Serial Mom

Last updated

Serial Mom
Serial mom.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by John Waters
Written byJohn Waters
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Robert M. Stevens
Edited by
  • Janice Hampton
  • Erica Huggins
Music by Basil Poledouris
Production
company
Polar Entertainment Corporation
Distributed by Savoy Pictures
Release date
  • April 13, 1994 (1994-04-13)
Running time
93 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$13 million [2]
Box office$7.8 million [2]

Serial Mom is a 1994 American satirical black comedy crime slasher film directed and written by John Waters [3] [4] and starring Kathleen Turner as the title character along with Sam Waterston as her husband, and Ricki Lake and Matthew Lillard as her children. Patty Hearst, Suzanne Somers, Joan Rivers, Traci Lords, and Brigid Berlin make cameo appearances in the film.

Contents

Serial Mom was released theatrically in the United States on April 13, 1994, to mixed reviews from critics and grossed nearly $8 million. The film is regarded as a cult classic. [5] [6] [7]

Plot

Beverly Sutphin appears to be an unassuming upper-middle-class housewife living with her dentist husband Eugene and their teenage children, Misty and Chip, in Towson, Maryland. She is secretly a serial killer who kills people over trivial slights or offenses.

One morning, detectives Pike and Gracey question the family about the vulgar telephone harassment of their neighbor, Dottie Hinkle. It is later revealed that Beverly is the perpetrator and is doing it because Dottie took a parking space from Beverly. Later that day at a PTA meeting, math teacher Paul Stubbins criticizes Chip's interest in horror films. In revenge, Beverly runs over Stubbins with her car. Later, Misty is upset when Carl Pageant stands her up for a date. Beverly spots Carl with another girl at a swap meet and fatally stabs him with a fire poker.

Eugene discovers Beverly's serial killer memorabilia beneath their mattress, which includes recordings from Ted Bundy in the week of his execution. During dinner that evening, Chip tells the family about his friend Scotty's suspicions about Beverly being the killer. Beverly departs at that point. The family believe Beverly intends to kill Scotty in order to silence him. As such, they speed off to Scotty's house. Beverly, however, intends to kill Ralph and Betty Sterner for calling Eugene to treat the former's toothache on a day Eugene and Beverly planned to spend birdwatching. Beverly is also angry because they were criticizing Eugene's requests for perfect dental health. She stabs Betty with scissors borrowed from Rosemary Ackerman and pushes an air conditioner from their window onto Ralph. The rest of the family and the police arrive at Scotty's house, only to find him masturbating to a porn movie.

Police follow the Sutphins to church on that Sunday as Beverly is named as the prime suspect in the Sterners' murders. The service abruptly ends when everyone flees in panic after Beverly sneezes; in the confusion, Beverly escapes as police attempt to arrest her. She hides at the video store where Chip is employed. Beverly follows Mrs. Jenson home and fatally strikes her with a leg of lamb as she watches Annie (because she refused to rewind the rented videotapes before returning them and insulted Chip when he fined her for it). Scotty witnesses the attack nearby, but Beverly discovers him and gives chase. Beverly immolates Scotty during a rock concert. The Sutphin family arrive as Beverly is arrested.

Beverly's trial becomes a media sensation. Beverly's lawyer claims that she is not guilty by reason of insanity, but is promptly dismissed when Beverly asks to defend herself. Beverly proves to be formidable as she systematically discredits every witness against her by exploiting their own vices or otherwise casting doubt on their testimony. The one witness who actually saw her commit a crime is too high to provide credible testimony. The courtroom is distracted by the arrival of Suzanne Somers, who has been cast as Beverly in a television film.

Beverly is acquitted of all charges. She expresses contempt for one juror for wearing white shoes after Labor Day. Beverly follows her to a payphone alcove and fatally strikes her with the receiver. Somers angers Beverly into an outburst while attempting to pose for a photo op. The juror's body is then discovered, and Beverly gives Somers a knowing look. It is suggested that Beverly is now in prison.

Cast

Production

Actresses considered for the role of Beverly Sutphin before Turner was cast included Meryl Streep, Kathy Bates, Glenn Close, and Julie Andrews. [8] [7]

Films by Waters' creative influences, including Doris Wishman, Otto Preminger, William Castle, and Herschell Gordon Lewis, are seen playing on television sets throughout the film. [9]

The audio for Ted Bundy in one of Beverly's correspondences with the jailed killer is the voice of Waters. [10]

Post-production

The film had a troubled post-production, marked by conflict between Waters and Savoy Pictures. In his 2019 book Mr. Know-It-All, Waters states that studio executives who viewed an early cut objected to its violence and dark comedy. They demanded the film be substantially re-edited and given a different ending, which Waters refused to do. [11] : 73–74  Acrimony between the two sides intensified following a poor test screening, which Waters believed was deliberately held before a conservative audience unlikely to enjoy the film. He contrasted it with a more receptive screening for members of the film industry in Los Angeles. [11] : 73  Turner spoke about the ordeal to gossip columnist Liz Smith, who was a friend. Smith intervened with a column titled "Leave Serial Mom Alone", publicizing the situation, and Savoy eventually relented on its demands. [11] : 75 

Music

The film's score was composed by Basil Poledouris, performed by the Utah Symphony and recorded in Salt Lake City, Utah. [11] : 94  The American rock band L7 appears in the film as the band Camel Lips, and performs the song "Gas Chamber", which was written by L7 with lyrical contributions by Waters. [11] : 72  [12] The film also features the song "Daybreak" by Barry Manilow. [13] [14] [15] To discourage its use in this film, the copyright owners of the song "Tomorrow" from the 1982 film Annie, which is heard during a murder, quoted a high royalty fee of $60,000, but the studio paid the amount. [9]

Release

Serial Mom was screened out of competition as the closing night film at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival. [16]

Home media

Universal Studios and Focus Features released a collector's edition DVD of the film on May 6, 2008, [17] replacing the original HBO Home Video DVD release, which is out of print. The DVD release features an audio commentary with Waters and Turner. The film was released as a Collector's Edition Blu-ray from Shout! Factory on May 9, 2017. [18]

Reception

Box office

The film opened on April 13, 1994, and grossed $2 million in its opening weekend, ranking number 11 at the US box office. By the end of its run, the film had grossed $7.8 million in the United States and Canada. [2] The film has become a cult classic since its release. [19] [6]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 63% of 56 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.8/10.The website's consensus reads: "Kathleen Turner proves an ideal match for John Waters' suburban satire in Serial Mom, even if the somewhat scattershot end results often lack the expected bite." [20] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 64 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [21]

Roger Ebert awarded it two stars out of a possible four. [22] While he found some of Waters' satire effective, he felt that Kathleen Turner's decision to portray her character's mental illness with realism as opposed to a campy fashion, while brave, made the character difficult to laugh at. [22] He wrote, "Watch Serial Mom closely and you'll realize that something is miscalculated at a fundamental level. Turner's character is helpless and unwitting in a way that makes us feel almost sorry for her—and that undermines the humor. She isn't funny crazy, she's sick crazy." [22]

Other critics were more enthusiastic about the film and Turner's performance. Time Out said the film boasts "an uproariously funny, marvellously malicious performance from Turner", [23] and Peter Rainer of the Los Angeles Times called Turner "furiously funny". [24] Rainer described the film as "a jab at the supposed uplift provided by 'wholesome' TV shows and movies. With all the ruckus raised in the media about the harmful effects of on-screen violence and sex, Serial Mom weighs in for the other side: It implies that it's the antiseptic family entertainments that may have done us the real harm. The real nut cases in the movie aren't the hormonally inflamed teen-agers and avenging matriarchs. It's the suburban Baltimore do-gooders, the upright judges and deacons--you know, the pillars of society." [24] Critics also lauded the satirization of America's obsession with true crime and celebrity, such as when Beverly's daughter, Misty, is seen selling T-shirts outside the courthouse where her mother's fate will be decided, and a joke disclaimer at the beginning falsely claiming the film's events are "based on a true story". [25] [24] [10] In 2008, Slant Magazine critic Eric Henderson called Serial Mom "the strongest film of the post-midnight-movie chapter of John Waters's career." [26]

Later reviews suggested that the trial in Serial Mom presaged the media coverage of the 1995 murder trial of O. J. Simpson. [27]

Year-end lists

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicolas Cage</span> American actor (born 1964)

Nicolas Kim Coppola, known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for two BAFTA Awards. Known for his versatility as an actor, his participation in various film genres has gained him a cult following.

<i>Prizzis Honor</i> 1985 film by John Huston

Prizzi's Honor is a 1985 American black comedy crime film directed by John Huston, starring Jack Nicholson and Kathleen Turner as two highly skilled mob assassins who, after falling in love, are hired to kill each other. The screenplay co-written by Richard Condon is based on his 1982 novel of the same name. The film's supporting cast includes Anjelica Huston, Robert Loggia, John Randolph, CCH Pounder, Lawrence Tierney, and William Hickey. Stanley Tucci appears in a minor role in his film debut. It was the last of John Huston's films to be released during his lifetime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathleen Turner</span> American actress (born 1954)

Mary Kathleen Turner is an American actress. Known for her distinctive deep husky voice, she is the recipient of two Golden Globes, as well as nominations for an Academy Award, a Grammy, and two Tony Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marisa Tomei</span> American actress (born 1964)

Marisa Tomei is an American actress. She gained prominence for her comedic performance in My Cousin Vinny (1992), which earned her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She received further nominations in the category for In the Bedroom (2001) and The Wrestler (2008).

<i>Peggy Sue Got Married</i> 1986 film by Francis Ford Coppola

Peggy Sue Got Married is a 1986 American fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola starring Kathleen Turner as a woman on the verge of a divorce, who finds herself transported back to the days of her senior year in high school in 1960. The film was written by husband-and-wife team Jerry Leichtling and Arlene Sarner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ricki Lake</span> American television host and actress

Ricki Pamela Lake is an American television host and actress. She is known for her lead role as Tracy Turnblad in the 1988 film Hairspray, for which she received a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. She is also known for her talk show, Ricki Lake, which was broadcast internationally from September 1993 until May 2004. When the show debuted, Lake was 24 and credited as being the youngest person to host a syndicated talk show at the time. In late 2012, Lake began hosting a second syndicated talk show, The Ricki Lake Show. The series was canceled in 2013 after a single season, but Lake won her first Daytime Emmy Award for the project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Faris</span> American actress and podcaster (born 1976)

Anna Kay Faris is an American actress. Known for playing comedic roles, she rose to prominence with the lead part of Cindy Campbell in the Scary Movie film series (2000–2006). Her film credits include The Hot Chick (2002), Lost in Translation (2003), Brokeback Mountain (2005), Just Friends (2005), My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006), Smiley Face (2007), The House Bunny (2008), What's Your Number? (2011), The Dictator (2012), and Overboard (2018).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathleen Robertson</span> Canadian actress (born 1973)

Kathleen Robertson is a Canadian actress. She has starred in a number of films, and from 2011 to 2012 played the role of Kitty O'Neill in the Starz political drama series Boss. From 2014 to 2016, Robertson starred as homicide detective Hildy Mulligan in the TNT series Murder in the First. She also played Tina Edison in the Canadian sitcom Maniac Mansion (1990–1993) and Clare Arnold in the Fox teen drama series Beverly Hills, 90210 (1994–1997). In 2019, she played a main character in the series Northern Rescue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Waters</span> American filmmaker, actor, comedian, writer, and artist (born 1946)

John Samuel Waters Jr. is an American filmmaker, writer, actor, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films, including Multiple Maniacs (1970), Pink Flamingos (1972) and Female Trouble (1974). Waters wrote and directed the comedy film Hairspray (1988), which was later adapted into a hit Broadway musical and a 2007 musical film. Other films he has written and directed include Desperate Living (1977), Polyester (1981), Cry-Baby (1990), Serial Mom (1994), Pecker (1998), and Cecil B. Demented (2000). His films contain elements of post-modern comedy and surrealism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew Lillard</span> American actor (born 1970)

Matthew Lyn Lillard is an American actor. His film work includes Chip Sutphin in Serial Mom (1994), Emmanuel "Cereal Killer" Goldstein in Hackers (1995), Stu Macher in Scream (1996), Stevo in SLC Punk! (1998), Brock Hudson in She's All That (1999), Dennis Rafkin in Thirteen Ghosts (2001), and Jerry Conlaine in Without a Paddle (2004). He is best known for his role as Shaggy Rogers in Scooby-Doo (2002), Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), and in animation, where he has been the voice of Shaggy since Casey Kasem retired from the role in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donna Mills</span> American actress

Donna Mills is an American actress. She began her television career in 1966 with a recurring role on The Secret Storm, and in the same year appeared on Broadway in Woody Allen's comedy Don't Drink the Water. She made her film debut the next year in The Incident. She then starred for three years on the soap opera Love is a Many Splendored Thing (1967–70), before starring as Tobie Williams, the girlfriend of Clint Eastwood's character in the 1971 cult thriller Play Misty for Me. Mills played the female lead in the heist film Murph the Surf (1975), and had starring roles in a number of made-for-television movies during the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daybreak (Barry Manilow song)</span> 1977 single by Barry Manilow

"Daybreak" is an uptempo pop song by Barry Manilow. It was composed by Manilow and Adrienne Anderson and first appeared on Manilow's 1976 studio album This One's for You.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sammi Hanratty</span> American actress (born 1995)

Samantha Lynn Hanratty is an American actress. Her first lead was in 2009, portraying Chrissa Maxwell in An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong. In 2011, she played the role Whitney Brown in the film The Greening of Whitney Brown. Hanratty is considered a Celebrity Friend for the Starlight Children's Foundation. Since 2021, she has played teenage Misty Quigley in the Showtime drama series Yellowjackets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mireille Enos</span> American actress

Marie Mireille Enos is an American actress known for the lead role as homicide detective Sarah Linden in the drama series The Killing.

Hammerjacks was a music venue in downtown Baltimore which operated from 1977 to 2006. It was founded by Louis J. Principio III. The club attracted many big-name national acts, but also showcased many rising stars in the music world. The bands ranged from punk, glam, thrash and heavy metal acts most commonly associated with the venue to pop and alternative rock groups. The club was often frequented by hard-core patrons and musicians donning big hair, leather, lace, spandex, and heavy makeup, and was considered a "hard rock shrine." Hammerjacks, however, attracted audiences with other attire as well.

Jessica Rabbit is a fictional character in the novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit? and its film adaptation, Who Framed Roger Rabbit. She is depicted as the human toon wife of Roger Rabbit in various Roger Rabbit media. Jessica is renowned as one of the best-known sex symbols in animation. She is best remembered for the line: "I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way".

<i>Esther Waters</i> (film) 1948 British film by Ian Dalrymple and Peter Proud

Esther Waters is a 1948 British drama film directed by Ian Dalrymple and Peter Proud and starring Kathleen Ryan, Dirk Bogarde, and Cyril Cusack. It is an adaptation of the 1894 novel Esther Waters by George Moore.

Sutphin is a surname almost exclusively found in the United States. It is an Americanized form of the Dutch surname Zutphen or van Zutphen, from the place-name Zutphen, meaning "south fen".

Cyclone Higgins, D.D. is a 1918 silent American comedy-drama film, directed by Christy Cabanne. It stars Francis X. Bushman, Beverly Bayne, and Baby Ivy Ward, and was released on May 13, 1918.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joan Rivers filmography</span>

The filmography of Joan Rivers includes over 25 feature films, numerous television and documentary series, seven filmed comedy specials, game shows, and other media. She began her career as a stand-up comedian, and had a years-long tenure as a host and regular guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson from 1965 to 1986.

References

  1. ↑ "Serial Mom (18)". British Board of Film Classification . May 3, 1994. Archived from the original on July 15, 2023. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 "Serial Mom (1994)". Box Office Mojo . Internet Movie Database. August 4, 1994. Archived from the original on June 6, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
  3. ↑ "A look inside Hollywood and the movies -- Female Trouble : Who Could Possibly Follow Divine?". The Los Angeles Times . September 13, 1992. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2010.
  4. ↑ Katzman, Jason (September 28, 2006). "10 great dark comedies". Today.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2017. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  5. ↑ Coffel, Chris (February 1, 2017). "Zap! Scream Factory to Release 'Serial Mom' on Blu-ray!". Bloody Disgusting . Archived from the original on November 27, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  6. 1 2 "'Serial Mom': John Waters and Kathleen Turner Look Back on Their Comedy Classic". EW.com . May 10, 2017. Archived from the original on November 27, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  7. 1 2 Trunick, Austin (May 8, 2017). "John Waters on his 1994 cult classic "Serial Mom"". undertheradarmag.com. Archived from the original on November 27, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  8. ↑ Jacobs, Matthew (April 28, 2023). "Kathleen Turner Answers Every Question We Have About Serial Mom". Vulture . Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  9. 1 2 Abrams, Simon (May 9, 2017). "Defense for the Damned: John Waters on "Serial Mom" | Interviews". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  10. 1 2 Mirabal, Marisa (April 12, 2019). "Satire In The Suburbs: 25 Years With SERIAL MOM". Birth.Movies.Death. Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Waters, John (2019). Mr. Know-It-All: The Tarnished Wisdom of a Filth Elder. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN   978-0374214968. Archived from the original on July 15, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  12. ↑ Sherman, Dale (2019). John Waters FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Provocateur of Bad Taste. Applause Books. p. 268. ISBN   978-1-4950-7665-7. Archived from the original on July 6, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Stereo Review". Stereo Review . Vol. 59, no. 1. 1994. p. 94. ISSN   0039-1220 . Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  14. ↑ Persall, Steve (April 15, 1994). "'Serial Mom' is a real killer". Tampa Bay Times . St. Petersburg, Florida. p. 6. Archived from the original on July 6, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ Henderson, Eric (May 10, 2017). "Blu-ray Review: John Waters's Serial Mom Joins the Shout! Factory". Slant Magazine . Archived from the original on July 6, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Festival de Cannes: Serial Mom". festival-cannes.com. Archived from the original on October 5, 2012. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
  17. ↑ "Serial Mom: Collector's Edition". DVD Talk. May 21, 2008. Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Serial Mom [Collector's Edition]". Shout! Factory. Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  19. ↑ Frank the Movie Guy. Hidden Gem: Serial Mom. April 23, 2007. Retrieved on June 7, 2007
  20. ↑ "Serial Mom". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved July 22, 2024. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  21. ↑ "Serial Mom". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  22. 1 2 3 Ebert, Roger (April 15, 1994). "Serial Mom". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on September 16, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  23. ↑ "Serial Mom". Time Out. May 3, 2011. Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  24. 1 2 3 Rainer, Peter (April 13, 1994). "Movie Review: 'Serial Mom' Good at Being Naughty : Movies: Director John Waters turns today's violence into comedy, and Kathleen Turner is furiously funny". The Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
  25. ↑ Nea, Chingy (October 21, 2021). "'Serial Mom' is a Maternal Mockery of America's True Crime Obsession". MEL Magazine . Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  26. ↑ Henderson, Eric (May 6, 2008). "Review: Serial Mom". Slant Magazine . Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  27. ↑ Banks, Taunya (2009). "Troubled Waters: Mid-Twentieth Century American Society on "Trial" in the Films of John Waters" . Stetson Law Review. 39. Gulfport, Florida: Stetson University College of Law: 153, 179–181. ISSN   0739-9731 . Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  28. ↑ Craft, Dan (December 30, 1994). "Success, Failure and a Lot of In-between; Movies '94". The Pantagraph . p. B1.
  29. ↑ Armstrong, Douglas (January 1, 1995). "End-of-year slump is not a happy ending". The Milwaukee Journal. p. 2.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.