I love all Lifetime movies (Who is Clark Rockefeller? is my all time favorite, and based on my twin sister), but especially ones about famous court cases (ex: Casey Anthony trial, Jodi Arias trial), and celebrity tragedies (ex: Anna Nicole Smith). Therefore, I was EXTREMELY excited to watch The Brittany Murphy Story, which premiered last night. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed.
First of all, the actress playing Murphy (Amanda Fuller) literally looks nothing like her. No offense, but Brittany Murphy was gorgeous and thin, and this actress was… not. Fuller is also just a horrible actress in general- trying way too hard to convey the quirkiness and vulnerability that everyone loved about Brittany Murphy. She came across as annoying, whiny, and dumb. I especially detested the scenes on the set of Clueless that portray Murphy (who played Tai) feeling left out and jealous of Alicia Silverstone (Cher). It is well known that the two actresses were friends, and if anything Murphy’s character stole the spotlight from Silverstone. You’re just a virgin who can’t drive.
The movie also focused too much on the idea that the paparazzi are what killed Murphy. First of all, no one knows exactly what the cause of Murphy’s death was. While there was prescription medication in her blood at the time of death, she also had pneumonia and anemia, and ten toxic metals were found in her system in an autopsy. Some say the cause of death was toxic mold, because her husband died in their apartment shortly after. Others say they were poisoned by Murphy’s mother (others being Murphy’s estranged father). Ultimately, the entire tragedy is a mystery. For this movie to capitalize on a 32 year old’s untimely death and tell a story completely unauthorized by Murphy’s friends and family is going way too far, even for a Lifetime movie.
To quote Cher Horowitz: That was way harsh.
Once Upon a Time Dating 