Serial Mom
Kathleen Turner is one of the best actresses of her time. She showed her action ability in Romancing the Stone. But here, she shows a side of her that I have never seen before. I love it! She has outdone herself portraying Beverly Sutphin in Serial Mom. The movie is based on a true story but I doubt it was this strange. Director John Waters, who is known for his outrageous style of directing, makes the case seem more comedic than it probably was. But it really works and Turner adds another outstanding performance to her list.
The movie opens with the cheesy "commercial" family. They all smile and ask "please" for things. They can't chew gum because it is annoying and they can't eat unhealthy foods. It is the American dream family...well, sort of. The police come by and ask them about an obscene phone caller and they are outraged by it. However, when the police leave, Beverly walks upstairs and dials the phone. Little do we know or expect, she is the obscene phone caller!
The police begin to look into Beverly when a drug user spots her running over her son's math teacher with her car. Everyone soon begins to think Mom isn't what they thought she was. She soon goes around killing people that just do things that annoy her. The phone call is to get back at Dottie Hinkle for taking her space at a grocery store. She runs the teacher down because he insults her son Chip. She kills her daughter's boyfriend after he stands her up (in, might I add, a gruesome and horrible bathroom scene).
As is, anyone that witnesses her crimes are either drug users or stupid. Or she just plain kills them. In my favorite scene in the entire movie, she chases Scottie on foot with a knife. I don't know why I like it so much... I guess it is just a cool scene. The chase ends up in murder as she burns him to death. The scene in Hammerjacks is actually hilarious, though the music sucks.
So comes the big trial, and yes, that is Patricia Hearst as Juror #8. She defends herself and makes all the witnesses' testimonies seem vague or non-existent. The man who witnessed the murder (sort of) of Carl in the men's room has a fun time forgetting his testimony. The things going outside the trial are also wonderfully funny. They sell books, T-shirts, and buttons about her.
The acting is magnificent, especially by Kathleen Turner. She has a lot of fun with this character as she turns from an angelic mother, to a satanic killer. Turner is probably the only actress who could have pulled this off. Her face turns from this big smile to an evil frown in a second. She is perfect for the part. The supporting cast is also wonderful, including Ricki Lake as the overweight daughter, Sam Waterson as the caring but suspicious husband, Matthew Lillard as the horror freak son, and Justin Whalin as the friend who doesn't wear his seatbelt. There are even appearances by the director and Suzanne Somers.
Serial Mom is rated R. It has a lot of violence and gore, a lot of language (especially on the obscene phone call), and some nudity (from the porno crazy Whalin). Drugs are shown in the movie but they aren't flaunted. Instead, they are shown that if you use them, you become a ditsy and out-of-it slob. However, the movie is very violent and gruesome but Turner is worth the money.