The devil

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Movie
German title The devil
Original title She-devil
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1989
length 96 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Susan Seidelman
script Barry Strugatz ,
Mark R. Burns
production Jonathan Brett ,
Susan Seidelman
music Howard Shore ,
Heidi Berg (title song)
camera Oliver Stapleton
cut Craig McKay
occupation

The devil (original title: She-Devil ) is an American comedy film from 1989 . The Director led Susan Seidelman , the writer wrote Barry Strugatz and Mark R. Burns based on the novel The Life and Loves of a She-Devil by Fay Weldon . The main role was played by Roseanne Barr .

action

Ruth Patchett is an overweight woman. She is married to Bob and lives with him and their two children Andy and Nicolette in a typical suburb of New York . Her husband, a successful aspiring tax advisor, meets infamous romance novelist Mary Fisher at a party after Ruth accidentally spilled her drink on her dress. Bob and Mary start an affair that same night. Ruth, who immediately suspects, tries to downplay the matter first and continues to function as before, but seriously worries about her relationship with Bob. This one can be seen less and less at home. When Bob's parents come over to eat and Ruth makes mistakes when serving up the meal, Bob puts her down so badly that she angrily announces that he is having an affair with Mary Fisher. Bob gets angry, sends the children to bed and lets his parents go out to eat. Then he takes it as a welcome occasion to pack his bags and tells Ruth that he has tried everything to save the marriage. He calls her the four positive things in his life: a home, a family that is loyal and devoted to him, a successful career and the freedom to enjoy the fruits of his labor. The only negative point would be Ruth. She is a bad mother, a lousy wife and a horrible cook, not a woman at all, but a devil. Bob leaves her and the children and goes to Mary's house on Long Island .

Ruth is so angry that she devises a plan of revenge against Bob and Mary. She jots down Bob's four important points on a piece of paper. Then she creates delayed fires all over the house by turning on electrical appliances and leaving them to run in the most improper way. She blows out the flame on the gas stove and walks out of the house, which explodes and burns down behind her. She packs the children returning home from school in the taxi, crosses item 1 of the slip of paper and drops them off at Mary and Bob, who protests unsuccessfully.

A little later, Ruth hires under the name Vesta Rose in the Golden Twilight retirement home, the home of Mary's mother, in which the elderly are immobilized and only 'low-maintenance' cases are accepted. There she met the nurse Hooper, who was initially very reserved. When Ruth replaces the sedatives with vitamins and the old people regain their courage to live, Hooper threatens to betray her. Ruth speaks to this into conscience and tells her that 'women like them should stick together', which makes Hooper very thoughtful. Meanwhile, Ruth has made up Mary's mother and persuades her that she must visit her daughter to annoy her a little. The old lady is enthusiastic and drives to her daughter, where she slowly drives Mary, who is already overwhelmed with the children, insane. While Mary learns that her mother has been thrown out of the home for incontinence (Ruth had emptied a bedpan over her mattress), she tells a reporter her daughter's embarrassing secrets that later end up in People Magazine .

Ruth has since been fired because she did not immediately report the full bed, deleted item 2 of her note and drove back to New York. Hooper to which in the meantime has developed a friendship that accompanies them and brings their savings of 55,000 $ to. With this money, they open a job agency in New York for insecure and disadvantaged women. Ruth places a flyer in front of Bob's office, who then calls and Ruth sends the young, good-looking accountant Olivia to Bob's company. Bob is so taken with the young woman that he starts an affair with her, while the relationship with Mary becomes more and more difficult because of the children and their mother. Mary's new book (Love When Softening) becomes an absolute flop because she was only inspired by Bob and the kids and receives scathing reviews. On Ruth's advice, Olivia confesses her love to Bob and is fired and called a slut by him for it. The offended Olivia then tells Ruth that Bob misappropriated interest and deposited it in a Swiss bank account . The two women break into the company one evening and transfer $ 200,000 from a customer account to Switzerland . Ruth finds evidence of Bob's affair with Olivia in the office, which she sends to Mary. Then she can be connected to the tax authorities and deletes point 3 on the note.

Mary freaks out and gives Bob an ultimatum. At the same time, the housemaid Uta and the attractive butler Garcia, with whom Mary had a liaison before Bob, quit because of overwork. At a party that Mary is giving, the police suddenly show up and arrest Bob for embezzlement . Mary learns from the lawyer that he knows the judge and that Bob holds out the prospect of success, but also that she too was robbed. She 'resigns' him as a financial advisor and a lover. One of Ruth's clients works at the court and calls them to change the judge. Ruth deletes item 4 and is present in court when Bob is sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined $ 250,000. Mary sells her house after being upset by the flop of her book and the negative headlines.

Ruth burns the note with the four dots because she has reached her goal. She and her children visit Bob in prison. He wants to know how the two of them like his homemade biscuits. Mary has also changed a lot and is releasing a new documentary work (Trust and Treason) with which she is very successful. When Ruth has a book signed, little red flashes light up in her eyes.

Reviews

Roger Ebert wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times on December 8, 1989 that a joint film with Roseanne Barr and Meryl Streep would have been unthinkable a few years earlier. Roseanne Barr is well cast; Meryl Streep - who normally play "tragic women" - had fun in her unfamiliar role. Susan Seidelman, who previously directed the comedy Making Mr. Right - A Man à la Carte , has a sense of humor that is based on the “twisted logic of the characters”.

Hal Hinson wrote in the Washington Post on December 8, 1989 that while the story appears feminist, it must have come from the pen of a feminist who "hates herself". Roseanne Barr doesn't look magical. Meryl Streep has a “natural” comedic talent, her Mary Fisher looks like a sculpture by Scarlett O'Hara made of ice cream. Ed Begley junior doesn't seem particularly sexy, which is why his character only plays a subordinate role in a duel between two women.

Awards

Meryl Streep was nominated for the Golden Globe Award in 1990.

backgrounds

The shooting took place in New York City , in Port Jefferson ( Suffolk County , New York ) and Union ( New Jersey instead). The box office in the cinemas of the United States was about 15.4 million US dollars .

The pink sticky note that runs like a red thread through history and on which Ruth Bobs noted four points "1. Home 2. Family 3. Career 4. Freedom" is written differently for each close-up.

swell

  1. ^ Film review by Roger Ebert
  2. ^ Film review by Hal Hinson
  3. ^ Filming locations for She-Devil , accessed July 1, 2008
  4. ^ Box office / business for She-Devil , accessed July 1, 2008

Web links