Malice (1993)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Harold Becker

Writers (WGA):

Aaron Sorkin (story) and
Jonas McCord (story) ...

Release Date:

1 October 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Her doctor wasn't playing God. He thought he was God.

Plot:

A tale about a happily married couple who would like to have children. Tracy teaches infants, Andy's a college professor. Things are never the same after she is taken to hospital and operated upon by Jed, a "know all" doctor.

Plot Keywords:

Doctor | College | Hospital | Anger | Student

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Alec Baldwin	...	Dr. Jed Hill
Nicole Kidman	...	Tracy Kennsinger
Bill Pullman	...	Andy Safian
Bebe Neuwirth	...	Det. Dana Harris
George C. Scott	...	Dr. Martin Kessler
Anne Bancroft	...	Mrs. Kennsinger
Peter Gallagher	...	Atty. Dennis Riley
Josef Sommer	...	Atty. Lester Adams
Tobin Bell	...	Earl Leemus
William Duff-Griffin	...	Dr. George Sullivan
Debrah Farentino	...	Nurse Tanya
Gwyneth Paltrow	...	Paula Bell
David Bowe	...	Dr. Matthew Robertson
Diana Bellamy	...	Ms. Worthington
Michael Hatt	...	Neighbor Boy

Also Known As:

Bodily Harm (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality, language and some violence.

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Australia:PG | Australia:M (TV rating) | Philippines:R-18 (re-rating) | Philippines:X (original rating) | Portugal:M/16 | Canada:14A | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Norway:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Castle Rock Entertainment

Trivia:

The original title was "Damages".

Goofs:

Continuity: When Andy and Tracy go smashing through the banister, the CPR dummy which Tracy is holding is dropped on the ground. However, moments later, the dummy is shown propped up against the banister.

Quotes:

[as the elevator doors open]
Andy: Speak of the Devil
Jed: And the Devil shall appear

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Drawn Together: Terms of Endearment (#2.8)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

SLAVE TO LOVE

Malicious Twists But Sadly Contrived Plot

Becker's 'Malice' is a little bit of a mixed bag. First of all, there are two stories that hardly have anything to do with each other, one being about a serial killer raping and murdering collegegirls and another about a married couple and a doctor. Sorkin is a gifted writer as is evident in his work for TV but somehow the plot of 'Malice' is a bit contrived, messy and the screenplay lacks depth. The story would have been far more effective if the characters were better developed. There are plenty of twists and suspense but the surprise turns are a little out of place and it is hard to understand the motivation behind the characters' actions. For instance, why would Kidman's character allow herself to get so severely ill and risk her own life in the hands of someone else? Yet, 'Malice' is an entertaining thriller. The plot might be confusing at times but the performances are good, the dialogues are solid and it is technically well executed. The soundtrack flows well and some of the visuals are brilliant. Nicole Kidman is wonderful in spite of a poorly written character. Bill Pullman is great as the naive, passive, boring, pushover husband. Alec Baldwin, who plays Andy's counterpart is equally good. The supporting cast includes talented names life Anne Bancroft, Peter Gallagher, Gwyneth Paltrow and Bebe Neuarth but their screen time is limited. Bancroft stands out followed by Neuwarth and Gallagher. Overall, 'Malice' is a good enough fun watch if one is looking for something with a little but of suspense, clever dialogue and good acting but there's not much else to look forward to.