Oscars: Mariska Hargitay’s Jayne Mansfield Doc ‘My Mom Jayne’ Has Qualified, Campaign to Come (Exclusive)

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In recent days, My Mom Jayne, the documentary by Mariska Hargitay about her late mother Jayne Mansfield, has been the subject of much discussion following its release on HBO on June 27, particularly over the July 4 weekend as people watched it. Moreover, Hargitay’s directorial debut could continue to be a point of interest in the coming months due to its Oscar-qualifying theatrical run before airing on cable. Specifically, it had a limited screening at the Laemmle NoHo 7 in North Hollywood from June 20-26, which fulfilled the Academy’s documentary feature Oscar eligibility requirement of a one-week run in a major city. Consequently, Hargitay and her team are determined to create a strong grassroots campaign for this film during awards season.

The Academy’s documentary branch, comprising 693 members who exclusively decide the shortlist and nominees for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar, has shown a preference in recent times to exclude films focusing on or produced by celebrities. Notably, highly-regarded documentaries about Robert Downey Sr., Anthony Bourdain, Val Kilmer, Alexander McQueen, Quincy Jones, and Aretha Franklin were snubbed from even being shortlisted, while documentaries about Fred Rogers, Roger Ebert, Billie Eilish, Jon Batiste, Michael J. Fox, Jane Goodall, and David Bowie were shortlisted but not nominated despite widespread admiration.

As a gamer, I’d say it like this: “People might argue that my mom, Jayne, isn’t just another celebrity doctor. Instead, she’s more like Sarah Polley, who made waves with her 2012 directorial debut ‘Stories We Tell.’ In that film, Polley unveiled family secrets she’d been hiding. And guess what? That movie even made it to the Oscar shortlist.

Certainly, the movie starring Hargitay – debuted at May’s Cannes Film Festival and its American premiere at June’s Tribeca Festival, now boasting a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes with the New York Times calling it an “extraordinary family story” – portrays not just Mansfield’s vibrant life and short-lived career but also delves into how her 1967 car crash death affected Mansfield’s children, three of whom, including Hargitay, were passengers in the vehicle at the time yet managed to survive.

As a gamer, I’d put it this way: In the movie, Hargitay—who was only three at the time of the tragic event—opens up emotionally about her long journey since then, managing grief, anger, and hidden truths—among them, a personal secret she reveals for the first time near the end of the film. However, it’s through the therapeutic process of creating “My Mom Jayne” that she eventually finds healing.

On Tuesday, Hargitay shared with me, “The responses I’ve gotten since we premiered My Mom Jayne, whether directly or through social media, have been truly remarkable. It’s heartwarming to witness how the narrative has struck a chord with so many, inspiring them to reconnect with their own family stories in a fresh manner. I am eager to continue spreading this film and deeply appreciative that countless individuals have joined me in celebrating – and uncovering – my mother in this unique way.

In response to THR, HBO expressed their immense pride in the movie and were pleased by the exceptional response from the viewers. They are still working on increasing the visibility for this outstanding film.

During this year’s awards season, it’s worth noting that both Jayne Mansfield and Mariska Hargitay were honored with Golden Globes. Mansfield received hers in 1957 for her promising debut performance in “The Girl Can’t Help It” but was never nominated for an Oscar. Interestingly, a film about Mansfield’s life might bring Hargitay the Oscar recognition she never received in 2005 when she won best actress in a TV drama for “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit“.

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2025-07-09 01:54