Death Becomes Her (1992)

When a woman learns of an immortality treatment, she sees it as a way to outdo her long-time rival.

Director:

Robert Zemeckis

Writers:

Martin Donovan, David Koepp

Stars:

Meryl Streep, Bruce Willis, Goldie Hawn

Won 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 16 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Meryl Streep	...	Madeline Ashton
Bruce Willis	...	Ernest Menville
Goldie Hawn	...	Helen Sharp
Isabella Rossellini	...	Lisle Von Rhuman
Ian Ogilvy	...	Chagall
Adam Storke	...	Dakota
Nancy Fish	...	Rose
Alaina Reed-Hall	...	Psychologist (as Alaina Reed Hall)
Michelle Johnson	...	Anna
Mary Ellen Trainor	...	Vivian Adams
William Frankfather	...	Mr. Franklin
John Ingle	...	Eulogist
Clement von Franckenstein	...	Opening Man
Petrea Burchard	...	Opening Woman
Jim Jansen	...	Second Man

Storyline

In 1978, in Broadway, the decadent and narcissist actress Madeline Ashton is performing Songbird, based on Tennessee Williams' Sweet Bird of Youth. Then she receives her rival Helen Sharp, who is an aspiring writer, and her fiancé Ernest Menville, who is a plastic surgeon, in her dressing-room. Soon Menville calls off his commitment with Helen and marries Madeline. Seven years later, Helen is obese in a psychiatric hospital and obsessed in seeking revenge on Madeline. In 1992, the marriage of Madeline and Menville is finished and he is no longer a surgeon but an alcoholic caretaker. Out of the blue, they are invited to a party where Helen will release her novel Forever Young and Madeline goes to a beauty shop. The owner gives a business card of the specialist in rejuvenation Lisle Von Rhuman to her. When the envious Madeline sees Helen thin in a perfect shape, she decides to seek out Lisle and buys a potion to become young again. Further, she advises that Madeline must take care of ...

---

Plot Keywords:

egocentric woman | frenemy | betrayal | eternal life | rejuvenation | 

---

Taglines:

In one small bottle... The fountain of youth. The secret of eternal life. The power of an ancient potion. Sometimes it works... sometimes it doesn't.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy | Horror

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some nudity and off-color humor

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 July 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

La muerte le sienta bien

Filming Locations:

The Ebell of Los Angeles - 743 South Lucerne Bouelvard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$55,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$58,422,650

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$149,000,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the original script, Madeline Ashton and Helen Sharp were originally old college friends, instead of childhood friends, who met at Radcliffe College.

---

Goofs

When Ernest falls from the Castle, he hits the glass face-down, but when he is shown from below, his back strikes the glass. (Due to a scene in which he sinks to the bottom of the pool, retrieves the unharmed bottle of potion, and then swims up which was cut due to the change in the ending, ending the involvement of the potion in the story.)

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Opening Man: [leaving the theatre in the rain] Can you believe that? A musical version of "Sweet Bird of Youth."Who are they kidding?
Opening Woman: Thank God you wanted to leave...
Second Woman: Can you believe Madeline Ashton? Talk about waking the dead.
Second Man: I gotta get a drink...
[zoom in on discarded playbill featuring Madeline Ashton]

---

Connections

Referenced in Scream Queens: Ghost Stories (2015)

---

Soundtracks

Rosen aus dem Süden
(uncredited)
Written by Johann Strauss (as Johann Strauss II)

User Reviews

Enjoy Goldie, Meryl and Bruce in this spectacular piece of art!

Death becomes her has a really good idea: what would it be like to live forever, stay young and beautiful? I don´t consider this movie gives an answer to that, but it represents one over-exaggerated view - a particularly well-carried out view. Goldie Hawn and Meryl Streep make an unique performance and fit perfectly to their roles. Interesting was also to see Bruce Willis in so different kind of movie I have used to see him. The plot was a little bit too easy to guess beforehand, but I didn´t mind. Just great!