The War of the Roses (1989)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Danny DeVito

Writers (WGA):

Warren Adler (novel)
Michael Leeson (screenplay)

Release Date:

8 December 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Thriller

Tagline:

Once in a lifetime comes a motion picture that makes you feel like falling in love all over again. This is not that movie.

Plot:

A married couple try everything to get each other to leave the house in a vicious divorce battle.

Plot Keywords:

Divorce | Lawyer | Female Stockinged Foot | Cat Killed | Acrobat

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Michael Douglas	...	Oliver Rose
Kathleen Turner	...	Barbara Rose
Danny DeVito	...	Gavin D'Amato
Marianne Sägebrecht	...	Susan
Sean Astin	...	Josh at 17
Heather Fairfield	...	Carolyn at 17
G.D. Spradlin	...	Harry Thurmont
Peter Donat	...	Jason Larrabee
Dan Castellaneta	...	Man in Chair
Gloria Cromwell	...	Mrs. Marshall
Harlan Arnold	...	Mr. Dell
Mary Fogarty	...	Mrs. Dell
Rika Hofmann	...	Elke
Patricia Allison	...	Maureen
Peter Brocco	...	Elderly Mourner

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:12 | USA:R (certificate #30033) | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

119 Fremont Place, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Gracie Films

Trivia:

While shooting the scene where Michael Douglas (Oliver Rose) and Kathleen Turner (Barbara Rose) are sitting in the chandelier, director Danny DeVito pretended to break for lunch while the two actors were 30 feet above ground.

Goofs:

Continuity: Before Oliver flips over the dining room table after eating the pate, the candles are clearly lit. When he flips the table, the candles are not lit.

Quotes:

Barbara Rose: Get out of the car, honey!
Oliver Rose: You're gonna have to kill me.
Barbara Rose: I mean it, Oliver.
Oliver Rose: You don't have *guts*! C'mon!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Twice in a Lifetime: War of the Poseys (#2.6)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

Only You (And You Alone)

not your typical Hollywood yukfest

Director Danny Devito and the writers are to be credited for following this story's dark premise straight to its grim conclusion, and not opting for a cop-out 'happy ending'. Maybe that accounts for the movie's relatively low user rating. Whatever. Turner and Douglas are superb here. I saw Douglas on the Carson show after the movie came out, relating how, after a day's shoot, he and Turner would get together to remind each other that they were still friends. Seeing the movie shows why they had to do this. Note how the movie begins in the openness and light of Nantucket in summer and gets progressively darker, ending in the claustrophobic closeness of the nailed-up house. A classic black comedy for grownups. Don't watch this one with your spouse unless you are on really good terms.