Depending upon your age, you either think Mary Tyler Moore was a groundbreaker or you consider her the TV actress who reflects your view of the modern woman. She was, of course, both, and this documentary showcases all the ways she paved the way for women in Hollywood and why so many women could so easily identify with her.
Mary Tyler Moore (1936-2017) won seven primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. She is best known for her spunky comic roles as the wife Laurie Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961 – 1966) and the single career woman making it on her own in The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970 – 1977). This documentary includes comments by Carl Reiner, her director for The Dick Van Dyke Show, and cast mates from The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Clips from both shows reveal her wonderful comic timing and ability to pull the humor out of any situation. The clip from the Chuckles the Clown funeral episode is a classic!
Always looking for new acting roles, the TV star over the years appeared in a variety of Broadway plays and won rave revies for her portrait of a grieving mother trying to cope with two self-destructive sons in the powerful film Ordinary People directed by Robert Redford. She excelled in her role in the film First, You Cry about NBC Correspondent Betty Rollin’s battle with breast cancer. She also was known for her work raising awareness of the signs, symptoms, and approaches to diabetes.