Even though the “Chairman of the Board” had mob ties and engaged in numerous sordid affairs, these subjects are only treated tangentially in this 1993 Golden Globe winner for Best Made-for-TV Movie, perhaps because this biographical miniseries was a tad nervous about annoying its still-living subject. A good chunk of the four-hour biopic Sinatra is devoted to Frank's early years, from his boyhood in Hoboken, NJ to his initial fame as a crooner (with Olympia Dukakis dominating with her convincing portrayal of Sinatra's mother), while a lengthy middle section recounts Sinatra's early years in Hollywood, with an emphasis on his longstanding relationship with Ava Gardner (Marcia Gay Harden, sorely miscast). Curiously, however, Sinatra gives short shrift to the iconic period of its subject's career: the Rat Pack years. Philip Casnoff's portrayal of Sinatra is uneven--too often he seems to be simply mimicking the character rather than truly inhabiting the role (although Casnoff looks good lip-synching all those great Sinatra tunes—at least a dozen of which are presented here in whole or part). Ultimately, while the script doesn't entirely sugarcoat Sinatra (depictions of his egotistical excesses certainly ring true), this lengthy docudrama is hardly the definitive story of this brilliant star and complicated man. Not a necessary purchase. (E. Hulse)
Sinatra
Warner, 2 discs, 238 min., not rated, DVD: $19.98 Volume 23, Issue 5
Sinatra
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