Sleeping with the Enemy (1991)

A young woman fakes her own death in an attempt to escape her nightmarish marriage, but discovers it is impossible to elude her controlling husband.

Director:

Joseph Ruben

Writers:

Nancy Price (novel), Ronald Bass (screenplay)

Stars:

Julia Roberts, Patrick Bergin, Kevin Anderson

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Julia Roberts	...	Laura Burney
Patrick Bergin	...	Martin Burney
Kevin Anderson	...	Ben Woodward
Elizabeth Lawrence	...	Chloe Williams
Kyle Secor	...	Fleishman
Claudette Nevins	...	Dr. Rissner
Tony Abatemarco	...	Locke
Marita Geraghty	...	Julie
Harley Venton	...	Garber
Nancy Fish	...	Woman on Bus
Sandi Shackelford	...	Edna
Bonnie Johnson	...	Mrs. Nepper (as Bonnie Cook)
Graham Harrington	...	Minister
John Ward	...	Theater Student (as John David Ward)
Sharon J. Robinson	...	Sharon (the Nurse)

Storyline

Laura and Martin have been married for four years. They seem to be the perfect, happiest and most successful couple. The reality of their house- hold, however, is very different. Martin is an abusive and brutally obsessed husband. Laura is living her life in constant fear and waits for a chance to escape. She finally stages her own death, and flees to a new town and new identity. But when Martin finds out that his wife is not dead he will stop at nothing to find and kill her.

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Plot Keywords:

escape | control | iowa | new identity | lifting person in air | 

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Taglines:

Self-Defense is not murder

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for wife abuse terror and a sex scene

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 February 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dormindo com o Inimigo

Filming Locations:

Abbeville, South Carolina, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$19,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$101,580,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the time director Joseph Ruben was hired, Kim Basinger was attached to the project as Laura Burney. She ultimately turned down the part, though, feeling she wasn't right for the role.

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Goofs

While Laura is on the bus to Iowa, you can see she has perfect makeup on. She also has no sign of salt on her skin. Given that she has just swam through salt water and fled for her life , neither one is likely.

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Quotes

Martin: I can't live without you. And I won't let you live without me.

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Connections

Referenced in Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)

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Soundtracks

"MY GIRL"
Written by William Robinson and Ronald White
Performed by The Temptations
Courtesy of Motown Record Company, L.P.

User Reviews

Too predictable to be engaging, too boring to be camp...

Nice hair and straight teeth can only take a thespian so far, even in material as dumb as this. Julia Roberts has always been a charismatic performer but unfortunately Sleeping With The Enemy was made during her initial dream run of enormously popular and profitable crap. Poor Julia lives in a Lovely Home with hubby Patrick, who has dark, smoldering features (good) and a vicious temper (bad). This can't go on, so Julia escapes in the best James Bond style and starts over in a new Lovely Home. Evil control-freak Patrick wants her back and will stop at nothing to fulfill his dream of invading her kitchen and obsessively re-stacking her cans. Spousal abuse isn't very entertaining, even when it's trivialized in a schlocky bit of fluff like this. Worst Scene: the music montage where Julia tries on hats to the strains of Brown-Eyed Girl...Ugh!