Why Patsy Loski From Flipped Looks So Familiar
Who doesn't love a bit of sun-dappled nostalgia? That appears to be the mood Netflix viewers are in, as the 2010 coming-of-age drama "Flipped" is currently on the list of the top 10 most viewed movies on the platform. The 1960s set film tells the story of two American teenagers — Juli Baker (Madeline Carroll) and Bryce Loski (Callan McAuliffe) — who find themselves falling for one another despite being on opposite sides of some local conflict.
While the young people are the center of the action in "Flipped," the adults in their lives also get plenty of attention. One of those adults is Bryce's mother, Patsy, who aims to strike a balance between not meddling too much in her son's affairs, while also trying to help him overcome the awkward hurdle that is the transition from childhood to adulthood. She is played by the American actor Rebecca De Mornay and while the 1960s aesthetics may have thrown you off, there's a good chance that you've seen her before. She's had a career spanning nearly 40 years that has included some particularly noteworthy roles.
Here's a rundown of where else you may have seen Rebecca De Mornay.
The early roles that put Rebecca De Mornay on the map
De Mornay's screen career began in the 1980s. After making her debut in Francis Ford Coppola's "One from the Heart," she got her breakout role playing Lana, a young sex worker who gets involved with Tom Cruise's character in the hit comedy "Risky Business." In his 1983 review of the film, Roger Ebert wrote, "Rebecca De Mornay somehow manages to take that thankless role ... and turn it into a very specific character. She isn't all good and she isn't all clichés: She's a very complicated young woman with quirks and insecurities and a wayward ability to love."
She followed up that cult classic with appearances on TV shows like Shelley Duvall's "Tall Tales & Legends" and movies such as the critically acclaimed "The Trip to Bountiful" and the buddy comedy "Feds."
In the early '90s, De Mornay continued to rule the screen. She played the wife of Kurt Russell's character in the intense pyro-thriller "Backdraft," which was followed by one of the signature roles of her career. In "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle," she plays the quietly menacing wife of a disgraced obstetrician who goes to horrifying lengths to seek revenge on the family she believes responsible for her downfall. The villainous turn earned De Mornay strong reviews, with Michael Upchurch of The Seattle Times writing, "This is De Mornay's film and she's a wicked treat, looking daggers at her enemy one moment and then glazing over with sweetness the next."
Rebecca De Mornay starred in a miniseries adaptation of The Shining
After "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle," De Mornay's film career continued with notable roles in projects such as the Charlie Sheen and Kiefer Sutherland starring adaptation of "The Three Musketeers" and the thriller "Never Talk to Strangers." She also had a five-episode arc on "ER" as Elaine Nichols, a lover of Dr. John Carter (Noah Wyle), and later went on to guest star on "The Practice" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."
De Mornay's biggest TV role from this period was as Wendy Torrance in the 1997 miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's "The Shining." The adaptation is noted as being significantly more faithful to the source material than Stanley Kubrick's better-known film version, but far less successful overall. In an otherwise negative retrospective review in AV Club, Ryan Vlastelica wrote that of the lead cast, De Mornay "emerges with some of her dignity intact."
In the early 2000s, De Mornay's film career was marked by small supporting roles in movies like the psychological thriller "Identity," Catherine Hardwicke's "Lords of Dogtown," and the risqué comedy "Wedding Crashers." However, it wasn't long before she received another meaty villain role to sink her teeth into.
Where Marvel fans have seen Rebecca De Mornay
In 2010, De Mornay got the chance to turn in another memorably chilling performance when she was cast in Darren Lynn Bousman's "Mother's Day." The film itself, about a group of friends who find themselves at the mercy of a gang of criminals led by a disarmingly effete matriarch, got middling reviews when it was released. However, De Mornay's performance received praise, even from critics who otherwise disliked the film. Christy Lemire of The Associated Press (via Boston.com) said that "Mother's Day" was "notable for a chilling lead performance from Rebecca De Mornay and not much else," while Nick Pinkerton of The Village Voice wrote, "'Mother's Day' is distinguished, at least, by De Mornay's porcelain-smile lampoon of castigating matriarchy."
Elsewhere, De Mornay's more recent resume includes a small part in the fourth mainline film in the "American Pie" franchise, "American Reunion," as well as guest-starring roles on TV shows like "Hawaii Five-0" and "Lucifer." Marvel fans likely know her from her complex turn as Dorothy Walker, the driven talent agent and adoptive mother of the titular heroine on Netflix's "Jessica Jones."
Whether you recognize her from her early work or her later projects, there's a good chance that you've crossed paths with Rebecca De Mornay at some point.