Truly a dark comedy if there ever was one, this film won't be to everyone's taste. I first saw it several years ago on network TV, immediately liked it, but also realized that a fair amount of critical "flavor" had been bleeped out of the movie due to editing it for television. So just recently I purchased the DVD version, which gave me the opportunity to watch it in all its unedited glory.
Kathleen Turner is awesome as mad housewife Beverly Sutphin (where DO they get these names?). I can't think of a modern actress who has such a commanding presence on the screen as Kathleen Turner, and here she uses it to full advantage. I don't know if it's her supreme confidence in the delivery of her lines, or her captivating facial expressions, or just the way she carries herself as a woman not to be trifled with, but somehow she grabs you by the ears and doesn't let go.
There is a goodly dose of carnage in the film, including a particularly gory scene where a guy gets skewered in the men's room with a fireplace poker, resulting in his liver being torn out. But in the capable hands of John Waters, plus the presence of Kathleen Turner in the scene, it all just seems so natural, and perfectly hilarious. Here I couldn't help thinking about the great film "Harold and Maude" (1971), where Bud Cort's character fakes his own suicide various times throughout the film, and by golly, he made suicide actually seem FUNNY! You get the same reaction from "Serial Mom", where Beverly Sutphin's murders come across as being somewhat on the level of laugh-inducing college pranks.
The cinematography is superb, the co-stars (Sam Waterston, Mink Stole, Ricki Lake, Matthew Lillard, Patricia Hearst, Traci Lords, et al) are spot-on well cast, the pacing is excellent, and the film wraps with a very satisfying denouement.
Granted, the film is not for the squeamish, nor for those who are averse to John Waters. But for those who can deal with a whimsical horror film, I would recommend seeing this and get the DVD version if possible, as the director's commentary by John Waters is worth the rental price. I actually purchased the DVD, as I want this one in my permanent video library. I only wish they would make a sequel. Perhaps, "Serial Mom joins the PTA".
Kathleen Turner is awesome as mad housewife Beverly Sutphin (where DO they get these names?). I can't think of a modern actress who has such a commanding presence on the screen as Kathleen Turner, and here she uses it to full advantage. I don't know if it's her supreme confidence in the delivery of her lines, or her captivating facial expressions, or just the way she carries herself as a woman not to be trifled with, but somehow she grabs you by the ears and doesn't let go.
There is a goodly dose of carnage in the film, including a particularly gory scene where a guy gets skewered in the men's room with a fireplace poker, resulting in his liver being torn out. But in the capable hands of John Waters, plus the presence of Kathleen Turner in the scene, it all just seems so natural, and perfectly hilarious. Here I couldn't help thinking about the great film "Harold and Maude" (1971), where Bud Cort's character fakes his own suicide various times throughout the film, and by golly, he made suicide actually seem FUNNY! You get the same reaction from "Serial Mom", where Beverly Sutphin's murders come across as being somewhat on the level of laugh-inducing college pranks.
The cinematography is superb, the co-stars (Sam Waterston, Mink Stole, Ricki Lake, Matthew Lillard, Patricia Hearst, Traci Lords, et al) are spot-on well cast, the pacing is excellent, and the film wraps with a very satisfying denouement.
Granted, the film is not for the squeamish, nor for those who are averse to John Waters. But for those who can deal with a whimsical horror film, I would recommend seeing this and get the DVD version if possible, as the director's commentary by John Waters is worth the rental price. I actually purchased the DVD, as I want this one in my permanent video library. I only wish they would make a sequel. Perhaps, "Serial Mom joins the PTA".