Serial Mom (1994)

Director:

John Waters

Writer (WGA):

John Waters (written by)

Release Date:

13 April 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

She's a fabulous, loving, caring mother, who er... ...happens to be a serial killer!

Plot:

A sweet mother takes a little too much at heart for the defence of her family.

Plot Keywords:

Baltimore Maryland | Caught Masturbating | Satirical | Cynical | Courage

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Kathleen Turner	...	Beverly R. Sutphin
Sam Waterston	...	Eugene Sutphin, D.D.S.
Ricki Lake	...	Misty Sutphin
Matthew Lillard	...	Chip Sutphin
Scott Morgan	...	Detective Pike (as Scott Wesley Morgan)
Walt MacPherson	...	Detective Gracey
Justin Whalin	...	Scotty Barnhill
Patricia Dunnock	...	Birdie
Lonnie Horsey	...	Carl Pageant
Mink Stole	...	Dottie Hinkle
Mary Jo Catlett	...	Rosemary Ackerman
John Badila	...	Paul Stubbins
Kathy Fannon	...	Betty Sterner
Doug Roberts	...	Ralph Sterner
Traci Lords	...	Carl's Date

MPAA:

Rated R for satirical presentation of strong violence, vulgar language, and sexual episodes.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

France:-12 | Portugal:M/16 | Iceland:16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Israel:18 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company:

Polar Entertainment Corporation

Trivia:

Columbia Pictures was originally going to make the film before it ended up at Savoy Pictures.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Carl is killed in the bathroom his "liver" is lying next to him. When he is discovered, it is gone.

Quotes:

Detective Gracey: I should warn you. This note contains, uh, language.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in This Filthy World (2006)

Soundtrack:

TOMORROW

Sick, twisted, bizarre, depraved...and a damn good time!

I saw Serial Mom for the first time as a fairly young kid, and thought it was pretty good. I've just seen it for the first time as an adult, and it turns out that I'd forgotten just how good this film really is! It's certainly not to everyone's taste, and if you can't handle high camp, you definitely don't want to see this; but if you like your films wild and wicked, Serial Mom is a treat indeed! The film follows a slasher plot line, but it's clear that director John Waters didn't want to merely make a slash flick. The film is a parody of life as a housewife, the media and modern society in general; with a heavy dosage of sick humour and a very unique mean streak running throughout. Serial Mom is the sort of film that puts a smile on your face, and it follows the story of a not quite so normal American mother. While her fellow housewives are cooking dinner and cleaning the house, Beverly R. Sutphin is out dispatching people that have got on hers and her family's nerves in a variety of nasty, yet hilarious, ways. Her kids think it's cool, and her husband is duly worried...

Kathleen Turner takes the lead role, and does an excellent job of performing in a serious, yet jokey way; which does the film no end of favours on the parody front. She looks the part, acts the part...and really, I cant think of a better middle-aged actress to take the lead in this film. The support cast, which includes Matthew Lillard and Ricki Lake, is good; but it's the director that's the real star of the show. John Waters has made a name for himself by creating odd and twisted films, and although I haven't seen a great deal of them; Serial Mom is his best as far as I'm concerned. It's one of those films that constantly make you laugh (providing you've got a sick sense of humour), while poking fun at society and offending all the right people all at once! I love originality in movies, and this really is one unique film. The nineties saw the release of lots of obscure social commentaries that were lost under films like Schindler's List and Fight Club, and Serial Mom, along with Francois Ozon's 'Sitcom', is one of the best 'under the radar' films of the decade. It's not a film that everyone will like, but everyone should see it just in case!