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 ...

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Plot Keywords:

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

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Taglines:

Some people will go to any lengths to stay young forever. But Madeline Ashton and her old friend Helen Sharp are about to go TOO far.

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Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy | Horror

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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:

Death Becomes Her

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$55,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,110,355, 2 August 1992

Gross USA:

$58,422,650

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$149,022,650

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 opening scene, Meryl Streep's character is starring in a musical version of Sweet Bird of Youth (1962), a play by Tennessee Williams about an aging actress who pines for her lost youth.

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Goofs

When Lisle shows the potion to Ernest, she puts it on a small table. In one of the next shots, the position of the potion is different although she has not moved it since.

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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]

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Connections

References Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

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Soundtracks

Me
Written by Geoff Aymar
Lyrics by Martin Donovan & David Koepp
Arranged by William Ross
Performed by Meryl Streep (uncredited)

User Reviews

The Living Dead in Beverly Hills

In 1978, in Broadway, the decadent and narcissist actress Madeline Ashton (Meryl Streep) is performing Songbird, based on Tennessee Williams' Sweet Bird of Youth. Then she receives her rival Helen Sharp (Goldie Hawn), who is an aspiring writer, and her fiancé Ernest Menville (Bruce Willis), 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 (Isabella Rossellini) 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 her body. Meanwhile Helen seduces Menville and they plot a scheme to kill Madeline. When Madeline comes home, she has an argument Menville and he pushes her from the staircase. She breaks her neck but becomes a living dead. When Helen arrives at Menville's house expecting that Madeline is dead, she is murdered by Madeline. But she also becomes a living dead and they conclude they need Menville to help them to maintain their bodies. But Menville wants to leave them.

"Death Becomes Her" is an American black comedy with excellent special effects even after twenty-three years after the release and great cast. The trash storyline is strange and original and the black humor may not be pleasant for everyone. But there are funny and witty quotes and situations and this film has not aged. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Morte Lhe Cai Bem" ("Death Fits Well to Her")