The War of the Roses (1989)
81%RT Audience Score: 71%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
2 wins & 9 nominations total
The War of the Roses is a black comedy made even funnier by hanging onto its caustic convictions — and further distinguished by Danny DeVito’s stylish direction
The War of the Roses is a wild ride that will have you laughing and cringing at the same time. DeVito’s unique camera angles add to the chaos of the story, and the performances from Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas are top-notch. It’s like watching a film noir, but with a dark sense of humor. Just be prepared to feel a little claustrophobic as the story spirals out of control. Overall, it’s a great film that’s both amusing and atmospheric.
Production Company(ies)
Live Entertainment, Dog Eat Dog Productions, Inc.,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve, Whidbey Island, Washington, USA
MPAA / Certificate
R
Year of Release
1989
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby SR
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Dec 18, 2001
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito, Marianne Sägebrecht, Sean Astin, Heather Fairfield, directed by Danny DeVito, written by Michael Leeson, comedy, R rating, box office gross $84.1M, reviewed by Robyn Karney, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Variety Staff, Janet Maslin, Peter Travers, Roger Ebert, Bruce C Steele, Hilary Mantel, Brian Orndorf, Jeffrey M Anderson, Jules Brenner, Emanuel Levy, after 17 years of marriage, husband and wife, opulent home, lawyer, children, possession, black comedy, farcical heights, bloodshed, divorce, war, house in shambles, marital problems, family dysfunction, greed, self-delusion, satire, dark humor, divorce comedy, marital comedy, dysfunctional family comedy, real estate comedy, divorce war, marital war, family war, opulent lifestyle, lawyer comedy, family drama, marital drama, divorce drama, dark comedy, comedy of errors, comedy of manners, comedy of the absurd, comedy of revenge, comedy of marriage, comedy of divorce, comedy of family, comedy of wealth, comedy of greed, comedy of self-delusion, comedy of dysfunction, comedy of satire, comedy of dark humor, comedy of black comedy, comedy of farce, comedy of bloodshed, comedy of possession, comedy of opulence, produced by James L Brooks, Arnon Milchan
Worldwide gross: $160,188,546
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $390,342,962
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 392
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 42,567,390
US/Canada gross: $86,888,546
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $211,727,575
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 322
US/Canada opening weekend: $9,488,794
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $23,122,027
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 582
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $26,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $63,356,072
Production budget ranking: 650
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $34,117,245
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $292,869,646
ROI to date (est.): 300%
ROI ranking: 460
Kathleen Turner – Barbara Rose
Danny DeVito – Gavin D’Amato
Marianne Sägebrecht – Susan
Sean Astin – Josh at 17
Heather Fairfield – Carolyn at 17
Director(s)
Danny DeVito
Writer(s)
Michael Leeson
Producer(s)
James L. Brooks, Arnon Milchan
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
2 wins & 9 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (40) | Top Critics (10) | Fresh (34) | Rotten (6)
Wildly funny and deeply disturbing.
February 11, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
Robyn Karney
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
DeVito’s taste for unorthodox camera angles and striking camera movements occasionally verges on overreaching but for the most part admirably serves the action.
February 11, 2008 | Rating: 3/4
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Trying to wring yocks from a deranged couple locked in mortal combat over possession of their house is more suited to film noir than black comedy.
February 11, 2008
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
DeVito’s direction is distinctively odd (with a lot of low-angle shots looking up at things), enjoyably mischievous and always somehow mindful that there may be, at the heart of all this comic mayhem, something substantial going on.
May 20, 2003 | Rating: 4/5
Janet Maslin
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
DeVito triumphs by instilling this caustic satire with truth and consequence.
May 12, 2001
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
TOP CRITIC
It’s to the credit of DeVito and his co-stars they they were willing to go that far, but maybe it shows more courage than wisdom.
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 3/4
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
TOP CRITIC
There’s no foxier, more formidable screen vixen than Kathleen Turner, no better embodiment of self-deluding greed and innate sexism than Michael Douglas.
May 20, 2020
Bruce C. Steele
OutWeek
DeVito’s sprightly, slightly skewed approach can both surprise and please.
April 10, 2019
Hilary Mantel
The Spectator
Greatly amusing, but its lasting achievement is DeVito’s atmospheric authority, shaping a genuine filmmaking triumph in style and mood that deserves a standing ovation.
September 28, 2012 | Rating: A-
Brian Orndorf
Blu-ray.com
The film just keeps getting darker and more claustrophobic, like sliding down the center of a spiral.
May 26, 2006 | Rating: 4/4
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
October 16, 2005 | Rating: 3/5
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals
June 19, 2005 | Rating: 3/5
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com…
Plot
The Roses, Barbara and Oliver, live happily as a married couple. Then she starts to wonder what life would be like without Oliver, and likes what she sees. Both want to stay in the house, and so they begin a campaign to force each other to leave. In the middle of the fighting is D’Amato, the divorce lawyer. He gets to see how far both will go to get rid of the other, and boy do they go far..
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film on Fresh Kernels.
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