Poison Ivy (1992)

A seductive teen befriends an introverted high school student and schemes her way into the lives of her wealthy family.

Director:

Katt Shea

Writers:

Melissa Goddard (story), Andy Ruben (screenplay),

Stars:

Sara Gilbert, Drew Barrymore, Tom Skerritt

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sara Gilbert	...	Sylvie Cooper
Drew Barrymore	...	Ivy
Tom Skerritt	...	Darryl Cooper
Cheryl Ladd	...	Georgie Cooper
Alan Stock	...	Bob
Jeanne Sakata	...	Isabelle
E.J. Moore	...	Kid
J.B. Quon	...	Another Kid
Leonardo DiCaprio	...	Guy (as Leonardo Di Caprio)
Michael Goldner	...	Man in Car
Charley Hayward	...	Tiny
Time Winters	...	Old Man
Billy Kane	...	James
Tony Ervolina	...	Man on Screen
Mary Gordon Murray	...	M.D.

Storyline

Ivy ('Drew Barrymore' ), a sexy teen who lives with her aunt, moves in with a reclusive teen (Gilbert) and slowly works her way into the lives of her adopted family. The mother (Ladd) is sickly and can't sexually satisfy her husband (Skerritt) any more, and to the daughter's horror, Ivy begins seducing her father.

---

Plot Keywords:

high school | maid | wine | lesbian kiss | unfaithful husband | 

---

Taglines:

What Ivy wants, Ivy gets.

---

Genres:

Drama | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sensuality and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 May 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

La venenosa

Filming Locations:

2208 West Live Oak Drive, Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$1,829,804 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Line Cinema, MG Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 88 min (R-rated) 93 min (unrated)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Loosely based on a true story.

---

Goofs

(at around 1 min) During the party, Ivy has served Darryl Cooper a glass of champagne. He raises it to his mouth with his left hand to take a sip. The camera then changes to his point of view. Having taken the sip he gestures to Ivy with the champagne glass in his right hand.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
[on Ivy]
Sylvie Cooper: She's definitely a turnoff - too overt. I mean, most girls don't fly through the air with their skirt around their waist.

---

Connections

Followed by Poison Ivy: The New Seduction (1997)

---

Soundtracks

"TOO BAD"
Written by Wener Crane (as W. Crane) and Eric Phillips (as E. Phillips)
Performed by Ugly Kid Joe
Courtesy of Stardog/Mercury Records

User Reviews

"Lolita" in the '90s

Nabokov's Lolita used the affections of a fawning, elderly man (her stepfather) for her own purposes--which never amounted to much more than sex and cash. It only figures that today's Lolita would be dressed to kill, literally. As Drew Barrymore plays her here, she's a sexy homicidal figure with maternal delusions. "Poison Ivy" begins rather endearingly, with high school outcast Sara Gilbert (looking like the modern equivalent of a teen beatnik) befriended by a striking blonde student with lots o' leg and a fake tattoo. This wanton woman-child has no name; Gilbert calls her "Ivy" and Barrymore likes that ("It gives me the opportunity to start over," she says). The tone of the picture shifts however before the midway point, with Ivy infiltrating Gilbert's dysfunctional household and seducing dad Tom Skerritt (doing terrific work). Gilbert's narration--and the surreal jumble which becomes the hectic climax--is rather off-putting, but there's a great deal of worth in Barrymore's solid performance. The film is stylish on a low-budget and is actually steamier than "Nine 1/2 Weeks". Yet, it's really two different pictures struggling within the context of one. A stronger screenplay might've brought the two halves together, although, as the director, Katt Shea Ruben manages to come up with a commendable amount of incidents both amusing and titillating. ** from ****