Dead Ringers (1988)

Twin gynecologists take full advantage of the fact that nobody can tell them apart, until their relationship begins to deteriorate over a woman.

Director:

David Cronenberg

Writers:

David Cronenberg, Norman Snider,

Stars:

Jeremy Irons, Geneviève Bujold, Heidi von Palleske

22 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeremy Irons	...	Beverly Mantle / Elliot Mantle
Geneviève Bujold	...	Claire Niveau (as Genevieve Bujold)
Heidi von Palleske	...	Cary (as Heidi Von Palleske)
Barbara Gordon	...	Danuta
Shirley Douglas	...	Laura
Stephen Lack	...	Wolleck / Anders Wolleck
Nick Nichols	...	Leo
Lynne Cormack	...	Arlene
Damir Andrei	...	Birchall
Miriam Newhouse	...	Mrs. Bookman
David Hughes	...	Superintendent
Richard W. Farrell	...	Dean of Medicine (as Richard Farrell)
Warren Davis	...	Anatomy Class Supervisor
Jonathan Haley	...	Beverly, Age 9
Nicholas Haley	...	Elliot, Age 9

Storyline

The Mantle brothers are both doctors - both gynecologists - and identical twins. Mentally however, one of them is more confident than the other, and always manages to seduce the women he meets. When he's tired of his current partner, she is passed on to the other brother - without her knowing. Everything runs smoothly, until an actress visits their clinic, and the shy brother is the first to fall in love. Will they be able to 'share' her ?

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Plot Keywords:

twin | gynecologist | identical twins | actress | sex | 

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Taglines:

Two bodies. Two minds. One soul. Separation can be a terrifying thing.

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Canada USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 September 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Pacto de amor

Filming Locations:

Bell Trinity Square - 483 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Gross:

$9,134,733 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Morgan Creek Productions, Téléfilm Canada, Mantle Clinic II

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Margot Kidder was David Cronenberg's second choice for playing the role of Claire Niveau. Incidentally, Kidder had played homicidal twins in Brian De Palma's Sisters.

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Goofs

In a scene dated 1954, the twins seen are playing with The Visible Woman, Revell toy company's biological model of a woman that was not marketed until at least five years later.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Elliot, Age 9: You've heard about sex...
Beverly, Age 9: Sure I have.
Elliot, Age 9: Well I've discovered why sex is.
Beverly, Age 9: You have? Fantastic.
Raffaella: It's because humans don't live under water.
Beverly, Age 9: I don't get it.
Elliot, Age 9: Well, fish don't need sex because they just lay the eggs and fertilize them in the water. Humans can't do that because they don't live in the water. They have to - internalize the water. Therefore we have sex.
Beverly, Age 9: So you mean humans would have sex if they lived in the water?
Elliot, Age 9: Well they'd have a kind of sex. The kind where you wouldn't ...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in A Night at the Movies: The Horrors of Stephen King (2011)

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Soundtracks

"In the Still of the Night (I'll Remember)"
Performed by The Five Satins
under license from Arista Records, Inc.
Copyrighted by Llee Corp.
Composed by Fred Parris

User Reviews

"No, you're right, he's not alone- but he's lonely. Even with me."

While I like "The Brood" quite a bit, Dead Ringers gets my vote as Cronenberg's best work.

Follow along as the twin brothers spiral out of control when they unsuccessfully try to break free from each other. Although it's not without some humor, Dead Ringers is very bleak. It has an emotional intensity that most movies can't touch. It is sad AND beautiful.

The movie itself *looks* great. Good script, and AWESOME performances from both Irons and Bujold. As another reviewer suggested, watch it twice if you don't like it the first time- it might grow on you.

This is my all-time favorite movie.