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These Old Broads | 
| Director: Matthew Diamond
Actors: Shirley Maclaine, Debbie Reynolds, Joan Collins, Elizabeth Taylor, Jonathan Silverman
Studio: Sony Pictures
Category: Video
List Price: $14.95
Buy Used: $4.49
You Save: $10.46 (70%)
New (3) Used (15) from $4.49
Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 15657
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: VHS Tape
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 100 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 4.2 x 1.1
ISBN: 0767874498
UPC: 043396071193
EAN: 9780767874496
ASIN: B00005LKIA
Theatrical Release Date: February 12, 2001
Release Date: January 2, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Used VHS may not have original jacket cover Used items may have grease marker or sticker on cover. Satisfaction guaranteed on all purchases. ** Possible marking on cover. 100% Satisfaction guaranteed on all purchases. Delivery is 7-14 days for standard mail. **
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Debbie Reynolds's daughter--Carrie Fisher, a noted Hollywood script doctor--cowrote this television movie as a sort of Grumpy Old Women, so the story goes. Viewed in that light, this 91-minute lark is entertaining, if frequently inane. It's the story of the professional reunion of three feuding costars (Reynolds, Shirley MacLaine, Joan Collins) after their '60s musical becomes a cult hit decades later. The fun part is the skewering of their real lives that these actresses good-humoredly allow. Reynolds plays a Vegas casino-owning diva who showcases her own talent and allows her dolt of a husband to run the business side of things--a state of affairs not too different from her real Vegas days. MacLaine offers a comic version of her legendary spiritual persona with such zingers as "My inner child is having such a tantrum." And Joan Collins makes fun of her choice of men with a mobster boyfriend instead of that litigious young husband of some years back. Elizabeth Taylor makes a goofy cameo appearance as the actresses' agent, and Fisher has a lot of fun staging a verbal catfight between the agent and Reynolds over a man named Freddie. (In real life Liz infamously stole Carrie's dad, Eddie Fisher, from then wife Debbie.) All pretty good. But why the framing with MacLaine's "adopted" son, inhabited by the unfunny Jonathan Silverman; and why the too-broadly caricatured producer? Only the daughter knows. --Kimberly Heinrichs
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 These old broads are terrific! June 3, 2006
Barbara B. (Oregon, USA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
When you have stars of this caliber, who needs a real plot? They do terrific send ups of themselves and the result is a funny, funny film. The fact that Reynolds and Taylor got together on screen makes the experience even more memorable.
Don't go in expecting Shakespeare ... but sit back and enjoy the inside jokes and the incredible talent of four of the living legends of Hollywood.
Four Legends In An Enjoyable And Often Revealing Romp August 6, 2004
Simon Davis
Boasting the likes of silver screen legends Elizabeth Taylor, Shirley MacLaine, Joan Collins and Debbie Reynolds all combined in the one movie how could you resist taking at least a peek at this effort from 2001 titled "These Old Broads". Being a fan of all four women, this at times funny, over the top, and startlingly candid little effort is definately one of my "guilty pleasures". Certainly all four acting legends deserved a far better screenplay to sink their collective creative teeth into but on the level of pure entertainment and for the joy of seeing these legendary actresses working for the first time with each other this film is worth viewing. The result of the creative talents of Carrie Fisher, the real life daughter of Debbie Reynolds and Elaine Pope who was responsible for television's "Seinfeld" series, the pair have managed to weave much that is true to life in the four actresses often controversial acting careers into the screenplay so that the final film often has a "mirror house" feel to it that adds to the general fun as fantasy and reality mix in together.
The eternal hope of the "great comeback", is something that is a way of life for those performers in Hollywood who are past their peak or to use a polite industry term are "resting". "These Old Broads", tackles that very theme of what do ageing veteran actresses do when the limelight shifts onto younger performers . They make a comeback of course!! Here we have three veteran Hollywood actresses, Kate Westbourne (Shirley MacLaine), Addie Holden (Joan Collins), and Piper Grayson (Debbie Reynolds)who have been in "resting" mode, for longer than any of them would have liked when out of the blue a campy musical film that they made together during the 1960's called "Boy Crazy", is suddenly re-released and becomes a cult hit with new audiences. Under studio pressure a producer of "serious", documentaries Wesley Westbourne (Jonathan Silverman), who is the long estranged son of Kate, is forced to create a cheesy television special reuniting the three actresses to perform their old musical hit. Wesley however gets more than he bargained for as not only does he have to contend with the three women's man eating, hard as nails, agent Beryl Mason (Elizabeth Taylor), but also the womens seperate ego's, neurosies and the fact that all of them absolutely loath each other. Wesley finds himself literally drowning in the not so nice world of old Hollywood and he quickly learns what he will be contending with on his visits to each of the ageing divas to convince them to do the special. Because of course all of them haven't worked in years and need the money they all agree rather too quickly to put aside their own personal differences for the "sake of the show". Famous last words! and before long a battle royale breaks out between the women over prominent placing, lighting, and attention from the director. Kate has a wacky mystical bent to her character, Addie is the star who still thinks she's twenty and Piper is still pretending to be the sweetness and light types of characters she played in her heyday. Production of the special is anything but smooth sailing as Addie mobster boyfriend breaks out of jail and seeks her out pushing all the women into a tabloid scandal when he has a fatal heart attack after a night of too vigorous lovemaking in Addie's suite. Jonathan also finds himself not only having to be referee to all the women's vicious barbs against each other but also finds himself trying to attempt a reconciliation of some sort with Kate who has a few surprises in store for him. Through threats to cancel the show from the network after a preview ends in total disaster the old show biz adage "it'll be alright on the night", definately comes true when the final show goes off brilliantly without a hitch and the women are back in the limelight.
A total farce maybe but if you dont take "These Old Broads", too seriously you are guaranteed some good laughs and a bit of a look at the actresses real lives along the way. Most anticpated in this television movie was of course the on screen meeting of 1950's rivals Elizabeth Taylor and Debbie Reynolds who starred in their own real life scandal when Taylor went off with Reynold's husband Eddie Fisher. This is amusingly covered in the story where Beryl talks with Piper about having stolen her husband "Freddie", years before. Shirley MacLaine's well known interest in the mystical New Age arts is also highlighted with her best line being that "her inner child is throwing a tantrum" during one of her many arguments with her son! Joan Collin's well known forays into getting involved with much younger men is also good naturedly displayed in the script. All this is done of course in good fun and full marks to all four actresses for being good sports for allowing it. Admittedly the passage of time has not been that kind to legendary beauty Elizabeth Taylor who made a mighty effort to film her part having just gone through hip replacement surgery. Her scenes are almost entirely filmed with her propped up in bed which admittedly adds to the humour here as she conducts all her meetings from within her boudoir! Shirley, Joan and Debbie show what great troupers they are through all the preparation and rehersals for their "Boy Crazy" special. All of them look marvellous and their ability to still high kick and perform dance numbers is amazing.
Perhaps this television movie hasn't got the most flattering title and it's a pity that Elizabeth Taylor doesn't appear more through the movie, but for any lover of old Hollywood and of these legendary performers in particular you are sure to enjoy the assorted cattiness and outright bitchery that fills the movie. A piece of fluff perhaps but harmless fluff that needs to be appreciated on that level. Enjoy four of Hollywood's larger than life Divas staging the comeback to out shine all comebacks in Carrie Fisher's "These Old Broads".
 WHAT WERE THEY THINKING March 27, 2003
S. HECK (NEW ORLEANS, LA United States)
3 out of 14 found this review helpful
What we have here is a big mess! Debbie Reynolds is too over the top
Elizabeth Taylor trying to be Sue Mendes ( she doesn't pull that off) We then have Shirley who is much better than the screenplay! I about lost my lunch when there was a sex scene with Joan Collins! This was the sickest thing on film since Pink Flamingos!
Thumbs up for the older women! July 29, 2002
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
A thoroughly enjoyable film...three veteran stars are brought together to recapture their stardom of yore, however they can't stand each other, so an uphill task from the word go for the remake of their old musical/play...but in the end it was a success. Joan Collins was great..as she always is, a combination of the older woman charm and timeless sex appeal...if you want an enjoyable night in this is a must!
Actually, it is a lot of fun March 7, 2002
Scott A. Humphries (Australia)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
It is interesting to read the rather divergent reviews of this TV movie here. Personally, I loved it, having been a long-time fan of all of the ladies. Not nearly enough of Liz in the film, sure, but Debbie has some great wisecracks and Joan not only looks amazing (hardly surprising she just married someone her son's age), but displays a genuine talent for comedy.If anything, I was disappointed with Shirley's storyline and the unnecessary "gay son" aspect. Also, aside from the headliners, some key supporting players are sadly lacklustre. However, it is what it is - sort of an updated "Golden Girls" set in Hollywood rather than Miami.
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