The Two Mrs Grenvilles

Love both female leads so it was a must-see. It was imposible to find on streaming or paid subscriptions…I loved this DVD & donated it to my local thrift bookstore afterwards. It was worth seeing & I watched it twice! Hope someone else enjoys it!

The mini series was very good. Considering the age, the dvd itself was good.

The Two Mrs Grenvilles  Award-winning, gutsy Ann-Margret is simply top-notch all the way in her most devastating role that suits her to a tee. Claudette Colbert is equally impressive as the elder Mrs. Grenville which earned her a Gloden Globe for her solid performance. "The Two Mrs. Grenvilles" is one of the most strikingly structured narrative films ever made based on Dominick Dunne's best-seller. The film is approximately three hours long, but it is all very worthwhile to say the least. By the way, I am looking for "People Like Us" by Dominick Dunne again which was made into TV miniseries in 1990. A powerful and absorbing drama it was nominated for 2 Emmys (Best Supporting Actress & Best Music Composition) in 1990; Eva Marie Saint, who's never been lovelier since her Oscar-winning film debut in "On The Waterfront", deservedly won an Emmy for her bravura performance. I was wondering why it has not come out on DVD despite its superb production and outstanding cast. Can anyone help find its whereabouts you may send e-mail to [email protected] i will surely be delighted to receive your info. Thank you very much for your kind attention.

After rewatching the campy Hollywood Wives, the classy Lace, and the just awful Lace 2, I feel compelled to revisit this one again just to remind myself that not all mini-series of the 80s were campy, over the top, poorly acted drudge. This one is great, with Claudette Colbert and Ann Margaret stealing every scene they appear in, and the series does the book justice. Check out the real story of the Woodwards which inspired this story - the truth really is just as fascinating! Master of the Game, Lonesome Dove, The Two Mrs Grenvilles and North and South. They don't make them like that anymore!

I had pretty much worn out my VHS copy of this movie which I taped from the original telecast back in 1987 and was very glad to see that "The Two Mrs. Grenvilles" finally made it to DVD. The unfortunate part is that it appears to have been made using a video master, not a film negative. The quality is passable, and still much better than watching my VHS! On the positive side, the quality of the production and casting would make it hard to believe that this was a Made-for-TV movie. The story is based on the  novel  of the same name by Dominick Dunne, which was inspired by the story of the real-life Woodwards. Dunne's book liberally borrowed from the real-life story as well as Truman Capote's fictionalized account in his novel  Answered Prayers: The Unfinished Novel . For the REAL story, the best book to read is  This Crazy Thing Called Love  by Susan Braudy. The real story is even more compelling (and tragic) than the one Dunne wrote about and is shown here. The plot of this movie is about Billy Grenville (Stephen Collins), a trust-fund baby who meets a showgirl, Ann Arden (Ann-Margret) during World War II. They instantly fall in love despite the differences in their social backgrounds. Things come to a head when Ann meets Billy's mother (Claudette Colbert) and sisters. Polite on the surface, Mrs. Grenville still makes it subtly clear that Ann does not fit in and obviously not part of their world. As Ann looks at a picture of the Queen Mother at Mrs. Grenville's house, she finds what she thinks is a common bond: "We both like to display photos of celebrities!" Mrs. Grenville is quick to correct her by telling Ann that only the photos of intimate friends can be seen in the Grenville home. Claudette Colbert is pitch perfect here covering up her slight with the veneer of social grace that is part of her world.Overcome with passion for Ann who is so different from what he is used to, Billy Grenville marries her anyway. Despite loving her as she is, Ann is scared of losing Billy and does all that she can to fit in with the Grenville family; in fact, she tries much too hard, becoming a joke in high society circles as an ostentatious social climber.The marriage unravels and finally comes to a head one fateful night when Billy confronts Ann about her hidden past. Revealing what he has discovered, Ann is pushed into a corner. Her next move binds her to the Grenville family forever, as they choose to cover up an unpleasant public scandal. The moral of the story: money doesn't buy happiness or love.Is this a new plot? Not at all, but it is expertly told her. Compelling to watch, the performances are riveting. Ann-Margret is amazing; you never know what to think of her character; is she a calculating social climber or a sweet midwestern farmgirl who misguidedly chooses the wrong path to keep her husband happy? By not knowing the answer, the movie becomes even more fascinating to watch. Stephen Collins is appropriately wooden, garnering very little sympathy for his silver-spooned character. Not surprisingly, Claudette Colbert, in her final role, won a Golden Globe. Marvin Hamlisch's music provides a lush period underscore that enhances the movie. The costuming by Donald Brooks & Susan Yellen is also fantastic, capturing the essence of the 1940's & 1950's. At times, the script is a little flimsy, betraying the high quality of the production, but this is easily overlooked by the top-notch cast.The movie itself is closer to 5 stars; because of the video quality (and the fact that it occasionally sticks) and lack of extras, I decided to give it a 4. Whatever you do, do not assume that this movie is an accurate account of the real-life Woodwards. Much is changed and much is left-out. Read the real book; it makes Dunne's book seem like a bore.

I really liked this movie and even though it seems a bit dated at times (made in the 80s) the plot and development are engaging and entertaining. I specially loved seeing an older Claudette Colbert shine on the screen. I loved it!

If the wonderful PBS series, Downton Abbey, were to turn nasty and dark - it might look similar to the Two Mrs. Grenvilles. While this was made in the 80's, the two-part high society series holds up extremely well in the 21st century. It features one of Ann-Margrets most powerful acting roles and very deserving of an Emmy Award. Instead, her co-star, Claudette Cobert, who also turns in a strong performance, got that honor. Without spoiling the story, this one is filled with greed and tragedy.Nice production values. There are no extras with this, but it still is a reminder of how good television can be.

I cannot get the DVD to play on my recorder. I got error message that says the disc is dirty. I googled this error message and got a set of instructions for how to reset DVD to where it is compatible with the disc but so far, no luck. Tried it on every DVD player in the house. Was really looking forward to seeing it; maybe someone knows easier fix than what I found online??

I never "got" Ann-Margaret as a actress quite superficial "act acting" in many movies that I've seen her in the past... was is just wrong casting? Well here it's wonderful demonstration of her real talent... Bravo!

I love a great epic drama, especially one based on a true story. If you love stories about wealth and ill-fated lovers, set among New York high society then The Two Mrs. Grenvilles is a story for you!

very long movie approx 4hrs long...ann margaret gave a great performance as anne grenville. in order to appreciate this movie you must enjoy soap opera type movies which i do if they have the elements of money, murder and revenge. even though its about 20years old, its still a very enjoyable movie...stephen collins was sooooo young and handsome in this movie

Great tv movie of high quality with two major stars i give only three stars because the dvd transfer could be better the dark scenes are in a mediocre transfer quality it is a shame that this first class production is not remastered

Excellent - story, acting