TO DIE FOR
US, 1995, 106 minutes, Colour.
Nicole Kidman, Matt Dillon, Joachim Phoenix, Casey Affleck, Gillian Douglas, Alison Bolland, Dan Hedaya, Wayne Knight, Kurt Witsmith, Holland Taylor, George Segal, Buck Henry. David Cronenberg.
Directed by Gus van Sant.
American media, especially television, is an easy satiric target and some of the jokes here are obvious. But the clever surface humour covers quite some depth. This is an allegorical satirical critique of the American White, Anglo- Saxon Protestant way of life.
To Die For was an impressive black comedy of the mid-90s. It was directed by Gus Van Sant. Van Sant had made an impression with My Own Private Idaho but not so much with Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. However, after this he was able to make Good Will Hunting, Psycho and Finding Forester before returning to his more idiosyncratic low-budget films like Elephant (Palm d'Or at Cannes), Jerry and Last Days. The film was written by Buck Henry, comic writer for such films as The Graduate.
Nicole Kidman's Susanne Scott, straight out of popular magazines is the ingenuous upper middle class girl whose version of the American dream is to be on television. As her pre-packaged ambitions and her success-ethic ruthlessness take over, she will let nothing get in her way. People who are obstacles are seduced, discarded or murdered. Nicole Kidman won a Golden Globe Award-winner. She brings to life the single-minded ambitious young woman who wants to be a weather girl on local television and will let nothing stand in her way, including her husband (a genial Matt Dillon). She seduces a young school student (Joachin Phoenix at the beginning of his successful adult career) as well as Casey Affleck and Alison Folland to kill her husband for her. The supporting cast includes character actors Dan Hedaya, Holland Taylor and Iliyana Douglas as Matt Dillon’s sister.
The film is a parody of life within a local TV station, managed by Wayne Knight. The film also shows the blithe career of a completely amoral woman – and a sinister comeuppance at the hand of David Cronenberg at the end of the film.
The film highlighted the versatility of Nicole Kidman as an actress and led to her very successful career in the late 90s and the early part of the century, culminating in her Oscar for The Hours.
Buck Henry's screenplay presupposes knowledge of current US TV programming and uses the media (video and television) all through the film. This might have been uncontrolled farce. As it is, it is a witty, disciplined, black comedy. To Die For has gained the status of a cult classic.
1.The impact of the film in its time? For the career of its star? Its awards?
2.The ironic tone of the film, a blend of the comic and the serious? Perceptions of the United States, WASPS and Italians? Prejudices? Ambitions? The media? Youth and their being able to be influenced?
3.The New Hampshire setting, the town of Hope? The town itself, the vistas, snow, the weather? A nice town – yet the dark side underneath?
4.Family homes, the restaurants, the studios, school? The musical score and its range?
5.The title of the film – and the ambiguities?
6.The structure: Hope, the funeral and the flashbacks? The television interviews, Suzanne’s interview? The interview with Janice? The talk show and the parents? Lydia and Russell? James in prison? The way that the interviews were inserted? Each commenting on the other? Building up the complexity of viewpoints?
7.The expectations because of the death, Suzanne’s role?
8.The portrait of Suzanne, Nicole Kidman’s presence and interpretation? Her family, nice, ordinary, WASP? Her being spoilt? At school, her friends? Her WASP attitudes (people of the Jewish persuasion…)? Her dates, the bowling alley? Her not being any good? Attracted to Larry, flirting with him? The dates, the motivation for her engagement, the wedding? The honeymoon and the encounter with the finance adviser? His explanation of how to get on, the letter, the use of sex? His advances? Her reaction, the morning after with Larry? Her resumes? Larry and his positive approach? The interview with Ed Grant and his assistant? Her being pushy, their reaction? The audition? Her doing the weather, enhancing it? Her going to the school, her project for the TV station? The discussions with the principal? The response of the class, her questioning of Lydia, Russell and Jimmy? Talking with them afterwards? Their help, their admiration for Suzanne? Lydia in love with her? Jimmy and his infatuation? Her doing the interviews with them about youth issues? Showing them to Ed Grant? Larry, her falling out of love with him, her plan? Her seduction of Jimmy, the sexual encounters (and Jimmy’s later explanation of their frequency)? The dancing in the rain? The gin, the sex, Jimmy’s talk? Her putting pressure on the kids? The night, her doing the news, the anniversary and her greeting to Larry? The murder? Lydia, coming to Suzanne, Suzanne’s harshness? The police following? The arrest, the interrogation, bail? Her ambitions, the interview – and the final going to the interview with the sinister man? Her death in the ice?
9.Larry, Italian background, his parents, the infatuation with Suzanne, courting her, marrying her? Life at home, his doing everything for her? His being the innocent? At home, Jimmy and the group coming, thinking that they were burglars, his death?
10.The three kids, friends, at school, dumb? In class, infatuations and love, sexual encounter? Admiring Suzanne? Russell and his CDs? The interviews for the TV program? James, his infatuation, the sex? The murder of Larry, the carelessness of footprints, the blood? The end for each – according to the interviews, Lydia and her disillusionment? Jimmy and his being satisfied in jail?
11.Janice, her interviews, her dislike of Suzanne, her skating, the meetings with Suzanne and Larry, her advice to Larry? Her being proven right?
12.The parents, the interviews, the television shows? Suzanne’s parents being comfortable, looking down on the Italians? The contrast with the Italians? Emotional? Suspicious of Suzanne, love for Larry?
13.The principal, his allowing Suzanne in – and his lascivious approach?
14.The Mafia connections of the Italians, the phone calls, the murderer, his leading Suzanne on, killing her?
15.The role of television in American life, image being everything? Suzanne, her comments about her appearance, her style, her comments about Gorbachev and his birthmark? The trivial attitudes and the trivial ambitions becoming serious?
