SUSAN’S PLAN
US, 1998, 89 minutes, Colour.
Nastassja Kinski, Billy Zane, Michael Biehn, Rob Schneider, Lara Flynn Boyle, Thomas Haden Church, Bill Duke, Lisa Edelstein, Adrian Paul, Sheree North, Dan Aykroyd, Joey Travolta.
Directed by John Landis.
Susan’s Plan received quite dismissive reviews. However, it has a very strong cast indeed who do their best with the corner and at times farcical material.
Susan’s plan is simply to utilise an insurance investigator and a number of her friends and associates in killing her husband for the insurance money. The plan goes awry on several occasions and the husband survives until the end of the film. However, just to tantalise the audience, the screenplay includes quite a number of dreams in which the plan goes even further awry. There are some touches of humour here.
The film was written and directed by John Landis who achieved some kind of cult status with his films in the 1970s especially Animal House and The Blues Brothers as well as An American Werewolf in London. He was successful during the 1980s with such films as Trading Places, Into the Night, Three Amigos and Coming to America. However, on looking at his films of the 1990s, one can see that Susan’s Plan is not an exception to poor films. In the 90s his films include Innocent Blood, Beverly Hills Cop 3, The Stupids and Blues Brothers 2000. In the next decade he did very little except some work for television.
However, Landis did have a good reputation for popular and satirical comedy and draws upon this talent here. It is a pity that the film is not more successful.
The cast is very strong and quite eclectic. The person who comes out best in performance is Lara Flynn Boyle with a quite witty interpretation of Susan’s friend with a touch of the callgirl. Billy Zane plays inept rather well, Michael Biehn plays gangster without conscience but with a hearty appetite, Rob Schneider does his usual shtick in a quite different film, Thomas Haden Church is the star-struck doctor, Nastassja Kinski always brings a good presence to a film – and this was the last film for veteran Sheree North.
1.Successful comedy? Or not? Critics’ hostility? The film receiving little release?
2.The Los Angeles settings, homes, hospitals, restaurants? Authentic atmosphere – with the touch of farce?
3.The strong cast, their contribution? Star turns?
4.The writing, the farcical nature of the story, the characters, the interactions? Conscience and lack of conscience? Suggestions of violence?
5.The farcical aspects of the screenplay, the plan, its execution, things going wrong? The insertion of the various nightmares – how effective?
6.Susan, the romantic beginning, audiences misinterpreting it, the signal for the murder plan to go ahead? Susan and her resentment of Paul? Wanting him killed? Collaboration with Sam and the insurance plan? Getting Bill and Steve to do the shooting – and it being inept? The investigations by Detective Scott? The gradual revelation of all the others in on the plan and their relationship with Susan? Betty as Susan’s friend? Her getting Bob to be stand-in for the murder?
7.Detective Scott, the questions, his investigation, having the house under surveillance, catching the criminals?
8.Sam, his relationship with Susan, his indecisiveness, his going to work, Penny as his ex-wife, wanting the alimony, guessing what he was up to, wanting to be part of it? The irony of her father having a heart attack, their going to the hospital, the same hospital with Paul? The various farcical aspects in the hospital, Bob and the murder, the various people in the room? Rushing into Penny’s father’s room? The comeuppance for Sam and Penny?
9.Bill and Steve, Steve and his trying to sell cars, his being fired, Bill getting him the new job? Their relationship with Sam? The diner and the discussion about the plan, the guns? Bill and his supreme confidence, lack of conscience? Steve and no conscience, being seduced by Betty? Their holding up Paul, taking the briefcase, the shooting? His not dying? The aftermath, the concern, the meeting and the eating? At the hospital? The farcical adventures in the hospital?
10.Betty, her seeming innocence, her setting up Paul, the promise of one hundred thousand dollars, her relationship with Steve, saying she knew he loved her? Her previous relationship with Bob? His jealousy? Her being ordered to chat up the doctor, her manner, Chris falling for her, going out, the sex, her putting pressure on him about the room? The irony of her getting out quickly? Going to Las Vegas – and the irony of Chris and his wife meeting her there?
11.Harold Byers, his heart attack, in the hospital, Mrs Byers – and her being killed in the nightmares?
12.Bob, Dan Aykroyd and his comic style, the humourless Bob, in the bar, drinking, getting rid of the neighbour? Going to the hospital, the murder? The shoot-out in the street?
13.Paul, sleazy, relationship with Susan, with Betty? In the hospital, chatting people up? The different Paul in Betty’s nightmares? His eventually being killed?
14.The gallery of minor characters, at the hospital, at work?
15.The potential for this kind of comedy, black comedy? Not fulfilling its potential?
