Postcards from the Edge (1990)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A substance-abusive actress must move back in with her alcoholic mother to secure her next acting role.
The story
Actress Suzanne Vale is hospitalized after a drug overdose and admitted to a rehab center by her mother, veteran actress Doris Mann. To secure a new acting role, Suzanne is forced to move back in with Doris, a manipulative and self-absorbed woman from whom she has struggled to escape since childhood. While navigating her recovery from cocaine and Percodan addiction, Suzanne must deal with the tension of living with her mother while trying to rebuild her career under the watchful eye of the studio's insurance policy.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After a drug overdose on set, actress Suzanne Vale is sent to rehab by her mother, Doris Mann. To work again, Suzanne must live with Doris, a self-absorbed alcoholic. Suzanne struggles with the tension of their relationship while navigating a new low-budget film where she is monitored for sobriety. She deals with unwanted feedback from producers and a brief, disappointing romance with a co-star named Jack, who is also cheating on her. Meanwhile, Doris reveals that Suzanne's manager has stolen her money. Suzanne eventually faces her mother's alcoholism head-on, recalling how Doris gave her sleeping pills as a child. After Doris crashes her car while drunk, the two have a heart-to-heart conversation. Suzanne continues to struggle with her sobriety and her mother's behavior while attempting to perform in her latest film.
- First release year
- 1990
- Runtime (minutes)
- 101
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Mike Nichols
- Writers
- Carrie Fisher · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Meryl Streep · Suzanne Vale; Shirley MacLaine · Doris Mann; Dennis Quaid · Jack
- Genres
- comedy; drama
- Themes
- addiction; mother-daughter relationships; fame; recovery
- Tone and mood
- comedic; dramatic; satirical
- Premise and plot tags
- comedy-drama; biographical; substance abuse; dysfunctional family
- Source material / true-story basis
- Carrie Fisher's 1987 semi-autobiographical novel
- Content notes
- substance abuse
- Reception
- The film was a box office success and positively received by critics, holding an 83% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 71 on Metacritic.
- Production trivia
- Jerry Orbach filmed a scene as Suzanne's father which was later cut.; Actors including Annette Bening were given small roles in exchange for running lines during pre-production.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…