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To Die For
(1995)
Murder... scandal...
fame... Who says you can't have it all?
Director: Gus Van Sant, Rated R for language, sexual
content
  Starring:
Nicole Kidman, Matt Dillon, Joaquin Phoenix, Casey Affleck,
Illeana Douglas, Alison Folland, Dan Hedaya, Wayne Knight,
Kurtwood Smith, Holland Taylor, Michael Rispoli, Buck Henry
DML Rating:
★★★★★★★☆☆☆
- good
"You're not anybody in
America unless you're on TV. On TV is where we learn about who
we really are. Because what's the point of doing anything
worthwhile if nobody's watching? And if people are watching, it
makes you a better person.." –
Suzanne Stone
Why watch this? Fame
can be a bitch... especially if you're a bitch.
Plot Summary:
This satirical black comedy follows Suzanne Stone, an intensely
ambitious, small-town weather reporter who is pathologically
obsessed with achieving television fame. When her conventional
husband Larry begins pressuring her to abandon her career goals
and start a family, she views him as a direct obstacle to her
aspirations. To eliminate this threat, she uses her charm to
manipulate a group of naive, delinquent high school students
into planning a deadly crime.
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Dad's Preview:
This very good black comedy sends a clear message about
fame, and the price it sometimes extracts from those
obsessed with it. It's Nicole Kidman's film and she is
excellent as Suzanne Stone, a local gal (and ditzy
psychopath) determined to become the next Diane Sawyer.
Many of her lines elicit laughter, while giving us
insight into her meticulous mind - the little
people are to be used as pawns in her ascension to the
big time. She honestly thinks she can do terrible things
and get away with it. There is a very strong supporting
cast including a young Joaquin Phoenix and Casey
Affleck. This mockumentary-style crime film stings with
satire and you'll chuckle right up to its morbid, icy
ending. |
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Columbia Pics,
Rank Film Distributors, Laura
Ziskin Prod.; Sony Pictures Releasing
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