To Die For (1995)

Director:

Gus Van Sant

Writers (WGA):

Joyce Maynard (book)
Buck Henry (screenplay)

Release Date:

6 October 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

All she wanted was a little attention.

Plot:

Suzanne Stone is an aspiring TV personality who will do anything to be in the spotlight- including enlisting 3 teenagers to kill her husband.

Plot Keywords:

Television | Unfaithfulness | Italian Restaurant | Seduction | Weatherwoman

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 6 wins & 9 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Tue. Jan. 5	10:00 PM	SHOW
Mon. Jan. 11	3:45 PM	SHOW

Cast

Nicole Kidman	...	Suzanne Stone Maretto
Matt Dillon	...	Larry Maretto
Joaquin Phoenix	...	Jimmy Emmett
Casey Affleck	...	Russel Hines
Illeana Douglas	...	Janice Maretto
Alison Folland	...	Lydia Mertz
Dan Hedaya	...	Joe Maretto
Wayne Knight	...	Ed Grant
Kurtwood Smith	...	Earl Stone
Holland Taylor	...	Carol Stone
Susan Traylor	...	Faye Stone
Maria Tucci	...	Angela Maretto
Tim Hopper	...	Mike Warden
Michael Rispoli	...	Ben DeLuca
Buck Henry	...	Mr. H. Finlaysson

Also Known As:

Prête à tout (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Todo por un sueño (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Умереть во имя (Russia) [ru]
Da morire (Italy) [it]
Disposta a Tudo (Portugal) [pt]
Etoimi gia ola (Greece) [el]
Hinnalla millä hyvänsä (Finland) [fi]
Majd' megdöglik érte (Hungary) [hu]
Sonsuz ihtiras (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Till varje pris (Sweden) [sv]
To Die For (Germany) [de]
Tot per un somni (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
Um Sonho Sem Limites (Brazil) [pt]
Za wszelka cene (Poland) [pl]
Zenska za umret (Slovenia) [sl]

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexual content, and for language.

Runtime:

106 min | Argentina:110 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:12 | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-15 (DVD rating) | Finland:K-16 (original rating) | Germany:12 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Brampton, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The story is set in New Hampshire, but filming took place almost entirely in and around Toronto. Torontonian director David Cronenberg appears in a cameo ("man at the lake").

Goofs:

Errors in geography: This story takes place in Little Hope, NH. Early in the movie, a newspaper article entitled "Sex, Violence and the Weather" shows a map of southern New Hampshire, with an arrow pointing to Little Hope. But the arrow actually points to a location in Massachusetts.

Quotes:

Suzanne Stone Maretto: Good Evening, from the WWEN Weather Center!
Ed Grant: [to himself] Weather Center?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "At the Movies: Summer Special 2008/09" (2008)

Soundtrack:

ALL BY MYSELF

Black comedy at its finest

This is black comedy at its finest,a wonderfully incisive film.I've seen it many times and it gets better with every viewing.This is one of Gus Van Sants best films,right up there with Drugstore Cowboy.This was the film that proved Nicole Kidman was a force to be reckoned with.Its a brutally good part,and she doesn't waste it.Giving a genuinely unhinged performance,as well as a jaw droppingly sexy one.The performances are all excellent though,Dillon plays the poor dumb schmuck who doesen't know what he's let himself in for with ease.Joaquin Phoenix is great as probably the dimmest character in movie history!Best of all is Illeana Douglas as Dillons wonderfully cynical sister."What did i first think of her?-Four letters beginning with 'c',you know......cold!" This is beautifully put together using mock docu footage,flashbacks,and straight filmaking.Clever,intelligent,and razor sharp,films like this are all to rare.Look out for director David Cronenberg,in a wickedly good cameo!