MovieChat Forums > A Kiss Before Dying (1991) Discussion > So bad it's good- great trash **(SPOILER...

So bad it's good- great trash **(SPOILERS)

posted 17 years ago by ivoriesman
9 replies | jump to latest

Just watched this on HBO. I don't know which was worse: the cardboard acting, the stilted dialogue, or the implausible plot contrivances and preposterous story conveniences. It actually makes this crappy movie unintentionally entertaining. It's no wonder River Phoenix refused the role, and Bridget Fonda dropped out of it. Even she realized it was a turkey, before getting in too deep.
So we're suppose to believe:
-Jonathan/"Jay" (Matt Dillon) manages to keep his true identity hidden from everyone, including Dorothy and Ellen's father, despite that Daddy is one of the most powerful and wealthiest men in the world, and who therefore investigates every guy his daughters date. Instead, big Daddy quickly approves of Ellen's boyfriend, "Jay", and takes him at face value, without checking him out, despite the fact that this is the one who's marrying his daughter. Doesn't make sense.
- It doesn't make big Daddy or Ellen at all curious that "Jay" has no friends or family not even at least show up at the wedding? He makes up the story about his folks dying in a plane crash - but no one else in his family seems to exist? No siblings? No cousins? No friends? No personal life that existed before he waltzed into Ellen's life? (Ellen and Jay do finally run into an old friend of the former "Jonathan's" in a bar at one point, who recognizes him, but it comes a little late, is fleeting, and bears no threat or consequence.)
-When Dorothy's former boyfriend, who was about to show Ellen the yearbook picture exposing Jonathan, gets murdered by Jonathan, it didn't occur to Ellen to then go to the library and start looking through the yearbook herself, go through the yearbook with Dorothy's friends, those who saw the suspected mystery boyfriend, and have them look through the yearbook to identify Dorothy's boyfriend, and thereby reveal to Ellen what it took her the entire movie to finally figure out?
- How does Jonathan conveniently manage to always be in the right place at the right time to protect himself? He seems to have the luxury of following Ellen's every move, he happens to be there to intercept incriminating phone calls, etc, he suddenly shows up at his Mom's house (a wasted Diane Ladd) just when Ellen decides to find her way there, though he's supposed to be working full-time at her father's company? Oh, yeah, you'd also think Jonathan would've gone back to Mom's house a long time ago and destroy all those old newspaper clippings in the trunk, and cover his tracks. (Nice tired cliche, by the way: obsessed bad guy compiling newspaper clippings.)
- When Ellen finally realizes she got married to her sister's murderer, you would think she would run to the bathroom hysterically and be sick to her stomach. Instead, Sean Young reacts with little more than a mild stoic whimper. Oh, and while we're on the subject of bad acting, Martha Gehman (Patricia) may truly be one of the most irritating and terrible actresses I've ever witnessed. When she gets murdered, I wanted to applaude. (Maybe that was the filmmakers intention.)
- The over-the-top, incessant, melodramatic music score, only indicates that even the filmmakers and studo knew this picture needed all the help it could get. But not even a symphonic masterpiece would cover-up a movie this weak. I could go on.... All that being said, this is so bad it's hilariously entertaining, and on that level, I highly recommend it.

[–] roodlemania 14 years ago

agreed, on all points! thats what makes it a classic, trashy, so bad its good movie and one of my favorites.

[–] jeflid97 14 years ago

I just watched it today and I must say that this movie is so ridiculous, however, I could not stop myself from watching it. In fact, I was so riveted that I ate 2 sleeves of oreos and drank almost a gallon of 1%.

[–] roodlemania 14 years ago

i wish it was on every day. maybe i should just buy it.

[–] ereinion 14 years ago

The plot is so thin you can cut it with a butterknife.

My theory on Feds is that they're like mushrooms: feed them *beep* keep them in the dark.

[–] cookiela2001 13 years ago

<< I just watched it today and I must say that this movie is so ridiculous, however, I could not stop myself from watching it. In fact, I was so riveted that I ate 2 sleeves of oreos and drank almost a gallon of 1%. >>

I know. There's a whole list of junky movies I can watch over and over again. They're kind of like Muzak...but better. They make no demands on you.

The first two points in the OP work in the book because it's set in the 1950's, before there was so much easy and available background information about everyone. Back then you kind of had to accept people at face value. Also, it was stressed in the book that Mr. Kingman had alienated all three of his daughters, so they're almost hooking up with this handsome stranger as an act of defiance.

[–] burnplant 13 years ago

You are so right on. I could add to your stuff, but instead I'll just say that I can't turn this off when I come across it. So terrible. So great.

I saw it in a theater when it was first released...on a date...and on LSD!

Hahahaha

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] JackForrester 13 years ago

It seems that you underestimate this movie so much that you didn't even bothered to pay attention to it. Most of the "serious flaws" that you mentioned are very well clarified by the plot. Here it goes:

- Ellen's father (Thor) didn't investigated Jonathan/Jay's life because they properly met and he approved Jonathan. All the former boyfriends investigated by him were unknown secret boyfriends. Not to mention that Thor and Ellen had a very delicate relationship. After losing his entire family to tragedies, Ellen was all he had left. To hire someone to investigate Ellen's dream boyfriend could jeopardize their relationship forever. And Jonathan was acting on his best interest, trying to bring him and Ellen closer. On the contrary, to hire someone to check him out would make no sense.

- They're not curious about Jonathan's lack of family and friends because Jonathan told Ellen his father was a diplomate. According to this, his family was always moving around and he never grew roots anywhere, to have long lasting friendships. As for cousins and aunts, I have distant cousins and aunts that I don't see or speak to since I was a kid, I don't think I would invite them to my wedding.

- It didn't occur to Ellen to go check the yearbook in the nearest library because she was sure that the hanged guy was the killer. He was found hanged, next to a note confessing the crime and apologizing. Pretty convincing in my opinion.

- Jonathan was already suspicious that Ellen was on to him. Her distant, cold behavior, her lies, catching her talking to a private investigator on the phone, etc. Obviously he decided to follow her to see what was going on. As for working full time in the company, he owned her dad by then, he could make an excuse to take the day/afternoon off.

I do agree that Sean Young's acting is dreadful. She looks bored and tired the whole movie. I wish Bridget Fonda had took the role.
As for River Phoenix, the dropping out was a good thing. He had this rebel boyish look that wouldn't go well for the part of a cold psychopath. Matt Dillon looked more centered and mature, a happier choice in my opinion.
I think this movie was an average thriller for its time. Compared to some other thrillers of the early 90's (such as "Malice", "Final Analysis" and "Body of Evidence") I'd even call it a thumbs up.

[–] franzkabuki 10 years ago

"Because they properly met and he approved Jonathan".

Sorry, but it still doesn't make sense for him to be ultra suspicious of the former boyfriends yet completely blase about Jay/Jonathan, even though the very fact he had no relatives and his past was overshadowed by a major cataclysm, should have made him at least somewhat curious. It's not like the two were going on a field trip together, he was marrying off his only remaining daughter to him, for chrissakes! Some delicate background check would have been very much expected there - without telling Ellen, obviously.

"His family was always moving around and he never grew roots anywhere".

Still, not a single soul present would, again, make Ellen and especially his father a little curious at the very least.

"He was found hanged, next to a note confessing the crime".

The whole idea that the guy would have committed suicide where and when he apparently did, defies belief. The guy was off the hook and no one forced him to even mention the yearbook or go looking for it. Besides, don't the cops in Philadelphia ever think of checking whether the handwriting on suicide notes matches the handwriting of the deceased?

facts are stupid things - Ronald Reagan