 Dunaway's uncanny performance earned her two Best Actress award nominations by the New York Film Critics Circle Awards and the National Society of Film Critics Awards, and was lauded by critics.Janet Maslin, while dismissing the film as incoherent, wrote that Dunaway's performance was "a small miracle" and praised her energy and commitment to the role.The frequently harsh Pauline Kael raved about Dunaway's performance, stating that she had reached new heights as an actress and surmised that it would be difficult for Dunaway to top her performance as Crawford.