Malice (1993)

Director:

Harold Becker

Writers (WGA):

Aaron Sorkin (story) and
Jonas McCord (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

1 October 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Her doctor wasn't playing God. He thought he was God.

Plot:

A tale about a happily married couple who would like to have children. Tracy teaches infants, Andy's a college professor. Things are never the same after she is taken to hospital and operated upon by Jed, a "know all" doctor.

Plot Keywords:

Doctor | College | Hospital | Feeding Someone | Medical Advice

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Alec Baldwin	...	Dr. Jed Hill
Nicole Kidman	...	Tracy Kennsinger
Bill Pullman	...	Andy Safian
Bebe Neuwirth	...	Det. Dana Harris
George C. Scott	...	Dr. Martin Kessler
Anne Bancroft	...	Mrs. Kennsinger
Peter Gallagher	...	Atty. Dennis Riley
Josef Sommer	...	Atty. Lester Adams
Tobin Bell	...	Earl Leemus
William Duff-Griffin	...	Dr. George Sullivan
Debrah Farentino	...	Nurse Tanya
Gwyneth Paltrow	...	Paula Bell
David Bowe	...	Dr. Matthew Robertson
Diana Bellamy	...	Ms. Worthington
Michael Hatt	...	Neighbor Boy
Paula Plum	...	Neighbor Boy's Mother
Sara Melson	...	Girl on Bike
Ken Cheeseman	...	Code Blue Operator
Richard Rho	...	Anesthesiologist
Joshua Malina	...	Resident
Christine Wheeler	...	Scrub Nurse
Sharon Albright	...	Circulating Nurse
Tom Kemp	...	Stanley the Bartender
Robin Joss	...	Dart Player
Patricia Dunnock	...	Dart Player
Brenda Strong	...	Claudia, Riley's Secretary
Michael Bofshever	...	Desk Sergeant
Laura Langdon	...	Desk Clerk
David Candreva	...	Cab Driver
Ann Cusack	...	Waitress
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eric Bruno Borgman	...	Businessman (uncredited)
Jeffrey Corazzini	...	Businessman (uncredited)
Rana Morrison	...	Waitress (uncredited)

Directed by
Harold Becker

Writing credits (WGA)
Aaron Sorkin		(story) and
Jonas McCord		(story)
Aaron Sorkin		(screenplay) and
Scott Frank		(screenplay)

Produced by
Harold Becker	....	producer
Peter Brown	....	co-executive producer
Michael Hirsh	....	executive producer
Patrick Loubert	....	executive producer
Thomas J. Mack	....	associate producer (as Thomas Mack)
Charles Mulvehill	....	producer
Rachel Pfeffer	....	producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Gordon Willis

Film Editing by
David Bretherton

Casting by
Nancy Klopper

Production Design by
Philip Harrison

Art Direction by
Dianne Wager

Set Decoration by
Tracey A. Doyle		(as Tracey Doyle)
Garrett Lewis

Costume Design by
Michael Kaplan

Makeup Department
Roland Blancaflor	....	makeup effects crew: Cannom Creations
Judith A. Cory	....	hair stylist (as Judy Cory)
David Forrest	....	makeup artist
Barbara Lorenz	....	hair stylist
Bob Mills	....	makeup artist
Anthony Veader	....	key hairstylist: Boston

Production Management
Stephen Lim	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
C.C. Barnes	....	second second assistant director
David Kelley	....	second assistant director
Thomas J. Mack	....	first assistant director (as Thomas Mack)

Art Department
Laurie Arnow-Epstein	....	set estimator
Tony Belmonte	....	drapery foreman
Donald E. Chafey Jr.	....	set dresser
William D. Derham	....	set dresser
Dennis DeWaay	....	construction coordinator (as Dennis DeWay)
Michael R. Driscoll	....	set dresser
Robert Fechtman	....	assistant art director
Harold Fuhrman	....	set designer
Scott C. Garrett	....	draper
Scott C. Garrett	....	set dresser
Gary Isbell	....	set dresser
Linda A. King	....	art department coordinator (as Linda King)
Linda A. King	....	model maker (as Linda King)
Sherman Labby	....	illustrator
Sydney Z. Litwack	....	set designer
Alan Manzer	....	set designer
Sam Moore	....	property master
Ron Reedy	....	props
Hugo Santiago	....	set designer
Tom Shaw Jr.	....	assistant property master
John Sweeney	....	assistant propmaster
Tom Warren	....	art department supervisor
Sheri Watson	....	production buyer
Mark Woods	....	lead man

Sound Department
Vanessa Theme Ament	....	foley artist
Vanessa Theme Ament	....	supervising foley editor
George Baetz	....	boom operator
David Behle	....	sound recordist
Ed Callahan	....	sound editor
Robert Eber	....	sound mixer
Julia Evershade	....	sound editor
Christopher Flick	....	foley editor
Hilda Hodges	....	foley artist
Alan Jacques	....	cableperson
David Jobe	....	adr recordist
Tim Song Jones	....	sound transferer
Martin Maryska	....	sound editor
Diane M.G. Moore	....	sound recordist
Greg P. Russell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Roger V. Stevenson	....	second boom operator
David E. Stone	....	supervising sound editor
Elliot Tyson	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
John J. Downey	....	special effects
Eric Roberts	....	special effects
Cliff Wenger	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Craig Barron	....	visual effects supervisor: Matte World
Krystyna Demkowicz	....	executive in charge of production: Matte World
Joel Hladecek	....	motion control camera
Rich McKay	....	camera assistant
Michael Pangrazio	....	matte artist supervisor

Stunts
Chuck Waters	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Lou Barlia	....	camera operator
Bobby Brown	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
David Brown	....	grip
Rick Cardillo	....	electrician
Alan R. Disler	....	first assistant camera
Ernesto Enríquez	....	electrician
Rusty Geller	....	Steadicam operator
Carl R. Gibson Jr.	....	best boy grip
George Holmes	....	gaffer
Kris Holmes	....	rigging gaffer
Trev Holmes	....	best boy electric
Alex Jachno	....	electrician
Mitchell Lookabaugh	....	grip
David L. Merrill	....	dolly grip (as David Merrill)
Randy Nolen	....	Steadicam operator
Eric Roizman	....	camera loader
Tim Ryan	....	key grip
Dennis E. Shelton	....	electrician
Frederick Talmage	....	video operator
Stephen Vaughan	....	still photographer
Carl A. Vidnic	....	lighting technician
Greg Wardell	....	electrician
William M. Weberg	....	grip

Casting Department
Joanna Colbert	....	casting assistant
Jan McGill	....	casting assistant
Raquel Osborne	....	extras casting: Boston
Carolyn Pickman	....	location casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Myron Baker	....	costumer
Adrianna Bernard	....	costumer
Kendall Errair	....	costumer
Mari Grimaud	....	costume supervisor
Darryl Levine	....	costume supervisor
Alfonso Renteria	....	tailor

Editorial Department
Dale E. Grahn	....	color timer
Richard Haines	....	first assistant editor
Dennis Newman	....	second assistant editor
Carroll Timothy O'Meara	....	associate editor

Music Department
Bruce Botnick	....	music mixer
Alexander Courage	....	orchestrator
Jerry Goldsmith	....	conductor
Kenneth Hall	....	music editor
Nick Vidar	....	music programmer

Transportation Department
Bobby Anderson	....	picture car coordinator
Gregory Dultz	....	driver

Other crew
Jeremy Alter	....	production assistant
Dorothy Aufiero	....	production coordinator
Steph Benseman	....	location manager
Susan Biesack	....	assistant to producer
Judy Blinick	....	assistant production accountant
Robin Citrin	....	location manager
Matthew T. Clancy	....	technical advisor (as Dr. Matt Clancy)
David Collins	....	assistant location manager
Melissa K. Cooper	....	production coordinator
Pam Ellington	....	first assistant production accountant
Pablo Ferro	....	title designer
C. Fitz	....	production assistant
Faith Ginsberg	....	assistant to producer
Jennifer Good	....	assistant production coordinator
Alan Jacques	....	projectionist
Robert Lamkin	....	caterer
Gail Martin-Sheridan	....	production accountant
Carla Meyer	....	dialect coach: Ms. Kidman
William Moree	....	location scout
Kim Quam	....	set medic
Liz Radley	....	video and computer supervisor
Errol Reichow	....	assistant location manager
Robert Schick	....	key set production assistant
Dorothy Schlom	....	assistant production accountant
Marshall Schlom	....	script supervisor
Gregg Taylor	....	assistant to director
Eden Ashley Umble	....	unit publicist
Michael Vieira	....	assistant: Alec Baldwin
Rick Whitfield	....	computer graphic artist
Chris Winn	....	craft service
Jeff Winn	....	key craft service
Vanessa Theme Ament	....	adr loop group (uncredited)
Laurie Arnow-Epstein	....	construction accountant (uncredited)
Etienne Martine	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Jesse Merz	....	market researcher (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Castle Rock Entertainment
• Nelvana
• New Line Cinema

Distributors

• Elliniki Kinimatografiki Enosi (ELKE) (1993) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Cipa (France)
• Columbia Pictures
• Home Video Hellas (HVH) (1994) (Greece) (video)
• Les Films Number One
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (Argentina) (VHS)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (Spain)
• Vídeo Arte (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)
• Matte World Digital

Also Known As:

Bodily Harm (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality, language and some violence.

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Australia:PG | Australia:M (TV rating) | Philippines:R-18 (re-rating) | Philippines:X (original rating) | Portugal:M/16 | Canada:14A | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Norway:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Castle Rock Entertainment

Trivia:

Movie was originally intended to be filmed at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, MA. But after reviewing the script treatment, the college president at the time declined (at the last minute), due to the "serial rapist" element. The movie was then quickly moved to Smith College in Northampton, MA. Smith only agreed as long as the college name was changed.

Goofs:

Continuity: The doctor's address on the Rolodex card is 36 Hedges Lane, but the mailbox on the house states 38 Hedges Lane.

Quotes:

Jed: I have an M.D. from Harvard, I am board certified in cardio-thoracic medicine and trauma surgery, I have been awarded citations from seven different medical boards in New England, and I am never, ever sick at sea. So I ask you; when someone goes into that chapel and they fall on their knees and they pray to God that their wife doesn't miscarry or that their daughter doesn't bleed to death or that their mother doesn't suffer acute neural trama from postoperative shock...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "30 Rock: St. Valentine's Day (#3.11)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

SLAVE TO LOVE

Malicious Twists But Sadly Contrived Plot

Becker's 'Malice' is a little bit of a mixed bag. First of all, there are two stories that hardly have anything to do with each other, one being about a serial killer raping and murdering collegegirls and another about a married couple and a doctor. Sorkin is a gifted writer as is evident in his work for TV but somehow the plot of 'Malice' is a bit contrived, messy and the screenplay lacks depth. The story would have been far more effective if the characters were better developed. There are plenty of twists and suspense but the surprise turns are a little out of place and it is hard to understand the motivation behind the characters' actions. For instance, why would Kidman's character allow herself to get so severely ill and risk her own life in the hands of someone else? Yet, 'Malice' is an entertaining thriller. The plot might be confusing at times but the performances are good, the dialogues are solid and it is technically well executed. The soundtrack flows well and some of the visuals are brilliant. Nicole Kidman is wonderful in spite of a poorly written character. Bill Pullman is great as the naive, passive, boring, pushover husband. Alec Baldwin, who plays Andy's counterpart is equally good. The supporting cast includes talented names life Anne Bancroft, Peter Gallagher, Gwyneth Paltrow and Bebe Neuarth but their screen time is limited. Bancroft stands out followed by Neuwarth and Gallagher. Overall, 'Malice' is a good enough fun watch if one is looking for something with a little but of suspense, clever dialogue and good acting but there's not much else to look forward to.