Sleeping with the Enemy (1991)

Director:

Joseph Ruben

Writers (WGA):

Nancy Price (novel)
Ronald Bass (screenplay)

Release Date:

8 February 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Self-Defense is not murder

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Escape | Control | Iowa | New Identity | Lifting Person In Air

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

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)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Lindley	...	(uncredited)
Patt Noday	...	Amusement Park Guy #2 (uncredited)
Ron Reedy	...	Doctor (uncredited)

Directed by
Joseph Ruben

Writing credits (WGA)
Nancy Price		(novel)
Ronald Bass		(screenplay)

Produced by
Jeffrey Chernov	....	executive producer
C. Tad Devlin	....	associate producer
Leonard Goldberg	....	producer
Michael E. Steele	....	associate producer
Joel Chernoff	....	co-producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
John Lindley		(director of photography) (as John W. Lindley)

Film Editing by
George Bowers

Casting by
Karen Rea

Production Design by
Doug Kraner

Art Direction by
Joseph P. Lucky

Set Decoration by
Lee Poll

Costume Design by
Richard Hornung

Makeup Department
Richard Dean	....	key makeup artist
Herita Jones	....	assistant makeup artist
Kaye Pownall	....	key hair stylist
Jeff Goodwin	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
C. Tad Devlin	....	unit production manager
Jeanne Van Cott	....	executive production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stephanie Fowler Adams	....	second second assistant director
Julie A. Bloom	....	second assistant director
Timothy M. Bourne	....	first assistant director: second unit
Michael E. Steele	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Steve Davis	....	set dresser
Sam Moore	....	property master
Len Morganti	....	storyboard illustrator
James F. Oñate	....	painter
Claude F. Powell	....	construction coordinator
Ron Reedy	....	props
Eric W. Skipper	....	set dresser
Stan Tropp	....	set designer
Michael A. Wells	....	construction gang boss
Robert L. Girard	....	carpenter/stand-by (uncredited)

Sound Department
John Benson	....	supervising sound editor
Ed Callahan	....	sound effects editor
Chris Carpenter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kevin E. Carpenter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Lucy Coldsnow-Smith	....	dialogue editor (as Lucy Coldsnow)
Chris Connelly	....	sound recordist
Linda Corbin	....	foley mixer
Victor DiMattia	....	looping
Susan Dudeck	....	supervising adr editor
Arnold Finkelstein	....	sound effects recordist
Carl Fischer	....	boom operator
Robin Harlan	....	foley artist
Rick Hart	....	sound re-recording mixer
Richard King	....	sound effects editor
Michael Magill	....	dialogue editor
Sarah Monat	....	foley artist
John Morris	....	sound effects editor
Josephine Nericcio	....	adr assistant editor
Bob Newlan	....	dialogue editor
Alexandra Root	....	sound apprentice
Carl Rudisill	....	sound
Beth Sterner	....	supervising foley editor
Lionel Strutt	....	adr mixer
Susumu Tokunow	....	sound mixer
Tim Webb	....	sound recordist
Oscar Mitt	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Calvin Joe Acord	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Syd Dutton	....	visual effects
Bill Taylor	....	visual effects
David S. Williams Jr.	....	visual effects

Stunts
Bill Jelliffe	....	stunts
Maria R. Kelly	....	stunts (as Maria Kelly)
Max Kleven	....	water stunt coordinator
Mike H. McGaughy	....	stunts (as Mike McGaughy)
Walter Scott	....	stunt coordinator
Russell Solberg	....	stunts
Dana Swain	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Myles Aronowitz	....	still photographer
James R. Belletier	....	second assistant camera
Richard L. Carden	....	dolly grip
Thomas Ford	....	best boy (as Tom Ford)
Douglas C. Hart	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Herb Harton	....	camera loader (as F. Herb Harton)
Fred Johanns	....	rigging gaffer
Jeffrey L. Loy	....	lighting technician
Michael A. McFadden	....	best boy
Harrison Palmer	....	grip
Douglas Pellegrino	....	first assistant camera
John Perkinson	....	underwater assistant camera
Tim Pershing	....	key grip
Tom Priestley Jr.	....	camera operator
Pete Romano	....	underwater camera operator
Jon R. Tower	....	gaffer
Robert Ulland	....	Steadicam operator
Michael Criscuolo	....	specialty electrician (uncredited)
Alan Pickelsimer	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Craig Fincannon	....	casting: Wilmington
Mark Fincannon	....	casting: Wilmington
Barbara Harris	....	adr voice casting
Doreen Lane	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kimberly Adams-Galligan	....	assistant costume designer
Jan Finnell	....	costume assistant
Robert Q. Mathews	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Al Hansen	....	lab post-production coordinator
Phil Hetos	....	color timer

Music Department
Brooks Arthur	....	music producer
Tom Boyd	....	musician: oboe soloist
Alexander Courage	....	orchestrator
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor
Jerry Goldsmith	....	conductor
Kenneth Hall	....	music editor (as Ken Hall)
G. Marq Roswell	....	music supervisor
Steven L. Smith	....	music preparation

Transportation Department
Tom Briggs	....	transportation captain
Tom F. Thomas	....	transportation coordinator (as Tom Thomas)

Other crew
De Best	....	stand-in: Mr. Bergin
Patricia Birch	....	choreographer
Christie Chaplin	....	production assistant
Deborah A. Cornett	....	first assistant accountant
Christopher Draper	....	consultant: sailing
Lori Freshwater	....	stand-in: Ms. Roberts
Jeff Johnson	....	marine coordinator (as Captain Jeff Johnson)
Deena Kilmon	....	hands double
Ken Lavet	....	location manager
Carole J. Sanders	....	production secretary
Dana Lynne Taylor	....	production coordinator
Neal Thompson	....	title designer
Susan Trembly	....	unit publicist
Kaitlyn Walker	....	adr artist
Gary Weddington	....	production accountant
Suzanne Wilson-Fellows	....	production associate
Corey B. Yugler	....	script supervisor
Adam Berman	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Chris Nubel	....	set crew (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (as Twentieth Century Fox) (presents)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1991) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Netherlands (1991) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (1991) (France) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox de Argentina (1991) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Japan (2002) (Japan) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2001) (UK) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1993) (USA) (TV)
• Fox Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Gativideo (199?) (Argentina) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Illusion Arts

Other Companies

• Cine Photo Tech  Arriflex cameras and production equipment supplied by (as Cine Photo Tech Inc.)
• Columbia Records  soundtrack
• DeLuxe Laboratories  color timing
• Inter Video  computer and video playback
• Kona Cutting  negative cutting
• Mayflower Recording  adr recording
• North Carolina Film Office  filmed in
• Pacific Title  titles
• The Design Group  title design

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for wife abuse terror and a sex scene

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Brazil:14 | Spain:13 | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | UK:15 (DVD rating) (uncut) (2001) | UK:18 (video rating) (uncut) (1992) | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Norway:15 | Peru:18 | Singapore:M18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (original rating) (cut) | USA:R | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia)

Filming Locations:

Abbeville, South Carolina, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

It was Patrick Bergin's idea to use Berlioz, one of his favorite pieces of music, as Martin Burney's song of choice.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Martin has Symphony Fantastique playing in Laura's home at the end, it inexplicably vanishes when Ben arrives.

Quotes:

Laura:[on phone, with gun aimed at Martin] Come quickly. I've just killed an intruder.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Suddenly Susan: Sleeping with the Enemy (#3.4)" (1998)

Soundtrack:

CIRCLE OF ONE

Haunting, chilling tale of affluent spousal abuse

I found this movie, if not terribly believable, very moving and emotional when I saw it some years back. Julia Roberts brings a real vulnerability to all her roles, and is perfect here as the affluent but both mentally and physically abused wife.

The sad tale revolves around an apparently perfect upper middle class couple who share a beach home...the beautiful young Laura (who has every material comfort) and her obsessive and abusive husband, Martin. Laura lives in terror of her abuser, finally seizing a chance to escape by faking her own death and and fleeing to another town, where she assumes an entirely new identity. Meanwhile, Martin becomes ballistic when he discovers that his wife is not really dead and goes after her...

I admit it, the plot is pretty far fetched, a lot of holes in the story, some events depicted not very believable. Leave your logic behind. Still, I was able to overlook all this and focus my attention on Laura's plight, hoping she could evade (or eliminate) this intellectual brute, and build a new life for herself with a new love.

The portrayal of Laura's terror is vivid as she tries to appease her obsessive husband, who becomes violent if she fails to keep the pantry shelf items in perfect alignment. The most chilling scene of all is the rape, with its accompaniment of Martin's favorite classical music, a piece which thereafter haunts his young wife. No sympathy here for the husband, whose unfolding actions simply go from unspeakable to unthinkable.

Not a particularly believable plot but engrossing, nevertheless, and a pair of vividly drawn characters who elicit strong emotions. However, the best part of this movie is definitely its message. Contrary to the typical image, spousal abuse is no respecter of social class. It would have been much more difficult for me before this film than it is now to picture an affluent, educated, sophisticated abuser.