Movie Description Laura (Julia Roberts) and Martin (Patrick Bergen) have the appearance of a perfect marriage, but shortly into the film it becomes apparent that Laura's presence in their opulent home and decadent lifestyle is as decoration and servant. Moreover, Martin is obsessive, anally clean and ruling tyrannically over his wife; she lives in fear of the brutal punishment that descends when the canned goods are imperfectly lined up or the towels hang unevenly. Through an elaborate plan, Laura stages her own death and escapes to start anew in a small Iowa town, where her next door neighbor's efforts at friendship and burgeoning love slowly chip away at her armor of distrust. But just as Laura begins to relax into her new existence, her past resurfaces in a chilling climax.
| Credits | | Cast: | Claudette Nevins, Elizabeth Lawrence, Kyle Secor |
Notes Color by DeLuxe; locations included Wilmington, North Carolina, and Spartanburg, Abbeville and Clinton, South Carolina.
Estimated budget $20 million.
Michael London is credited as executive in charge of production.
One of the film's advertising tag-lines was: "She changed her name. Her looks. Her life. All to escape the most dangerous man she's ever met. Her husband."
In the early stages of the project, Kim Basinger and Aidan Quinn were offered the lead acting roles.
Rated BBFC 18 by the British Board of Film Censors., DVD Features:
Region 1 Keep Case Additional Release Material: Featurette Trailer
Editorial Reviews "...Roberts remains a marvel..." Rolling Stone - p.90 - Peter Travers
"...[Roberts's] most wide-ranging performance..." Entertainment Weekly - pp.84-5 - Glenn Kenny
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