Plot Synopsis

Based on the book by J. Randy Taraborrelli. Born in 1926, Norma Jeane Mortenson battles a lonely and loveless existence with her paranoid schizophrenic mother, Gladys. Despite spending most of childhood in foster care, she blossoms into a funny, smart and ambitious woman and soon reinvents herself to become the sex symbol of an era. She revels in stardom, yet remains a fragile artist, desperate for the approval and protection of men. The outside world never truly sees or understands the real Marilyn, a woman so different from her public persona. As her fame grows, all three of her marriages crumble, including her relationships with Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller. Ultimately, she could never control her inner demons and the onslaught of mental illness inherited from her mother, Gladys, a woman she loves, hates and wants desperately to save. Although the movie studio told the world that her mother was dead, it is the great secret of Marilyn's life that Gladys remained a vital and troubling part of her world. As she cares for her mother, her obsession with President John F. Kennedy drives her over the edge. On August 5, 1962 she is found dead from an overdose of barbiturates; she was 36 years old.