Death Becomes Her (1992)

My Review

“Death Becomes Her” is a comedy satire about two rival women who both take a potion for eternal youth and must deal with the unintended consequences. Director Robert Zemeckis (“Romancing the Stone” 1984) was masterful at putting together this caricature of Hollywood’s obsession with plastic surgery to maintain a youthful appearance, although the overall storyline was formulaic. The screenplay was penned by Martin Donovan and David Koepp.

The cast is headed by Goldie Hawn and Meryl Streep as the two principals, with Bruce Willis as the plastic surgeon who is a love interest to both at different points in the film. All deliver marvelous performances, each within their expected acting ranges. Co-stars include Isabella Rossellini, Ian Ogilvy, Adam Storke, Alaina Reed Hall, Michelle Johnson, Mary Ellen Trainor, Susan Kellerman, William Frankfather, John Ingle, Debra Jo Rupp, Fabio Lanzoni, and Robert Zemeckis as the emergency room doctor.

The watchable and entertaining “Death Becomes Her” was a big hit at the box office for producer Robert Zemeckis and Universal Pictures. Industrial Light & Magic handled the special effects, with ground-breaking use of CGI (computer-generated imagery). The film won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. Director Zemeckis decided to cut a number of scenes to accelerate the movie’s pacing. Actors Tracey Ullman and Jonathan Silverman were among the cast members whose appearances were eliminated by these cuts.