To Die For (1995)

A beautiful but naïve aspiring television personality films a documentary on teenagers with a darker ulterior motive.

Director:

Gus Van Sant

Writers:

Joyce Maynard (book), Buck Henry (screenplay)

Stars:

Nicole Kidman, Matt Dillon, Joaquin Phoenix

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 6 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nicole Kidman	...	Suzanne Stone
Matt Dillon	...	Larry Maretto
Joaquin Phoenix	...	Jimmy Emmett
Casey Affleck	...	Russel Hines
Illeana Douglas	...	Janice Maretto
Alison Folland	...	Lydia Mertz
Dan Hedaya	...	Joe Maretto
Wayne Knight	...	Ed Grant
Kurtwood Smith	...	Earl Stone
Holland Taylor	...	Carol Stone
Susan Traylor	...	Faye Stone
Maria Tucci	...	Angela Maretto
Tim Hopper	...	Mike Warden
Michael Rispoli	...	Ben DeLuca
Buck Henry	...	Mr. H. Finlaysson

Storyline

Suzanne Stone (Kidman) knows exactly what she wants. She wants to be a television newscaster and she is willing to do anything to get what she wants. What she lacks in intelligence, she makes up for in cold determination and diabolical wiles. As she pursues her goal with relentless focus, she is forced to destroy anything and anyone that may stand in her way, regardless of the ultimate cost or means necessary.

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Plot Keywords:

new hampshire | television | coitus | copulation | sex in bed | 

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Taglines:

She'll do anything to get what she wants ...ANYTHING

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexual content, and for language

Details

Country:

USA UK Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 October 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Todo por un sueño

Filming Locations:

King City Secondary School, King City, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$21,284,514

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation,Laura Ziskin Productions,The Rank Organisation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR SDDS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Nicole Kidman's performance in this film went on to serve as inspiration for several other actresses. Reese Witherspoon decided to star in Election (1999) and Charlize Theron choose to do Young Adult (2011) after seeing Kidman's turn as Suzanne Stone. Rosamund Pike also said she used Kidman's performance as inspiration for her performance in Gone Girl (2014).

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Goofs

On the night that Larry is murdered, Suzanne, her parents and Larry's parents are all shown sitting inside the apartment where he was shot. As a murder scene, it would have been taped off for forensic examination. There is no way it would have been contaminated on that level. It would have been at least a week before anyone outside of the CSI team were allowed in.

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Quotes

Suzanne Stone Maretto: You're not anybody in America unless you're on TV. On TV is where we learn about who we really are. Because what's the point of doing anything worthwhile if nobody's watching? And if people are watching, it makes you a better person.

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Crazy Credits

A scene plays out over the end credits where Janice skates over the ice rink where Suzanne has been buried.

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Connections

Referenced in Dinner for Five: Episode #2.6 (2003)

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Soundtracks

SEASON OF THE WITCH
Written by Donovan (as Donovan Leitch)
Performed by Donovan
Courtesy of Epic Records and EMI Records Ltd.
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing and EMI Special Markets UK

User Reviews

Ambition and Manipulation

In Little Hope, New Hampshire, the beautiful and hot Suzanne Stone (Nicole Kidman) wants to be famous and is an aspiring TV personality. She marries Larry Maretto (Matt Dillon), whose father owns a restaurant, and convinces him to use this savings for the university buying a Mustang for her and a condo. Then she accepts to work for the local station receiving minimum wage to develop her own projects, including one with youths in a public school. She meets the punks Jimmy Emmett (Joaquin Phoenix), Russel Hines (Casey Affleck) and Lydia Mertz (Alison Folland) and records hours of tapes interviewing them. When Larry invites her to work at the restaurant in a talent show that he wants to implement, Suzanne sees a threat to her planned career and decides to get rid of her husband. She seduces Jimmy and convinces him that she is in love with him. Then she tells that Larry is a brutal man and Jummy decides to kill him. What will happen to Larry?

"To Die For" is a great tale of ambition and manipulation. Gus Van Sant uses the documentary style to show a beautiful and sexy woman that uses her limited intelligence and her body to reach what she has planned for her career. The cast has great performance and Nicole Kidman is perfect in the role of Suzanne Stone. The screenplay has a sort of black humor and the conclusion is ironical. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Um Sonho Sem Limites" ("A Dream Without Limits")