| Indecent Proposal | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Adrian Lyne |
| Screenplay by | Amy Holden Jones |
| Based on | Indecent Proposal by Jack Engelhard |
| Produced by | Sherry Lansing Michael Tadross |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Howard Atherton |
| Edited by | Joe Hutshing |
| Music by | John Barry |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 118 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $38 million[1] |
| Box office | $266.6 million[2] |
Indecent Proposal is a 1993 Americaneroticdrama film directed byAdrian Lyne and written byAmy Holden Jones. It is based onthe 1988 novel by Jack Engelhard, in which a couple's marriage is disrupted by a stranger's offer of a million dollars for the wife to spend the night with him. It starsRobert Redford,Demi Moore, andWoody Harrelson.[3]
The film received a mostly negative response from critics for the contrivances and implausibilities of its story. It also sparked controversy, withfeminists arguing the film's premise promotesprostitution and the treatment of women as property. Despite this, the film was a box office success and grossed nearly $267 million worldwide on a $38 million budget, becoming thesixth highest-grossing film of 1993.
David and Diana Murphy are married high school sweethearts living inCalifornia. Diana is working as a real estate agent, while David hopes to establish himself as an architect by designing their dream home. The couple invest everything they have in David's project, purchasing beachfront property inSanta Monica, California and beginning construction, but therecession leaves Diana without houses to sell and David without a job. In desperate need of $50,000 to save their land from being repossessed, they travel toLas Vegas to gamble with the last of their savings.
At a casino, Diana catches the eye of high roller John Gage, while David wins over $25,000 atcraps. Reveling in their winnings, Diana assures David that she loves him regardless of the money. The next day, they lose everything atroulette; leaving the casino, they notice a crowd gathered to watch Gage playbaccarat. Gage asks Diana to join him for good luck, and she makes a winning craps roll on his $1 million bet. As thanks, Gage insists on paying for the Murphys' stay, giving them a lavish hotel suite and a dress he saw Diana admire. After an enjoyable evening together, Gage offers the couple $1 million to allow him to spend a night with Diana, with David flatly refusing.
Later, Diana convinces David to agree to Gage's proposal. David contacts his lawyer, who prepares a contract for the arrangement. Leaving Diana with Gage, David has a change of heart and races to stop them but arrives just as they depart by helicopter. Gage flies Diana to his private yacht and offers her a chance to void their deal and return to her husband if he loses atoss of his lucky coin. He wins the toss, and Diana spends the night with him.
Agreeing to forget the incident, the Murphys return home to discover that the bank had alreadyforeclosed on and sold their land. Overcome with anger and jealousy, David accuses Diana of continuing to see Gage after finding his business card in her wallet, which she denies knowing about. Discovering that it was Gage who bought out their land, Diana angrily confronts him and rejects his attempts to pursue her. When she informs David, their tension reaches a breaking point, and they separate; Diana allows David to keep the $1 million.
Weeks later, Gage visits Diana at work and renews his advances. Initially resistant, she eventually consents to spending time with him, and a romance develops between them. David, meanwhile, turns to alcohol and eventually hits rock bottom, leading to a public confrontation with Gage and Diana. He pulls his life back together and finds a teaching position, and Diana files for divorce. Finding her at a zoo benefit with Gage, David donates the entire $1 million in a charity auction bid, then makes his peace with Diana and signs their divorce papers.
Realizing that Diana will never love him the way she loves David, Gage lies to her that she is merely the latest member of his "million-dollar club" of women. Seeing through his deception, she gratefully ends their relationship; before parting ways, he gives her his lucky coin, which she realizes is double headed. Diana returns to the pier where David proposed to her seven years earlier, finding him there. Repeating their unique declaration of love, they join hands.
Paramount Pictures bought the rights to Jack Engelhard's 1988 novelIndecent Proposal for $120,000.[4]Adrian Lyne signed on to direct, reuniting with producerSherry Lansing, with whom he had worked onFatal Attraction.[5] Lyne had a falling out with past collaboratorStanley Jaffe, who wanted the film to be released by Christmas season of 1992 and thus allotted for limitedpost-production time.[5]
The film was originally planned as a vehicle forTom Cruise andNicole Kidman, withWarren Beatty as John Gage.[5][6] Kidman andIsabelle Adjani screen tested for the role of Diana.[5] Cruise backed out amidst speculation that the film's morals conflicted with his new involvement in theChurch of Scientology.[5]Robert Redford accepted the part of Gage on the condition that his character be adjusted to be less of a villain.[7] He turned down the $4 million salary initially offered to him in exchange for gross profit participation from the film's box office.[5]
Johnny Depp,[5]Tim Robbins,[5] andWilliam Baldwin[8] were among the actors considered for the role of David Murphy.Woody Harrelson dropped out of the filmBenny & Joon to commit to the role, resulting in a lawsuit fromMGM-Pathe Entertainment that was settled out of court.[9][5]
Of the script, screenwriterAmy Holden Jones said there were multiple third-act changes to the script, made primarily by men.[10] Jones initially wrote the ending with Diana leaving Gage of her own accord, without prompting from Gage.[11]
Jones said: "I always had a lot of trouble with the movie after [David and Diana] split up. The men in charge, and particularly Redford, decided to make [Gage] very sympathetic. In the original script, it was a clear journey where she came to realize that she was his next acquisition. There were four or five people that Redford cycled through to work on his character. In my draft, what she said to him was that you can’t buy love, and then she left him. He had that changed, because Robert Redford couldn’t be left."[10]
Jones added: "I thought [Diana] should leave both men at the end. I brought it up several times [in studio meetings], including once the movie wasgreenlit. And that was basically laughed at. No one would consider it, really."[10]
William Goldman says he was brought in to work on the script afterJohn Cusack had turned it down. "They couldn’t get anyone to do it," he said. "I wrote a draft and I don’t think they changed anything. I don’t know why the actors decided to do it or didn’t do it, but it was an enormous success so that’s good for me."[12]
Filming began inLas Vegas in June 1992.[13] The casino scenes were filmed at theWestgate Las Vegas.[13] After a month in Las Vegas, the production moved to southern California, where locations included theEcho Park neighborhood and aSanta Barbara mansion that stood in for Gage's home.[5]
Lyne decided to feature the bookBacklash: The Undeclared War Against American Women in a scene because authorSusan Faludi had notably criticized Lyne's filmFatal Attraction.[14][15]
Lyne completed post-production work on the film roughly two weeks before its opening in April 1993.[5]
Engelhard's novel contained cultural friction that the screenwriter left out of the movie: the main character, named Joshua, is Jewish, and his billionaire foil isArab.[7] In a review of the novel,The New York Times summarized its themes as "the sanctity of marriage versus the love of money, theJew versus significant non-Jews such asshiksas andsheiks, skill versus luck, materialism versus spirituality,Israel versus theArab countries, the past versus the future, and the religious world versus the secular one."[16]
Indecent Proposal was a box office success, grossing $106,614,059 in the US and Canada and $159,985,941 internationally for a worldwide total of $266,600,000.[2][17]
The film opened on 1,694 screens in the United States and Canada on April 7, 1993, and grossed $18,387,632 in its opening weekend totop the US box office, the biggest opening at the time for an April release. It was number one for four weeks[17] and became the sixth highest-grossing film of 1993.[18] Some journalists attributed the audience turnout to Paramount's strong marketing campaign, as well as the film's sensational premise that made for heated debates.[19][20][3]
It entered international release on April 23, 1993, previewing on 66 screens in Australia for the weekend. Despite only playing for three days, ittopped the Australian box office for the week with a three-day gross of $0.8 million (A$1.16 million).[21][22] It officially opened in Australia on April 29 and remained at number one for four more weeks.[23] In the UK, it also benefited from previews intopping the UK box office with an opening weekend gross of $2.4 million (£1.5 million) including previews.[24][25] It remained number one in the UK for three weeks.[26] In Italy, it was Paramount/United International Pictures' second biggest ever opening with an opening weekend gross of $1.6 million.[24]
The film received negative reviews from critics, who cited the contrivances of the film's script and its underdeveloped characters.[27][28][29][30] Critics noted that the film was the latest of a string of movies that involved women being treated as property, such asPretty Woman,Honeymoon in Vegas, andMad Dog and Glory.[31][11][32][33] A major criticism was that the film did not fully explore its potentially enticing premise.Janet Maslin ofThe New York Times wrote: "For all its ostensible daring,Indecent Proposal is much too cautious. None of the three principals really change as a consequence of the story. None of the frankness that might make matters interesting is allowed to sully the romantic mood. None of the characters have lives outside the confines of the story, although the lonely Gage, when celebrating a big gambling win, suddenly gives a party for 200 anonymous, soigne-looking friends."[34]
InThe Telegraph, Anthony Brett said that despite its packaging as a steamythriller, "Indecent Proposal is in fact a largely distasteful and bizarrely plodding romantic drama, one that gently pokes at lofty ideas about power and marriage and theAmerican dream but scurries away before it hits on anything too dicey."[7] InEntertainment Weekly,Owen Gleiberman wrote: "Indecent Proposal starts out kinky and turns into a languid — and shockingly banal — domesticsoap opera. Like9 1/2 Weeks, the movie is all tease, all come-on. Next time Lyne should try for something a little more indecent."[32]
Critics generally praised Redford's performance, but some lamented that the character of John Gage was given too much of a sympathetic edge, and that the role was merely a chance for Redford to once again playJay Gatsby.[32][34][35][30] Gleiberman wrote: "Like Michael Douglas'Gordon Gekko, he has that aura of money that’s almost tactile — even in his dark suit, he glows — and he speaks with the dry enticement of someone who has had too much of what he wants and now gets his kicks by testing people, living through their experiences."[32]
Of Moore, Maslin wrote, she "pours all of her effort into going through such motions smolderingly, and none into whatever sense may lie behind them. That's fine for the role; she falters only when the screenplay turns mute or turns up howlers."[34]Todd McCarthy wrote: "What emotional legitimacy the film does possess stems from Moore's performance, which is lively, heartfelt and believable until the script ceases to permit it."[35] Several critics found Harrelson to be the weak link of the cast, with McCarthy writing the actor is not given much to do except display "puppydog love in the first section and standard-issue jealousy in the second".[35][36][37] However, multiple critics were complimentary of the film's supporting cast, particularlyOliver Platt as the Murphys' wisecracking, sleazy lawyer.[35][37][34]
Multiple critics opined that the film loses its narrative steam after the climactic deal takes place.[34][35][27] In a 2014 review,Nathan Rabin wrote: "Indecent Proposal suffers from a distinct lack of stakes. The second [Diana returns from her night with Gage], the million dollars that just moments ago was going to change her and her husband's lives ceases to matter. Diana doesn’t want it. David doesn’t want it...Money ultimately doesn’t matter in the sleazy fairy-tale world ofIndecent Proposal, only love, and when money threatens to soil that love, then it must be openly rejected."[38]
The film also sparked significant backlash fromfeminists and critics for its depiction of a woman bartering with her body for the benefit of her husband.[39]Peter Travers ofRolling Stone called the film "sexistpropaganda."[40] ActivistBetty Friedan and filmmakerCallie Khouri argued the film promotes the idea ofprostitution, with Friedan saying, "What does it say? Thirteen-year-old girls will see that movie and be told you don’t need to bother to do your homework or to get anMBA, all you need to do is diet enough to be anorexic, get some silicone and look for that lonely billionaire."[3] Feminist writerSusan Faludi likened Gage's actions in the film to "essentially...raping a woman with money."[31] ProducerDenise Di Novi suggested the film could be characterized as awomen in prison film, because it has a woman in a "submissive, controlled situation."[31]Camille Paglia dissented, saying "What is it about this picture that moviegoers are in sync with? (Is it) women’s sexuality in ways feminist rhetoric is unable to define?"[3]
Amy Holden Jones wrote a defense of the film in theLos Angeles Times, arguing that Diana had agency in her choice and that much of the criticism levied against the film came from male critics.[41] Jones later said: "When the film was released, it caused a great deal of controversy, because, you know, how could I write this thing about a woman spending the night with this guy for a million dollars? The idea that a woman should not be tempted by any of those things, or she should be so pure that you can’t make a movie about her feeling that way — I mean, go watch someFrench cinema! It's more complicated than that. I’m as big a feminist as you’ll find, but part of feminism for me is that women can be portrayed not as visions of perfection on-screen, but as whole human beings with choices."[10]
Among the few critics to review the film positively wasRoger Ebert.[42] Ebert gave the film a thumbs up onSiskel & Ebert, while his colleagueGene Siskel gave it a thumbs down.[43] In his print review, Ebert admitted there "are large challenges to logic" and the plot is "manipulative", but said "there is a genuine romantic spirit at work here", concluding that a necessary suspension of disbelief is "why we line up at the ticket window: We want to leave the real world, for a couple of hours, anyway".[44] He also described the film's decision to keep the actual night of adultery offscreen as wise.[44]
Caryn James ofThe New York Times also gave a positive review, writing that whileHoneymoon in Vegas andMad Dog and Glory "dance around the issue of buying and bartering people,Indecent Proposal embraces it. It isn't aways a good film; it employs lazy voice-overs to express sappy sentiments about the Murphys' eternal love. But it turns an inflammatory plot into a surprisingly honest and entertaining movie."[37] Her colleague Janet Maslin gave a similarly mixed response, saying the film "calls for grudging admiration. Working with a ridiculous premise and...[a] badly underwritten script...the director ofFlashdance andFatal Attraction has still come up with the sort of sexy pop parable that is his specialty. Mr. Lyne's films may not cast any new light on the human condition, but they do keep you glued to the screen."[34]
On review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes,Indecent Proposal has a 34% "rotten" rating based on 47 reviews, with an average rating of 4.8/10. The consensus reads: "Lurid but acted with gusto,Indecent Proposal has difficulty keeping it up beyond its initial titillating premise."[45] Audience response was less negative, with those polled byCinemaScore giving an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.[46] The film is listed inGolden Raspberry Award founderJohn Wilson's bookThe Official Razzie Movie Guide as one of the "100 most enjoyably worst movies ever made".[47]
| Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| BMI Film & TV Awards | BMI Film Music Award | John Barry | Won |
| Golden Raspberry Awards[48] | Worst Picture | Sherry Lansing | Won |
| Worst Director | Adrian Lyne | Nominated | |
| Worst Actor | Robert Redford | Nominated | |
| Worst Actress | Demi Moore | Nominated | |
| Worst Supporting Actor | Woody Harrelson | Won | |
| Worst Screenplay | Screenplay byAmy Holden Jones; Based on the novel by Jack Engelhard | Won | |
| Worst Original Song | "(You Love Me) In All the Right Places" Music by John Barry; Lyrics byLisa Stansfield, Ian Devaney & Andy Morris | Nominated | |
| Golden Screen Awards | Won | ||
| MTV Movie Awards[49] | Best Female Performance | Demi Moore | Nominated |
| Most Desirable Female | Nominated | ||
| Best Kiss | Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson | Won | |
| Stinkers Bad Movie Awards | Worst Actor | Robert Redford | Nominated |
| Worst Actress | Demi Moore | Nominated | |
| Yoga Awards | Worst Foreign Film | Adrian Lyne | Won |
The soundtrack was released on April 6, 1993, byMCA Records. "In All the Right Places" byLisa Stansfield was released as the album's lead single on May 24, 1993, and is the film's theme song.Sheena Easton makes a cameo appearance in the movie performing "The Nearness of You" at a pivotal part of the movie. The length of the soundtrack is 60 minutes and 37 seconds.[50] "No Ordinary Love" by English bandSade was also prominently featured in the film, though it was not included on its soundtrack album.
In 2015,Intrada Records released an album ofJohn Barry's score.[51]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I'm Not in Love" (The Pretenders) | Graham Gouldman,Eric Stewart | Trevor Horn | 3:50 |
| 2. | "What Do You Want the Girl to Do" (Vince Gill featuringLittle Feat) | Allen Toussaint | Tony Brown | 5:07 |
| 3. | "If I'm Not in Love With You" (Dawn Thomas) | Thomas | Scott Sheriff | 3:38 |
| 4. | "Out of the Window" (Seal) | Seal | Horn | 5:35 |
| 5. | "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" (Bryan Ferry) | Gerry Goffin,Carole King | Robin Trower | 4:15 |
| 6. | "The Nearness of You" (Sheena Easton) | Hoagy Carmichael,Ned Washington | Patrice Rushen | 3:16 |
| 7. | "In All the Right Places" (Lisa Stansfield) | John Barry, Stansfield, Ian Devaney, Andy Morris | Devaney | 5:42 |
| 8. | "Instrumental Suite fromIndecent Proposal" | Barry | Barry | 25:20 |
| 9. | "A Love So Beautiful" (Roy Orbison) | Jeff Lynne, Orbison | Lynne | 3:31 |
| Chart (1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA Charts)[52] | 67 |
| Dutch Albums Chart[53] | 71 |
| USBillboard 200[54] | 137 |
On July 30, 2018,Paramount Players announced that a remake of the film was in development, with the screenplay being written byErin Cressida Wilson.[55][1]
The animation seriesThe Simpsons's 2002 episode "Half-Decent Proposal" parodies the movie's premise.[56]
In the television seriesMad About You episode, "A Pair of Hearts", during the end credits, the married couple Paul and Jamie Buchman are approached by a man who offers a million dollars to sleep with Jamie. They immediately reply "Sure!", and, after a quick smooch, Jamie leaves with the man (to the laughter of the audience).[56]
The British sitcomPeep Show's episode "Conference" interpolates the plot of the film throughout the B Plot of the episode. Alan Johnson meets the girlfriend of his employee's flatmate and finds her attractive. Alan then enters Jeremy's room and offers him £530 to sleep with his girlfriend, Big Suze. Jeremy, while initially hesitant, agrees. Jeremy tells his girlfriend of the plan, and she is horrified by what is being suggested and leaves Jeremy. Later on in the episode, Jeremy visits Big Suze's house to apologize, and is surprised to find Alan answering the door in a bathrobe. It is then revealed that Alan and Big Suze have started dating. Towards the end of the episode, Jeremy confronts Alan for the money he feels he has been swindled out of. Alan then proceeds to give him £380 that he has in his wallet.[56]
The TV seriesImpractical Jokers featured a punishment inspired by the movie in the episode "Indecent Proposal" whereSal Vulcano is forced to ask couples while working as a dance instructor's assistant if they would be willing to meet him in a more passionate setting in exchange for money.
$825,883; $A1=$0.71
£1=$1.57
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture 14th Golden Raspberry Awards | Succeeded by |
