"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.
Madeline is married to Ernest, who was once her arch-rival Helen's fiancé. 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.
Quick Stats
6.8
TMDB Rating
3,009
Votes
1h 44m
Runtime
$55.0M
Budget
$149.0M
Box Office
271%
Return
Key Crew
DirectorRobert Zemeckis
WriterDavid Koepp
CinematographyDean Cundey
ComposerAlan Silvestri
EditorArthur Schmidt
Production DesignTim Donelan
Produced by
Universal PicturesSouth Side Amusement Company
Where to Watch
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Critics & Reviews
2 featuredFunny, great story and a twist in the plot! I'm a sci-fi, fantasy guy and this checked all the boxes for my. Even had romance, so it was a good movie. Had some big names so only thing missing for me was a little more action and a deeper history.
Cast

Meryl Streep
Madeline Ashton Menville

Goldie Hawn
Helen Sharp

Bruce Willis
Dr. Ernest Menville

Isabella Rossellini
Lisle von Rhuman

Ian Ogilvy
Chagall

Adam Storke
Dakota

Alaina Reed Hall
Psychologist

Nancy Fish
Rose

Michelle Johnson
Anna

Mary Ellen Trainor
Vivian Adams
W
William Frankfather
Mr. Franklin

John Ingle
Eulogist
C
Clement von Franckenstein
Opening Man

Petrea Burchard
Opening Woman

Jim Jansen
Second Man






