Bootleg Betty
Today Marks The 26th Anniversary Of Bette Midler’s Movie, Isn’t She Great
By Mister D
Jan. 28, 2026
Isn’t She Great is a 2000 biographical comedy-drama film starring Bette Midler as Jacqueline Susann, the bestselling author best known for her scandalous 1966 novel Valley of the Dolls. The movie presents a fictionalized, lighthearted take on Susann’s life, focusing on her relentless ambition to achieve fame despite limited talent, her marriage to promoter Irving Mansfield (played by Nathan Lane), and the massive success of her breakthrough book.
Directed by Andrew Bergman and written by Paul Rudnick, the film follows Susann’s journey from a struggling actress to a literary sensation. It highlights her determination, promotional savvy (with Irving’s help), personal challenges—including an autistic son and a battle with breast cancer—and the cultural impact of her steamy, gossip-fueled novels. The tone mixes broad comedy, campy showbiz energy, and some sentimental moments, portraying Susann as a larger-than-life, self-invented celebrity rather than a literary giant. The title comes from Irving’s affectionate refrain about his wife.
The cast includes strong supporting performances: Stockard Channing as Susann’s loyal friend, Florence Maybelle (a composite character); David Hyde Pierce as her uptight editor; John Cleese in a cameo role; plus appearances by John Larroquette, Amanda Peet, and Christopher McDonald.
Released on January 28, 2000, the film was a commercial flop, grossing only about $3 million against a $36 million budget, and it received mostly negative reviews for being overly broad, sentimental, and factually loose (with a disclaimer in the credits noting alterations). Critics like Roger Ebert found it flat and outdated, while some praised Midler’s energetic performance and the film’s breezy, cupcake-like charm. Midler earned a Razzie nomination for Worst Actress. It’s often seen as campy fun or a guilty pleasure, especially for fans of Midler, Lane, or 1960s Hollywood excess.
Trivia
- Nathan Lane’s very first screen role (uncredited) was as a theater stage manager in the 1981 TV miniseries Jacqueline Susann’s Valley of the Dolls, which was executive produced by the real Irving Mansfield, whom Lane portrays in this film. (Ironically, Richard Dreyfuss, who later co-starred with Midler in Down and Out in Beverly Hills, played a similar stage manager role in the 1967 Valley of the Dolls movie.)
- The film takes significant liberties with facts for comedic and dramatic effect, softening Susann’s sharper edges and personal life.
- Stockard Channing’s character, Florence Maybelle, is a composite of several real people in Susann’s circle.
- Bette Midler doesn’t closely resemble Susann physically, and some noted that Channing actually looked more like her.
- The movie captures the garish, colorful 1960s aesthetic reminiscent of Valley of the Dolls itself, complete with period costumes and a sense of showbiz bravado.
- Despite the film’s poor reception at release, some viewers enjoy it as mindless, campy entertainment similar to Mommie Dearest or Showgirls, with Midler “chewing the scenery” in classic form.
Overall, it’s a quirky, underseen entry in Midler’s filmography—more of an affectionate portrait than a sharp satire.
