Mariska Hargitay's 100%-Rated Heartbreaking Documentary Just Blew up HBO Max's Top
Most people know Mariska Hargitay as Olivia from Law & Order: SVU, but she's also the daughter of Jayne Mansfield, one of the brightest stars of the mid-20th century. Here's why her documentary is definitely worth watching.
Just a week after its premiere, Mariska Hargitay's documentary My Mom Jayne became one of the most talked-about projects on HBO Max.
Dedicated to the life and legacy of her mother, the legendary actress Jayne Mansfield, the film received the highest scores from critics and viewers alike, immediately soaring to the top three of the HBO Max chart.
What Is 'My Mom Jayne' About?
My Mom Jayne is a deeply personal story told through the eyes of a daughter. Hargitay, known to millions for her role as Olivia Benson in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, shares her memories of her mother more openly than ever before.
Mansfield was one of Hollywood's brightest stars in the 1950s and 1960s, but her life was tragically cut short in 1967. Mariska was only three years old at the time and has only fragmentary memories of her mother.
In the movie, Mariska reconstructs Jayne's image through archival footage and interviews with friends and colleagues.
What Happened to Jayne Mansfield?
Jayne Mansfield's career rose quickly – she was rivals with the main stars of that time, experienced a series of unsuccessful romances, and saw her fame fade. Her tragic death makes it hard to call her fate happy, but the actress still managed to leave a mark.
In 1956, Mansfield starred in the popular movie The Girl Can't Help It. The following year, she played in The Wayward Bus and won the Golden Globe Award for New Star Of The Year.
From that moment on, Mansfield was considered one of the brightest and most promising actresses. However, her time in the spotlight was short-lived.
On June 29, 1967, her life was tragically cut short. That evening, Mansfield, her three children, and her driver were driving to New Orleans on the highway when their car crashed into a truck at full speed, killing all three adults in the front seat.
Her children, who were sleeping in the backseat, survived.
What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'My Mom Jayne'?
Time critic Stephanie Zacharek praised the movie, saying:
“When Hargitay finally, and tenderly, tells her mother, "I see myself in you for the first time," we, too, know more about this charming, ambitious performer whose star never burned as brightly as she'd hoped.”
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My Mom Jayne has 100% from critics and 97% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.
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On IMDb, the documentary has a score of 8.7/10.
