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Death Becomes Her (1992)

6.8 | Jul 30, 1992 (US) | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror | 01:44
Budget: 55 000 000 | Revenue: 149 000 000

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.

Madeline is married to Ernest, who was once arch-rival Helen's fiance. After recovering from a mental breakdown, Helen vows to kill Madeline and steal back Ernest. Unfortunately for everyone, the introduction of a magic potion causes things to be a great deal more complicated than a mere murder plot.

Featured Crew

Director, Producer
Writer
Stunt Double
Assistant Property Master
Original Music Composer
Director of Photography
Stunt Double
Makeup Designer

Cast

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Goldie Hawn
Helen Sharp
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Bruce Willis
Dr. Ernest Menville
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Meryl Streep
Madeline Ashton Menville
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Isabella Rossellini
Lisle von Rhuman
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Ian Ogilvy
Chagall
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Adam Storke
Dakota
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Alaina Reed Hall
Psychologist
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Mary Ellen Trainor
Vivian Adams

Reviews

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CinemaSerf
7 | Jun 29, 2022
"Helen" (Goldie Hawn) has always lived in the shadow of her friend, the successful actress "Madeline" (Meryl Streep), but when she loses her fiancée - renowned, if rather dowdy, plastic surgeon "Dr. Menville" (Bruce Willis) to her, she loses the plot. Eventually twice the size and evicted from her apartment with her hands still glued to the ice cream pot, she is sent to a mental institution were she finally concocts a plan for revenge. Meantime, the marriage has rather gone to seed. "Madeline" seeks comfort in the arms of younger men, but when her latest beau rejects her, she finds herself - via the kindly intervention of an almost unrecognisable Ian Ogilvy ("Chagall") - in the lair of the seductive "Lisle von Rhuman" (Isabella Rossellini) who offers her eternal youth. Of course there is a price - but will she pay it? What ensues for the last forty five minutes is really quite entertaining. Streep and Hawn look like they are enjoying themselves as their antics become comically macabre. Willis, the now bottle-hitting doctor - who has been largely reduced to manicuring corpses - is also clearly having some fun and Rossellini hams up wonderfully. The ending isn't my favourite, but I suppose it was "fair" and desserts were just. This is an amiable, feel-good, comedy with everyone on good form, some lovely snide dialogue and I liked it.