| The War of the Roses | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Danny DeVito |
| Screenplay by | Michael J. Leeson |
| Based on | The War of the Roses byWarren Adler |
| Produced by | James L. Brooks Arnon Milchan |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Stephen H. Burum |
| Edited by | Lynzee Klingman |
| Music by | David Newman |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date |
|
Running time | 116 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $26 million[2] |
| Box office | $160 million[3] |
The War of the Roses is a 1989 Americansatiricalblack comedy film based on the1981 novel byWarren Adler. The film follows a wealthy couple with a seemingly perfect marriage that begins to fall apart, as material possessions become the center of an outrageous and bitter divorce battle.
The film co-starsMichael Douglas,Kathleen Turner, andDanny DeVito. The three actors had previously worked together inRomancing the Stone and its sequelThe Jewel of the Nile. DeVito directed the film, which also had producerJames L. Brooks and actorDan Castellaneta working on a project outside ofThe Simpsons. The opening title sequence was created bySaul Bass andElaine Makatura Bass.
In both the novel and the film, the married couple's family name is Rose, and the title is an allusion tothe battles between the warring houses of York and Lancaster who were contending for the English throne during the late Middle Ages. In Germany, the film was such a huge success that its German titleDer Rosenkrieg became synonymous with high-conflict divorce and is now regularly used in the media.[4]
Harvard Law student Oliver Rose meets Barbara when they bid on the same antique at aNantucket auction. The pair start a passionate relationship, eventually marrying, having two children, and buying a large house inWashington, D.C. Over the next eighteen years, Oliver becomes a wealthy and influential corporate lawyer, while Barbara dedicates herself to raising their children and creating an aesthetically perfect home filled with material objects. With the children grown and soon leaving for college, Barbara realizes that she is unfulfilled and regrets the sacrifices she made to support her family. Having grown to resent Oliver's workaholism, controlling nature, and obliviousness to her feelings, she starts a catering company to achieve financial independence.
While entertaining a client, Oliver is hospitalized for a suspected heart attack, and writes a love note to Barbara—saying he owes her everything—in case he dies. Barbara does not visit him or show any concern when he returns home, admitting that the thought of him dying had made her feel happy and free. She tells Oliver she no longer feels anything for him but contempt and wants a divorce, which Oliver reluctantly accepts.
While meeting with Barbara's lawyer, tensions rise when she states that she wants nothing except for the house and its contents, and her lawyer uses Oliver's note against him. Although Barbara regrets sharing the note, Oliver spitefully refuses to let her have the house and stops the proceedings via a legal loophole identified by his lecherous colleague Gavin d'Amato. Oliver unsuccessfully tries to mend things with Barbara, but his inability to admit fault only drives her further away. She refuses his cash offer for the house and attempts to seduce Gavin so he will take her side. When Oliver physically divides the house into individual areas, a frustrated Gavin advises him to surrender his claim and move on. In response, Oliver fires Gavin as his lawyer.
After Oliver accidentally runs over Barbara's cat and blames her for it, she retaliates by locking him in his private sauna, where he suffers heatstroke. Oliver takes his revenge by interrupting a dinner that Barbara is hosting for her clients, humiliating her and urinating on the food; Barbara retaliates by totaling Oliver's prizedMorgan +4 sports car. During a fight, the pair destroy their furnishings and the antique from their first meeting. Though worried, the children leave for college, and the housekeeper Susan quits, leaving Barbara and Oliver alone.
Barbara invites Oliver to dinner to talk, but he still refuses to accept that she no longer loves him, leading Barbara to falsely claim she made their dinner from Oliver's beloved dog. The pair start fighting again, and Barbara retreats to the attic to loosen restraints on the hallway chandelier, intending to drop it on Oliver while he boards up the house to trap them both inside. Susan returns to collect her last paycheck only to find a manic Oliver and Barbara at each other's throats; she contacts Gavin for help.
By the time Gavin arrives, Oliver's and Barbara's quarrel has culminated in the pair hanging from the chandelier, where Oliver admits that, despite their hardships, he always loved Barbara; she does not respond. The chandelier cable fails, sending Barbara and Oliver crashing to the floor. With their final breaths, Oliver reaches out to touch Barbara's shoulder, but she pushes his hand away.
Gavin, having recounted their tale to his client, gives him two options: proceed with divorcing his wife—being as generous as possible so it is resolved quickly—and rebuild his life, or go home and remind himself why he fell in love with her. The client leaves. Gavin, changed by his experience with the Roses, calls his wife to tell her he loves her and is on his way home.
The premiere ofThe War of the Roses took place in Los Angeles on December 4 and in New York at theGotham Theatre on December 6, 1989.[5] It was released in the United States on December 8, 1989, by20th Century Fox.[2] The film was preceded in theaters by "Family Therapy", aThe Simpsonsshort fromThe Tracey Ullman Show that was also included on the film's UK and Australian VHS rental releases.[6]
The War of the Roses was released in the United States onDVD Special Edition on December 18, 2001. Released by20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, the film is presented in its original 1.85:1 widescreen format. ThisTHX certified DVD featuresdirector commentary withDanny DeVito,deleted scenes, computer sketches,storyboards, still galleries, 4theatrical trailers, and 6 TV advertisements.[7][8] ABlu-ray Filmmakers 'Signature Series' released on September 18, 2012, ports over old bonus features and adds newfeaturette interviews in HD about revisiting the film and itsmusical score.[9] A Blu-ray was released by Fox in the United Kingdom in January 2013 with the same extra features.[10]
Upon its release,The War of the Roses grossed $87 million in the United States and Canada,[3] and $73 million in other territories,[citation needed] for a worldwide total of $160 million.
During the film's weekend debut it grossed $9.5 million across 1,259 theaters, finishingnumber-one at the box office the week ending December 10.[3] The film grossed $6.9 million in its second weekend, representing a drop of just 26.5% and finishing second, and then made $5.5 million on the third. On its fourth weekend the film climbed up to first place again grossing $10,490,781 across 1,526 theaters on New Years long weekend. In its fifth weekend the film made $7 million, bringing its running domestic total to $53.4 million. In its twelfth weekend, its domestic total earnings reached $80.5 million.[3] It was the thirteenthhighest-grossing film of 1989.[11]
OnRotten Tomatoes the film has an 84% rating based on 45 reviews, with an average rating of 7/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "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."[12] OnMetacritic the film has a score of 79% based on reviews from 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[13] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.[14]
TheChicago Sun Times film criticRoger Ebert gave it three out of four stars, writing "The War of the Roses is a black, angry, bitter, unrelenting comedy, a war between the sexes that makes James Thurber's work on the same subject look almost resigned by comparison. And yet the Roses fell so naturally and easily into love, in those first sunny days so long ago." He concluded "This is an odd, strange movie and the only one I can remember in which the moral is, 'Rather than see a divorce lawyer, be generous - generous to the point of night sweats.'"[15]Sheila Benson of theLos Angeles Times called it "Biting and vicious, a styptic pencil on the battered face of "civilized divorce." It's also thoughtful, laceratingly funny, and bravely true to its own black-and-blue comic vision."[16]Peter Travers ofRolling Stone wrote: "Under the astute direction of Danny DeVito, who does a sly turn as Oliver's attorney, this acid-dipped epic of revenge is killingly funny and dramatically daring."[17]
| Award | Category | Subject | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| BAFTA Awards[18] | Best Adapted Screenplay | Michael J. Leeson | Nominated |
| Berlin International Film FestivalGolden Bear[19] | Best Director | Danny DeVito | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards[20] | Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | James L. Brooks andArnon Milchan | Nominated |
| Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Michael Douglas | Nominated | |
| Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Kathleen Turner | Nominated |
In 2024, it was announced thatSearchlight Pictures would remake the film, simply titledThe Roses. The new film was directed byJay Roach and starsBenedict Cumberbatch andOlivia Colman,[21] in addition toNcuti Gatwa,Kate McKinnon,Andy Samberg,Sunita Mani,Zoë Chao,Jamie Demetriou, andBelinda Bromilow.[22]