Some of the best actors in history have been robbed of any acknowledgment of their extraordinary talents until much later in their careers, if at all. Lauren Bacall, one of the numerous legendary actresses that emerged out of Hollywood’s Golden Age, was one of those performers. Famously known for her timeless, if not controversial romance with Humphrey Bogart, Bacall had quite the life in the limelight alongside her famed husband until his passing in the late 50s. But it was not until the iconic starlet appeared in a certain 90s romantic comedy that she finally received long-overdue acclaim for her work.
The Mirror Has Two Faces, directed by and starring Barbra Streisand, is a 1996 romantic comedy-drama loosely based on the French film of the same name: Le Miroir à Deux Faces(1958). The swoon-worthy film is widely regarded as one of Streisand’s best works as a director, and it may be, in part, thanks to the notable talent attached, as the cast is crowded with esteemed names from Jeff Bridges to Pierce Brosnan. In the film, Bacall plays Hannah Morgan, the mother of Streisand’s character, which earned the actress her very first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
The Mirror Has Two Faces showcased the potential of bringing two powerhouse women together in a picture that redefined the romance genre in a multitude of ways, setting itself apart from other romance titles of its time. Instead of retelling a friends-to-lovers story, as seen in When Harry Met Sally, or revisiting the star-crossed lovers trope, like in Sleepless in Seattle, Mirror is daring in its approach to simultaneously show the realism of romance and journey to self-acceptance. Ironically, the film would be Lauren Bacall’s big comeback to the silver screen after making several appearances on Broadway and television. Her role in the film couldn’t have been more apropos, as the Tony Award-winning actress steps into the shoes of a jealous mother who believes the prime of her life is gone in the gutter.
Set in New York, Streisand plays Rose Morgan, an English literature professor at Columbia University, who has always struggled with self-esteem issues. She finds herself living in the shadow of her glamorous mother, Hannah (Bacall), and her marriage-hungry sister, Claire (Mimi Rogers). Rose is set up on a blind date with Gregory Larkin (Bridges), a mathematics professor at Columbia who confuses romantic love with sex. The professors become close friends, and soon Gregory proposes a platonic marriage based on intellectual companionship rather than physical attraction. As Rose and Gregory navigate their unconventional marriage, Rose inevitably begins to fall in love with Gregory, leading her to undergo a transformation that challenges the dynamics of their relationship.
