Personal reclamation: Mariska Hargitay (age 61) embarks on a journey to understand Jayne Mansfield—not just the public “blonde bombshell,” but her mother (who died when Mariska was 3) .
Family truth: She uncovers long-held secrets—like learning in adulthood that Mickey Hargitay wasn’t her biological father, and tracking down Nelson Sardelli.
Emotional excavation: Through interviews, archival footage, and sensory moments (e.g., holding her mother’s Golden Globe alongside her own), she confronts shame, loss, and the complexities of legacy .
Reframing a story: The film dismantles reductive stereotypes of Mansfield, revealing her multilingual intellect, artistic ambition, and vulnerabilities—challenging cultural narratives about female ambition and validation .