, even though her books are so personal. There is a detachment she employed as a writer to report back to us. The documentary strips away some of the distance.

I found the interviews with Dunne fascinating. Her answers surprised me. I loved seeing how the thread of her life weaved through politics, subcultures, music, film, and her own family. And kudos to Griffin Dunne (and several members of her extended family) for putting this together right now. A reflection worthy of your time.

Joan Didion's incredible ride.

[st-shot · 8/10 · 11 January 2021]

I'm usually cautious around docs with a nepotistic bent to them from which you learn little in what basically turns out to be a valentine on the subject. Writer Director Nora Ephron's son did a hollow one on his mom while photog Annie Liebovitz's sister offered up a cringing love letter to her in American Masters. Maria Riva, daughter of Marlene Dietrich on the other hand has given a warts an all interview (available on You Tube) that cooked from start to finish that is well worth the watch for many reasons.

In Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold, her nephew actor Griffin Dunne may have wanted to approach the 80 plus year old Didion gingerly but the feisty 75 pounder was not about to have it showing the same determination in getting the story right as she did nearly half a century ago chronicling the American scene, especially the West Coast. With an incredibly keen sense of observation she displayed a grasp of an era with a clarity and incite while fellow contemporaries such as Thompson, Mailer and Breslin relied on hyperbole and slap happy verbosity.

Brought up on gloom, Donner Party bed time stories, it never seemed to be far from the stoic Didion, questioning what love was regarding her author husband that she partnered with professionally as well. Her adopted daughter found her remote. It is perhaps this distance that made her a superb reporter, memoirist. Always observing, never immersing. When spouse and daughter pass her true love kicks in and she writes a masterpiece around the husband, a play around the daughter.

Director Dunne has superior entry and makes the most of old newsreels along with an avalanche of family photos to give the doc a fine look including impressive visual backdrops, such as snow draped NYC, to her words. We find out Warren Beatty had the hots for her but he does step gently around her emaciated ( anorexia?) look as well obvious MS symptoms. But when queried about a scene 50 years earlier of witnessing a 5 year old on LSD she bluntly calls it "gold." Classic JD, honest and objective to the core. A rare quality to be found in today's world of blatantly bias journalism.

"A predilection for the extreme" which dogs our subject from childhood into adult life

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 27 October 2017]

Writer Joan Didion's distant relatives crossed the frontier to the Promised Land (California), but not before traveling some stretch of the journey with the doomed Donner party, who separated from the Didions to cross uncharted terrain. Preparing for disaster is something Didion was taught at a young age, knew with certainty as an adult, and then maybe forgot about and had to learn again in 2003 when her adopted daughter, Quintana, became sick and was hospitalized just before Didion's husband, writer John Gregory Dunne, died of a heart attack. This stylishly-presented documentary on Didion's life, produced and directed by Didion's nephew, Griffin Dunne, promises to be a heady spread for Netflix and, indeed, we get a thorough blueprint of Joan Didion's long and winding journey. Tracing the author's path from University of California, Berkeley graduate to Vogue magazine writer in New York City in the 1950s, to author of her first novel, "Run, River" in 1963, to becoming Dunne's wife, to their move to Southern California in 1965 and adopting a baby, we get a sense of Didion's spirit as she speaks but nothing much in the way of her personality. What Griffin Dunne extracts from his subject in a recent interview is lovely frosting--listening to Joan and watching her expressive hands reaching out, pell-mell, in dramatic emphasis--but there isn't a substantial, emotional base underneath this. Vintage interview footage of Didion from cable shows and "60 Minutes" actually tell us more about Joan than what we're getting from Griffin Dunne. Interviews with friends and fellow writers add a dash of color, but no insight (actor Harrison Ford, Didion's carpenter in the early '70s, sits down just long enough to tell us how nice Dunne and Didion were to he and his family). Joan's path in life led her back to New York City, where she turned her 2005 book about grieving, "The Year of Magical Thinking", into a Broadway play starring Vanessa Redgrave. It helps to close the film on a warm note, though interested parties will learn far more about Didion just by reading one of her books--or, if pressed for time, her Wikipedia page. **1/2 from ****

Surprisingly Relevant and Touching

[hwhaley2001-530-818398 · 10/10 · 29 October 2017]

This film is a tribute to Ms. Didion, who was an amazing writer, and her writings were incredible that they were so easy to read and understand. Griffin Dunne does a fantastic job with this. I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed this film and how much it made me think and maybe tear up a bit. She was an amazing woman whose writings were concise and she was completely unafraid to relate the truth, no matter how unpleasant or downright ugly - or how painful. We have all lost loved ones, children sometimes and certainly spouses, and even innocence in the political and social systems - she really was able to convey the feelings - the reality of loosing major parts of your life and to still survive. This is a wonderful film, and encompasses more than just a tribute to a wonderful Aunt. She is an amazing person.

Spellbinding

[margaretvojta · 10/10 · 6 November 2017]

I am so amazed by Joan Didion's life, her talents, her brilliance, her strength, and her tragic losses.

In this documentary, you see Joan as she is now - a frail and elderly woman with multiple sclerosis, being interviewed by her nephew, Griffin Dunne. Joan is brilliant and, even though she is in her 80s, you see a spark in her eyes. By the way, she was also married to John Gregory Dunne, a very famous writer as well (whose brother you may know - Dominick Dunne), and you feel like you know John by the end of this documentary.

During this documentary, she talks about a point in her marriage when she and John were going to get a divorce, but moved instead, and eventually stayed together and grew even closer. This amazed me because I assume (since I am not married) and hear that marriages go through peaks and valleys. To see this whole documentary and then wonder what would have happened if they had divorced when they were having problems instead of staying together as they did, this story would not be the same at all. Even after having their problems, it seems (by all accounts) that these two had a great love.

This is not only a documentary, but a lesson for life in a way. I only wish I can be as strong as Joan is when and if I reach her age. She is very open and honest about everything, and you see a side of her that makes you feel like you are watching her without her knowledge -- thoroughly fascinating.

Toward the end of this documentary, there are some very sad and shocking things that happen, but what is amazing is the way that Joan (unprepared as we all are for the death of our loved ones) proceeds with her life, and you will find the way she deals with these tragedies astonishingly brave. I knew Joan was and is a wonderful and a one-of-a-kind writer, but I didn't know what an amazing person she is as well.

This documentary is a must-see, even if you have just for the first time learned about Joan Didion. It is an especially beautiful experience for lovers of Joan's writing, as well as lovers of literature and life.

Why did it take so long for a Didion biopic?

[bettycjung · 28 October 2017]

10/28/17. Oh my, what if Griffin Dunne didn't do this biopic when he did? Didion is now in her early 80s and it's amazing why there wasn't one done before this one. Such a celebrated writer and screenwriter finally got what she deserved. While well-known her private life was filled with tragedy, from the sudden death of her husband and early death of her only daughter at 39. Her book, The Year of Magical Thinking, is perhaps the best book ever about how those left behind deal with the death of a loved one. That book and this movie are worth catching.

Putting together

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 27 October 2019]

It is always interesting to find persons/people who you may not know (I can only talk about myself) and discover what they are about. You may wonder why one would choose to watch a documentary about a person they don't even know, but that is not how I choose the movies I watch. If something sounds interesting, I go ahead and watch it.

And yes the woman in question is more than interesting and the documentary about her is finely crafted. I do think that you get more than a picture of the woman and maybe even find out things you didn't know (if you knew her from before unlike me)

Extremely watchable even if you've never read Joan Didion

[tracynorman · 10/10 · 17 June 2018]

Confession: until I watched this documentary, I had never heard of and obviously therefore, never read, any of Joan Didion's novels. So what attracted me to watch this when it was suggested to me on Netflix? Well, the era that it covered, the fact that it said she is a literary icon, and the fact that she is Griffin Dunne's aunt and that he directed it (big fan of Griffin Dunne). The style, grace and beauty of the subject also intrigued me. Having finished watching it, I then watched the trailer here on IMDB and I am so glad that I didn't see the trailer first as it gives everything away and, even though you might guess at a few things along the way, it would most definitely have lessened my enjoyment of the story unfolding at the pace that the director/writer/producer would have liked me to.

This is a beautifully crafted piece of work. It has a gentleness and fragility about it that makes you want to whisper for the rest of the day. It was such a delight to be able to really focus on this film without the sensationalised over the top music screaming at me in short bursts, that is so prevalent now in programming. Thank you so much Griffin Dunne.

Cinema spelunking

[Mille-82715 · 6/10 · 17 January 2021]

I really appreciated this film because of the extensive amount of archival research it took to put this together. Full disclosure: I was not a huge Didion fan, even less so familiar with her work. But this was a fun and enlightening journey delving into nearly every facet of Didion's career and personal life. Although captivating it became a tad bit too prosaic defined by the B story diversions that would have presented better in brief, this just being my humble opinion of course. If you're a Didion fan this is a must see, obviously.

GREAT STUFF...BUT AT A PRICE...!

[masonfisk · 10/10 · 30 July 2018]

A fascinating doc made by Joan's nephew, actor/director Griffin Dunne, illustrating the prose of the West Coast scribe who had her hand in all things political, social & literary. Not may writers can use their words like Joan does. They can be barbs against the supposed hierarchy, shields against the attacks of your detractors or cornerstones to one's own stature for posterity. Slightly knowing who Joan Didion was, I knew she was a respected novelist but the length & breadth of her career is an inspiring primer to investigate into what made this woman tick.

Thoughtful overview

[dngoldman · 7/10 · 2 January 2022]

A thoughtful informative review of her life and work. Doesn't cover much knew ground to even the casual the Diddon fan but is still interesting to watch. Not super deep - but a good overview. Definitely worth a TV view.

Incredibly Intwresting Piece

[eandrusk · 8/10 · 12 March 2019]

A film that carefully cronicles one of the best writers of our century. I found it thought provoking and although sad, one would be remiss to not watch it. Especially helpful for younger generations who perhaps did not grow up reading her books, but can still appreciate their appeal.

She Lived one Heck of a Life❗

[tbugera · 7/10 · 25 February 2022]

I did not know who Joan was at all. I like a good biography now and again and much to my surprise I really enjoyed this bio. I was pleasantly surprised as to how well it was done for one and what an amazing person and what a great life she had lived. Vivacious, talented and full of grace.

We could all hope to have contributed half as much to humanity.

its self indulgent

[fashinrashin · 3/10 · 31 December 2021]

Sorry, for one so taken with the 60s movement of "Cinema Verite" reportage, and "Gonzo Journalism", this documentary devolves into a "full disclosure" on guilt and regret.

Didion also verges on "All The Glittering Prizes " bullpucky , about her glittering literary life, that undercuts her earlier work , which was important work.

You didnt see Hunter S Thompson or Tom Wolff blubber it out in an end game documentary, bemoaning bad life decisions. This doc is too depressing and narcissistic.

Get a grip woman.

Some things are meant to actually be private.

A writing genius in her good and bad times. Quite a story!

[JohnDeSando · 11 May 2020]

"I think we are well advised to keep on nodding terms with the people we used to be, whether we find them attractive company or not." - Slouching Towards Bethlehem, 1968

Iconic writer Joan Didion kept this philosophy throughout her writing and her life: a sense that the past infuses the present, the ones we love affect us sometimes after they are gone, and even politics has its dramatic and poetic underbelly. The documentary Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold, directed by her nephew Griffin Dunne, shows these traits to be true with a poignancy only a close relative could depict.

Driven as Sommer Marie and I were by our disappointment on It's Movie Time about the film adaptation of her political novel, The Last Thing He Wanted, I revisited her life in this documentary, renewed by remembering her achievement from Slouching Toward Bethlehem in 1967 to her more recent reflections on her husband's and daughter's deaths. She has remained honest and caring, wistful and trenchant, about loss for herself and for her world. No one is surprised that she was a first in 1991 to write that the Central Park Five had been wrongfully convicted.

This documentary will drive you to read about her life in California and New York, fiction and non-fiction leading to sociopath portraits that are a staple of American fiction presaging worse times for America. Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold is a documentary worth seeing just as her works are worth reading. She is America with a jaundiced but loving eye. Don't let her frail mien deceive you-she is every bit worthy of the age she depicts.

"We all remember what we need to remember." A Book of Common Prayer, Joan Didion.

I'm glad I met her.

[enchanting1791 · 10/10 · 30 December 2021]

A Movingly heartfelt look at Joan Didion and her loves and losses. She's an icon, I never knew about and wished I'd known sooner. I enjoyed her perspective on life in the 60's. I only had my mom's perspective. She's real, human and expresses herself so uniquely. I related well to her and her daughter's relationship. The part where Q tells her mom how she did as a mom, " you were ok, but remote", I could relate that within my relationship with my mom. I feel like there so much more I want to learn from her. I will be reading some of her many novels. I cannot wait.

Gorgeous documentary...

[transgreaser · 9/10 · 27 June 2022]

Watching this documentary was a total joy. I didn't know much about Joan Didion but this documentary helped bring me inside her life and her process. Her words came alive in a new way for me and her depth of focus and passion something I was unaware of.

Truly a work of love and appreciation, I'm so glad I watched. Her life and how she met it is true inspiration.

how didion came to write her books

[ksf-2 · 7/10 · 15 May 2023]

Lot of discussion of confusion, breakdown of order. Talk of joan's education at berkeley in the 1950s, so of course she would write about the culture and the counter culture of large cities. San francisco in the 1960s! And writing about the disorder of the generation and the times. The manson murders. Her books mirror the chaos and darkness of the times. The violence, the drug use happening all around her, her pending divorce, and later the unexpected deaths of relatives. Awesome photographs and vids of san francisco and los angeles from the hippie days. The film is mostly narrated by joan herself. With friends and acquaintances adding commentary. Directed by her own nephew griffin dunne. Joan had been married to the brother of famed writer dominic dunne. It's interesting to watch, but mostly for how didion captured the events and craziness of the times. Students of history, psychology, or literature will probably find this more interesting than joe public.

This is just perfectly beautiful...

[Miri_knwos · 10/10 · 4 September 2023]

I can not find the words to describe my feelings after watching this documentary but I am going to try because words are important. I think she might have the words that I am missing. I never read any of her work but now I just have to. As someone who experienced grief I want to know more about what she has to say about it.

The title refers to her personal life as well as to her reception of the world around her. Observing, describing and trying to understand what is happening. She seems like a person who thinks first and then talks or rather writes and when she does, it is powerful.

This documentary is made by her nephew and you can feel the love and admiration. I had it on my watchlist for quite some time now, waiting for the right moment, just because I am a reader and therefore interested in writers lifes.

Now I found out she died in 2021. But her words still remain and I am eager to lern more about her experience.

An Intriguing Biography . . . .

[sundayatdusk-97859 · 8/10 · 17 May 2023]

Since I've read little of Joan Didion's writings, and didn't particularly care for what I read, I was hesitant to view this documentary. I gave it a try, though, and was intrigued by it from start to finish. This film was made four years before she died, and there are a lot of interviews with her filmed in 2017, as well as interviews filmed earlier in her lifetime.

When she was 22, she won a "Vogue" writing contest, her mother suggested she enter years earlier, and that started off a writing career that lasted 65 years. She wrote about her own life, American society, war in El Salvador, the Central Park Five, life in California in the 1960s, etc. There were ups and downs on how she viewed life, as well as ups and downs in her marriage to writer John Gregory Dunne, brother of writer Dominick Dunne.

She and John Dunne adopted a daughter Quintana Roo Dunne in 1966, and her death, shortly after her father's death in 2003, is also covered in this documentary. Joan Didion's whole life appears to be covered in this film, which was directed by her nephew actor Griffin Dunne. Even if you are not a fan of the writer, or don't care for her writings, this is still a documentary worth watching if you like biographies.

Can't wait to read Joan Didion's books after watching this..

[MelodyHorsee · 10/10 · 29 December 2021]

I first heard of Joan Didion several days ago, on December 23rd 2021, from a YouTube vlog - the YouTuber was buying one of her books. Then, 2 hours later, I saw on social media that she had passed away. I searched her up, and found out that she was born in Sacramento and went to Berkeley. I got intrigued.

Today, while I randomly opened Netflix, this documentary popped up on my feed - I immediately considered it as a sign for me to get to know her, so I followed it. Now, after watching this documentary, I can't wait to open one of her books.

Narrator?

[tleca · 9/10 · 27 December 2021]

There seems to be a narrator for a lot of the voiceover parts... It's Goldie Hawn, right? Why is a narrator not credited anywhere?

Love all the archival footage of the events that correspond with Ms Didion's writing.