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

When a disguised Laura is visiting her mother in the nursing home and is in the closed bathroom getting a glass of water for her mother to take her pills, Martin opens her mother's door from the hallway, and the door opens to the left. When Martin returns later that evening, the door handle is clearly on the opposite side and the door now opens to the right.

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Quotes

Martin: You sneaked off inexplicably, need I remind you how I worried?
Laura: No. You reminded me enough the night I came back.
Martin: You're not suggesting I enjoyed that?
Laura: God, no. That would make you a monster.

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Connections

Referenced in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World/Eat Pray Love/The Expendables (2010)

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Soundtracks

"CIRCLE OF ONE"
Written and Performed by Oleta Adams
Courtesy of PolyGram Special Products
A division of PolyGram Records, Inc.

User Reviews

A Lifetime movie from Hell...

SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY resembles the kind of movie they show endlessly on the Lifetime channel. The men are either weak and ineffectual or psychotic.It was rightfully parodied by the movie FATAL INSTINCT. For the most part, the cheese factor is high, with plot devices scattered about everywhere, as well as a number of holes mentioned in other reviews. The characters act the way they do because the story requires them to do so. The scenery is wonderful, particularly at the beginning with the boats and the ocean. Patrick Bergin is great as Julia Roberts's obsessive-compulsive creep of a husband. Roberts has more chemistry with him than anyone else in the movie...