A Kiss Before Dying (1991)

A determined student murders his pregnant secret girlfriend and moves onto her twin sister who gradually becomes suspicious of her new lover.

Director:

James Dearden

Writers:

Ira Levin (novel), James Dearden (screenplay)

Stars:

Matt Dillon, Sean Young, James Bonfanti

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Bonfanti	...	Young Jonathan
Sarah Keller	...	Lecturer
Sean Young	...	Ellen / Dorothy Carlsson
Martha Gehman	...	Patricia Farren
Lia Chang	...	Shoe Saleslady
Matt Dillon	...	Jonathan Corliss
Yvette Edelhart	...	Screaming Lady
Max von Sydow	...	Thor Carlsson
Jim Fyfe	...	Terry Dieter
Lachele Carl	...	Reporter
Briony Glassco	...	Waitress
Shane Rimmer	...	Commissioner Malley
James Russo	...	Dan Corelli
Diane Ladd	...	Mrs. Corliss
Adam Horovitz	...	Jay Faraday

Storyline

Realising his secret girlfriend Dorothy's pregnancy will sour her relations with her ultra-rich father, career-minded Philadelphia student Jonathan Corliss coolly murders her, making it look like suicide. He then moves to New York to woo her twin sister Ellen. All seems to go well for him, although Ellen's continued investigations into what she is convinced was not a suicide forces him to kill again.

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Plot Keywords:

neo noir | twin | industrialist | vertigo shot | female nudity | 

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Taglines:

Loving him was easy. Trusting him was deadly.

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Genres:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for areas of strong violence, graphic sensuality, and some language

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 April 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Un beso antes de morir

Filming Locations:

Brocket Hall, Lemsford, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,348,165, 28 April 1991, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$15,429,177

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Initial Pictures, Kellgate Limited

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of a cycle of thrillers made during the early 1990s which were set around husband and wife characters. The films include Malice (1993), Deceived (1991), Shattered (1991), Mortal Thoughts (1991), Consenting Adults (1992), Unlawful Entry (1992), Presumed Innocent (1990), Guilty as Sin (1993), Sleeping with the Enemy (1991) and A Kiss Before Dying (1991).

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Goofs

When Ellen and Jonathan take the injured homeless woman to the hospital, Ellen talks to a nurse and offers to pay the bill. First, the nurse is wearing a stiff white cap and uniform. Most nurses, especially in the ER, had stopped wearing this type of uniform by the time the film was set. Also, she gives the nurse the money for the bill. Nurses do not handle billing and collection in hospitals. Plus, she didn't seem to know how much the bill was. And no receipt?

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Quotes

Nurse: She's got two broken ribs, a broken jaw, and a bad concussion. We're going to keep her overnight for observation.

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Connections

Version of A Kiss Before Dying (1956)

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Soundtracks

Transfusion
Written by Justin Langlands & David Henley
Performed by Blood Brothers
Courtesy of Big World Records

User Reviews

Hitchcock tribute

The large part of the fun of watching A Kiss Before Dying is looking out for the number of Hitchcock movie moments the film is paying tribute to: from Psycho's shower shots and the lonesome mother's house our Norman Bates has escaped from, to the bleaching of the heroine and taking the Kim Novak role a la Vertigo with possibly lethal consequences. I was hugely amused and never mind the creaking plot. On a technical level, I loved the Technicolor hue of the film, very Hitchcock period too. I'm not sure why the lead actress, Sean Young, got a double Razzie award for her dual role. It seems undeserved. I'm sure there must have been far worse performances in 1991 to choose from.