Phoebe Cates in the cult classic "Lace" (1984)

Glamour, dark secrets, and the most scandalous question in TV history
A Hollywood star who has been through hell confronts three women from high society to find out which one abandoned her as a newborn baby twenty years ago.

---

📖 STORY

In 1960, three friends at a Swiss boarding school — the aristocratic Pagan, the rebellious Judy, and the socialite Maxine — make a secret pact to cover up an unplanned pregnancy. Under the joint pseudonym "Lucinda Lace," they give the baby girl up for adoption, and later receive news of her death.

Twenty years later, world-famous movie star Lili (Phoebe Cates), a survivor of a refugee camp childhood and a career in the porn industry, discovers she is that girl. She hires a detective to find the three women and begins an elaborate game of revenge. Entering each of their lives in turn, Lili charms, blackmails, and provokes, promising something valuable while simultaneously threatening ruin if they don't confess to being her mother. It all culminates in her legendary question that brings all three together.

---

⭐ HIGHLIGHTS

· Iconic Quote: The series finale contains arguably the most famous line in 80s television history.
· 80s Glamour at Its Peak: Luxurious filming across Europe (including Spain), expensive costumes, and the atmosphere of the rich and famous.
· Gripping Structure: The plot masterfully intertwines the friends' coming-of-age drama in the 60s with their glamorous yet secretive lives in the 80s.
· Iconic Cast: Phoebe Cates, Angela Lansbury, Bess Armstrong, Brooke Adams, and Arielle Dombasle in starring roles.

---

🎬 PRODUCTION DETAILS

· Genre: Drama, Melodrama, Miniseries.
· Director: William (Billy) Hale.
· Runtime: 2 episodes, total duration ~225 minutes.
· Writer: Elliott Baker, based on the bestseller by Shirley Conran.
· TV Premiere: February 26-27, 1984 on ABC (USA).
· Starring:
· Phoebe Cates as Elizabeth "Lili" Lace
· Bess Armstrong as Judy Hale
· Brooke Adams as Pagan "Pagan" Trelawney
· Arielle Dombasle as Maxine Pascal
· Angela Lansbury as Aunt Hortense Boutin

---

💎 BEHIND THE SCENES

· The miniseries was one of the highest-rated television events of the 1983-84 season in the USA.
· Lili's famous line was voted the #1 "Greatest TV Cliffhanger" by TV Guide magazine in a 1993 poll.
· In the original novel, there was a fourth friend, journalist Kate, but her storyline was given to the character Judy Hale for the adaptation.

---

🏛️ CULTURAL LEGACY

"Lace" is the quintessential television melodrama of the affluent 80s. It's not just a story about finding a mother, but a vivid time capsule reflecting the aesthetics, values, and television tastes of that decade. The series is remembered for its blend of high soap opera, glamour, and provocation.

---

💬 DISCUSSION

What do you think: are Lili's actions justified revenge or excessive cruelty? Which of the three friends' stories evokes the most sympathy in you? And how morally right was it, in your opinion, for them to keep the secret all those years?

---

🔔 Subscribe so you don't miss the breakdown of the sequel "Lace II" (1985), where Lili searches for her father and her mother is played by a different actress!

👉 Like this video if you love 80s glamour dramas, and comment below if you guessed who Lili's real mother was!

---

#Lace #Lace1984 #PhoebeCates #Miniseries #80sDrama #CultClassic #TVMovie #ScandalousDrama #80sGlamour #RetroTV #ClassicTV #ShirleyConran #BessArmstrong #BrookeAdams #AngelaLansbury #ArielleDombasle #ABC #WhichOneOfYouBitchesIsMyMother