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Malice (film)
Encyclopedia
Malice is a 1993 American thriller film directed by Harold Becker
. The screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
and Scott Frank
is based on a story by Jonas McCord.
) and Tracy Safian (Nicole Kidman
) are a happily married couple living in a Victorian house
that they are restoring in the Boston
suburbs. He is the Associate Dean
at the local college, while his wife teaches art to children. When a student is attacked in her home by what appears to be a serial rapist, her life is saved by Dr. Jed Hill (Alec Baldwin
), a brilliant surgeon who has recently arrived at the area hospital. Andy recognizes Jed from high school and invites him to rent the third floor of their home in order to finance the new plumbing. With his propensity to bring home sexual partners and to party late into the night, he quickly proves himself to be a less-than-ideal tenant.
When student Paula Bell (Gwyneth Paltrow
) is attacked and killed, Andy finds her body in the garden behind her home, prompting detective Dana Harris (Bebe Neuwirth
) to view him as a possible suspect. While at the police station delivering a semen sample, Andy learns his wife has been hospitalized and is being operated on by Jed. In removing one of Tracy's ovaries
, which has ruptured due to a cyst
, Jed discovers Tracy is pregnant, but the stress of the procedure causes the fetus
to abort. Near the end of the surgery, another doctor notices that her other ovary is torsed
and appears necrotic. Jed talks to Andy, who has been in the waiting room, and advises him to agree to the removal of Tracy's second ovary, rather than risk her life; Andy painfully agrees, since this will mean that Tracy can never have children. Back in surgery, Jed overrules the protests of the other doctors that the ovary might still be healthy and removes it. When Jed later is told the second ovary was in fact healthy, he decides that, rather than bury the report, he will face the consequences of his actions.
At a deposition
, Jed's attorney Lester Adams (Josef Sommer
) learns his client had been drinking prior to the surgery. His case is not helped when Jed, during his testimony, responds to the accusation that he has a God complex
by declaring that as far as medicine is concerned, he is God. His insurance company settles with Tracy for $20 million, and she leaves Andy, whom she blames for the loss of her ability to ever have children.
Andy accidentally discovers that the serial rapist is Earl Leemus (Tobin Bell
), the college handyman, and apprehends him. After Andy tells Dana that Tracy had been pregnant before the surgery, she tells him that his semen sample indicated he is sterile
and couldn't have fathered Tracy's child. Andy confronts Tracy's lawyer, Dennis Riley (Peter Gallagher
), and accuses him of having impregnated Tracy and colluded with her. Riley denies everything and reveals that Tracy’s mother, whom Andy had been told was dead, might be able to offer him some insight.
Mrs. Kennsinger (Anne Bancroft
) tells Andy the truth about her supposedly sweet daughter: Tracy is a con artist. She had a relationship with a wealthy man who paid her to have an abortion, but Tracy kept the money and had it done illegally. Her mother also confirms Andy's suspicion that Tracy was pregnant by a Dr. David Lilianfield, who ultimately proves to be Jed, and Andy tracks them to a house where the two are living together.
Back at home, Andy discovers a hypodermic needle containing the fertility drug Perganol. He learns that an excess amount of the drug can cause painful ovarian cysts, and he realizes Tracy deliberately created her illness with Jed's help. An angry Andy confronts Tracy and tells her he wants half the money from the settlement. He also tells her that if he should meet with an unexpected death, a letter will immediately be sent to the police department, directing them to interview the young boy next door. He implies that the boy, whom they never met but whom they frequently saw sitting at his bedroom window, was a witness to Jed injecting Tracy with Perganol.
Tracy tells Jed about Andy's demands, and he tells her to give him what he wants. She refuses and says that she earned that money and that there was no way she was splitting it three ways. Tracy tells Jed that they have to get rid of the witness because that is the only bargaining chip that Andy has on them. He refuses and slaps her for suggesting murdering the boy. She attempts to pressure him into it by reminding him of his removing her ovaries. Jed attempts to walk away, but Tracy pulls a gun and shoots him.
That night, Tracy waits until the nurse next door leaves, lures Andy away from his house with a misleading phone call, then breaks in and tries to smother the boy. When she wraps some cellophane around his face from behind, she realizes that it's a dummy and she has been set up. Andy surprises her, and they fight until Detective Harris, who was disguised as the nurse, returns and arrests Tracy. As Tracy is led away, she sees the boy and his mother return. It is revealed that the boy is, in fact, blind.
, Holyoke
, and Northampton
in Massachusetts
. Smith College
was the setting used for Andy's college.
Michael Hirsh
and Patrick Loubert
, two of the co-founders of Canadian animation studio Nelvana
, worked as executive producers on the film.
Malice opened on 1,431 screens in the U.S. on October 1, 1993 and grossed $9,232,650 on its opening weekend, ranking #1 at the box office. It eventually earned a total of $46,405,336 in the US.
of the Chicago Sun-Times
called the film "one of the busiest movies I've ever seen, a film jampacked with characters and incidents and blind alleys and red herrings. Offhand, this is the only movie I can recall in which an entire subplot about a serial killer is thrown in simply for atmosphere." He added, "I can't go into detail without revealing vital secrets. Yet after the movie is over and you try to think through those secrets, you get into really deep molasses . . . Malice was directed by Harold Becker, whose credits include the splendid films The Onion Field
and Sea of Love, and he milks this material for a great deal more than it is worth."
Peter Travers
of Rolling Stone
observed, "Goaded on by writer Aaron Sorkin, who could run a red-herring factory, the actors work to keep you guessing long after you've caught on. No one shows any shame about going over the top, especially Anne Bancroft in an Oscar-begging cameo as Tracy's mother. Perhaps director Harold Becker thought flashy acting could distract us from the gaping plot holes. Becker gets so intent on confusing us, he forgets to give us characters to care about . . . It's got suspense but no staying power."
Timothy M. Gray of Variety
said, "The immaculately crafted Malice is a virtual scrapbook of elements borrowed from other suspense pix, but no less enjoyable for being so familiar. [It] should tickle audiences who want to be entertained without being challenged . . . Some of the plotting gets plodding . . . but on the whole, the script does what it set out to do, and if the filmmakers didn't worry about these things, neither should you . . . After listless performances in such pics as Days of Thunder
and Far and Away
, Aussie
Kidman, who here uses a flawless American accent, proves her strengths as an actress, and Baldwin mixes menace, sex and humor in another terrific performance."
episode "St. Valentine's Day
", Jack Donaghy
, portrayed by Baldwin, confesses to a priest that he once said "I am God" during a deposition. This is a reference to a famous line by Jed Hill, Baldwin's character in this film.
Harold Becker
Harold Becker is American film director and producer from New York.-Biography:After studying art and photography at the Pratt Institute, Becker began his career as a still photographer, but later tried his hand at directing television commercials, short films and documentaries...
. The screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
Aaron Sorkin
Aaron Benjamin Sorkin is an Academy and Emmy award winning American screenwriter, producer, and playwright, whose works include A Few Good Men, The American President, The West Wing, Sports Night, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, The Social Network, and Moneyball.After graduating from Syracuse...
and Scott Frank
Scott Frank
Scott Frank is an American screenwriter & director.- Filmography :*Plain Clothes *Dead Again *Little Man Tate *Malice *Get Shorty...
is based on a story by Jonas McCord.
Plot
Andy (Bill PullmanBill Pullman
William James "Bill" Pullman is an American film, television, and stage actor. Pullman made his film debut in the supporting role of Earl Mott in the 1986 film Ruthless People. He has since gone on to star in other films, including Spaceballs, Independence Day, Lost Highway, Casper and Scary Movie 4...
) and Tracy Safian (Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm...
) are a happily married couple living in a Victorian house
Victorian house
In the United Kingdom, and former British colonies, a Victorian house generally means any house built during the reign of Queen Victoria...
that they are restoring in the Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
suburbs. He is the Associate Dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
at the local college, while his wife teaches art to children. When a student is attacked in her home by what appears to be a serial rapist, her life is saved by Dr. Jed Hill (Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
), a brilliant surgeon who has recently arrived at the area hospital. Andy recognizes Jed from high school and invites him to rent the third floor of their home in order to finance the new plumbing. With his propensity to bring home sexual partners and to party late into the night, he quickly proves himself to be a less-than-ideal tenant.
When student Paula Bell (Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Kate Paltrow is an American actress and singer. She made her acting debut on stage in 1990 and started appearing in films in 1991. After appearing in several films throughout the decade, Paltrow gained early notice for her work in films such as Se7en and Emma...
) is attacked and killed, Andy finds her body in the garden behind her home, prompting detective Dana Harris (Bebe Neuwirth
Bebe Neuwirth
Beatrice "Bebe" Neuwirth is an American actress, singer and dancer. She has worked in television and is known for her portrayal of Dr. Lilith Sternin, Dr. Frasier Crane's wife , on both the TV sitcom Cheers , and its spin-off Frasier...
) to view him as a possible suspect. While at the police station delivering a semen sample, Andy learns his wife has been hospitalized and is being operated on by Jed. In removing one of Tracy's ovaries
Ovary
The ovary is an ovum-producing reproductive organ, often found in pairs as part of the vertebrate female reproductive system. Ovaries in anatomically female individuals are analogous to testes in anatomically male individuals, in that they are both gonads and endocrine glands.-Human anatomy:Ovaries...
, which has ruptured due to a cyst
Cyst
A cyst is a closed sac, having a distinct membrane and division on the nearby tissue. It may contain air, fluids, or semi-solid material. A collection of pus is called an abscess, not a cyst. Once formed, a cyst could go away on its own or may have to be removed through surgery.- Locations :* Acne...
, Jed discovers Tracy is pregnant, but the stress of the procedure causes the fetus
Fetus
A fetus is a developing mammal or other viviparous vertebrate after the embryonic stage and before birth.In humans, the fetal stage of prenatal development starts at the beginning of the 11th week in gestational age, which is the 9th week after fertilization.-Etymology and spelling variations:The...
to abort. Near the end of the surgery, another doctor notices that her other ovary is torsed
Ovarian torsion
Ovarian torsion refers to the rotation of the ovary to such a degree as to occlude the ovarian artery and/or vein.-Epidemiology:Ovarian torsion accounts for about 3% of gynecologic emergencies. In 70 percent, it is diagnosed in women between 20 and 39 years. The risk is greater during pregnancy...
and appears necrotic. Jed talks to Andy, who has been in the waiting room, and advises him to agree to the removal of Tracy's second ovary, rather than risk her life; Andy painfully agrees, since this will mean that Tracy can never have children. Back in surgery, Jed overrules the protests of the other doctors that the ovary might still be healthy and removes it. When Jed later is told the second ovary was in fact healthy, he decides that, rather than bury the report, he will face the consequences of his actions.
At a deposition
Deposition (law)
In the law of the United States, a deposition is the out-of-court oral testimony of a witness that is reduced to writing for later use in court or for discovery purposes. It is commonly used in litigation in the United States and Canada and is almost always conducted outside of court by the...
, Jed's attorney Lester Adams (Josef Sommer
Josef Sommer
Josef Sommer is an American film actor.He was born Maximilian Josef Sommer in Greifswald, Germany and was raised in North Carolina, the son of Elisabeth and Clemons Sommer, a professor of art history at the University of North Carolina. He studied at the Carnegie Institute of Technology...
) learns his client had been drinking prior to the surgery. His case is not helped when Jed, during his testimony, responds to the accusation that he has a God complex
God complex
A god complex is an unshakable belief characterized by consistently inflated feelings of personal ability, privilege, or infallibility. A person with a god complex may refuse to admit the possibility of error or failure, even in the face of complex or intractable problems or difficult or impossible...
by declaring that as far as medicine is concerned, he is God. His insurance company settles with Tracy for $20 million, and she leaves Andy, whom she blames for the loss of her ability to ever have children.
Andy accidentally discovers that the serial rapist is Earl Leemus (Tobin Bell
Tobin Bell
Tobin Bell is an American film and television character actor. After years of work doing stand-ins and background work on films, he got his first major acting job in Mississippi Burning and went on to star in made-for-television films and guest star in television shows throughout the 1990s.Bell...
), the college handyman, and apprehends him. After Andy tells Dana that Tracy had been pregnant before the surgery, she tells him that his semen sample indicated he is sterile
Male infertility
Male infertility refers to the inability of a male to achieve a pregnancy in a fertile female. In humans it accounts for 40-50% of infertility. Male infertility is commonly due to deficiencies in the semen, and semen quality is used as a surrogate measure of male fecundity.-Pre-testicular...
and couldn't have fathered Tracy's child. Andy confronts Tracy's lawyer, Dennis Riley (Peter Gallagher
Peter Gallagher
Peter Killian Gallagher is an American actor, musician and writer. Since 1980, Gallagher has played many roles in numerous Hollywood films. He starred as Sandy Cohen in the television drama series The O.C. from 2003 to 2007...
), and accuses him of having impregnated Tracy and colluded with her. Riley denies everything and reveals that Tracy’s mother, whom Andy had been told was dead, might be able to offer him some insight.
Mrs. Kennsinger (Anne Bancroft
Anne Bancroft
Anne Bancroft was an American actress associated with the Method acting school, which she had studied under Lee Strasberg....
) tells Andy the truth about her supposedly sweet daughter: Tracy is a con artist. She had a relationship with a wealthy man who paid her to have an abortion, but Tracy kept the money and had it done illegally. Her mother also confirms Andy's suspicion that Tracy was pregnant by a Dr. David Lilianfield, who ultimately proves to be Jed, and Andy tracks them to a house where the two are living together.
Back at home, Andy discovers a hypodermic needle containing the fertility drug Perganol. He learns that an excess amount of the drug can cause painful ovarian cysts, and he realizes Tracy deliberately created her illness with Jed's help. An angry Andy confronts Tracy and tells her he wants half the money from the settlement. He also tells her that if he should meet with an unexpected death, a letter will immediately be sent to the police department, directing them to interview the young boy next door. He implies that the boy, whom they never met but whom they frequently saw sitting at his bedroom window, was a witness to Jed injecting Tracy with Perganol.
Tracy tells Jed about Andy's demands, and he tells her to give him what he wants. She refuses and says that she earned that money and that there was no way she was splitting it three ways. Tracy tells Jed that they have to get rid of the witness because that is the only bargaining chip that Andy has on them. He refuses and slaps her for suggesting murdering the boy. She attempts to pressure him into it by reminding him of his removing her ovaries. Jed attempts to walk away, but Tracy pulls a gun and shoots him.
That night, Tracy waits until the nurse next door leaves, lures Andy away from his house with a misleading phone call, then breaks in and tries to smother the boy. When she wraps some cellophane around his face from behind, she realizes that it's a dummy and she has been set up. Andy surprises her, and they fight until Detective Harris, who was disguised as the nurse, returns and arrests Tracy. As Tracy is led away, she sees the boy and his mother return. It is revealed that the boy is, in fact, blind.
Cast
- Alec BaldwinAlec BaldwinAlexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
..... Jed Hill - Nicole KidmanNicole KidmanNicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm...
..... Tracy Safian - Bill PullmanBill PullmanWilliam James "Bill" Pullman is an American film, television, and stage actor. Pullman made his film debut in the supporting role of Earl Mott in the 1986 film Ruthless People. He has since gone on to star in other films, including Spaceballs, Independence Day, Lost Highway, Casper and Scary Movie 4...
..... Andy Safian - Bebe NeuwirthBebe NeuwirthBeatrice "Bebe" Neuwirth is an American actress, singer and dancer. She has worked in television and is known for her portrayal of Dr. Lilith Sternin, Dr. Frasier Crane's wife , on both the TV sitcom Cheers , and its spin-off Frasier...
..... Dana Harris - Anne BancroftAnne BancroftAnne Bancroft was an American actress associated with the Method acting school, which she had studied under Lee Strasberg....
..... Mrs. Kennsinger - Peter GallagherPeter GallagherPeter Killian Gallagher is an American actor, musician and writer. Since 1980, Gallagher has played many roles in numerous Hollywood films. He starred as Sandy Cohen in the television drama series The O.C. from 2003 to 2007...
..... Dennis Riley - Josef SommerJosef SommerJosef Sommer is an American film actor.He was born Maximilian Josef Sommer in Greifswald, Germany and was raised in North Carolina, the son of Elisabeth and Clemons Sommer, a professor of art history at the University of North Carolina. He studied at the Carnegie Institute of Technology...
..... Lester Adams - George C. ScottGeorge C. ScottGeorge Campbell Scott was an American stage and film actor, director and producer. He was best known for his stage work, as well as his portrayal of General George S. Patton in the film Patton, and as General Buck Turgidson in Stanley Kubrick's Dr...
..... Dr. Martin Kessler - Tobin BellTobin BellTobin Bell is an American film and television character actor. After years of work doing stand-ins and background work on films, he got his first major acting job in Mississippi Burning and went on to star in made-for-television films and guest star in television shows throughout the 1990s.Bell...
..... Earl Leemus - Debrah FarentinoDebrah FarentinoDebrah Farentino is an American model and actress.-Early life:Farentino was born Deborah Mullowney in Lucas Valley, California. She attended Miller Creek Junior High School, and Terra Linda High School in San Rafael, California...
..... Nurse Tanya - Gwyneth PaltrowGwyneth PaltrowGwyneth Kate Paltrow is an American actress and singer. She made her acting debut on stage in 1990 and started appearing in films in 1991. After appearing in several films throughout the decade, Paltrow gained early notice for her work in films such as Se7en and Emma...
..... Paula Bell - Brenda StrongBrenda StrongBrenda Lee Strong is an American actress and yoga instructor, known for her roles as as Capt. Deladier in the 1997 hit movie Starship Troopers and Mary Alice Young on the television show Desperate Housewives....
..... Claudia, Riley's Secretary
Production
Malice was shot on location in Boston, AmherstAmherst, Massachusetts
Amherst is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States in the Connecticut River valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 37,819, making it the largest community in Hampshire County . The town is home to Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts...
, Holyoke
Holyoke, Massachusetts
Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range of mountains. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 39,880...
, and Northampton
Northampton, Massachusetts
The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Northampton's central neighborhoods, was 28,549...
in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Smith College
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
was the setting used for Andy's college.
Michael Hirsh
Michael Hirsh (producer)
Michael Hirsh is a Belgian-born Canadian citizen. He has been a significant figure in the Canadian television industry, or more specifically children's programming, since the 1980s.-Personal life:...
and Patrick Loubert
Patrick Loubert
Patrick Loubert was one of the founders of the Canadian animation studio, Nelvana Limited, along with Clive A. Smith and Michael Hirsh. He has produced, and executive-produced, much of the company's most memorable fare....
, two of the co-founders of Canadian animation studio Nelvana
Nelvana
Nelvana Limited is a Canadian entertainment company founded in 1971 known for its work in children's animation. It was named by founders Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert and Clive A. Smith after a Canadian comic book superheroine created by Adrian Dingle in the 1940s...
, worked as executive producers on the film.
Malice opened on 1,431 screens in the U.S. on October 1, 1993 and grossed $9,232,650 on its opening weekend, ranking #1 at the box office. It eventually earned a total of $46,405,336 in the US.
Critical reception
Roger EbertRoger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
of the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
called the film "one of the busiest movies I've ever seen, a film jampacked with characters and incidents and blind alleys and red herrings. Offhand, this is the only movie I can recall in which an entire subplot about a serial killer is thrown in simply for atmosphere." He added, "I can't go into detail without revealing vital secrets. Yet after the movie is over and you try to think through those secrets, you get into really deep molasses . . . Malice was directed by Harold Becker, whose credits include the splendid films The Onion Field
The Onion Field (film)
The Onion Field is a 1979 American drama film directed by Harold Becker. The screenplay by Joseph Wambaugh is based on his 1973 true crime novel of the same title...
and Sea of Love, and he milks this material for a great deal more than it is worth."
Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Peter Travers is an American film critic, who has written for, in turn, People and Rolling Stone. Travers also hosts a celebrity interview show called Popcorn on ABC News Now and ABCNews.com.-Career:...
of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
observed, "Goaded on by writer Aaron Sorkin, who could run a red-herring factory, the actors work to keep you guessing long after you've caught on. No one shows any shame about going over the top, especially Anne Bancroft in an Oscar-begging cameo as Tracy's mother. Perhaps director Harold Becker thought flashy acting could distract us from the gaping plot holes. Becker gets so intent on confusing us, he forgets to give us characters to care about . . . It's got suspense but no staying power."
Timothy M. Gray of Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
said, "The immaculately crafted Malice is a virtual scrapbook of elements borrowed from other suspense pix, but no less enjoyable for being so familiar. [It] should tickle audiences who want to be entertained without being challenged . . . Some of the plotting gets plodding . . . but on the whole, the script does what it set out to do, and if the filmmakers didn't worry about these things, neither should you . . . After listless performances in such pics as Days of Thunder
Days of Thunder
Days of Thunder is a 1990 American auto racing film released by Paramount Pictures, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Tony Scott. The cast includes Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes and Michael Rooker. The film also features appearances...
and Far and Away
Far and Away
Far and Away is a 1992 adventure-drama-romance film directed by Ron Howard from a script by Howard and Bob Dolman, and stars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. Cinematography by Mikael Salomon, with a music score by John Williams...
, Aussie
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
Kidman, who here uses a flawless American accent, proves her strengths as an actress, and Baldwin mixes menace, sex and humor in another terrific performance."
Cultural references
In the 30 Rock30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
episode "St. Valentine's Day
St. Valentine's Day (30 Rock)
"St. Valentine's Day" is the eleventh episode of the third season, and forty-seventh episode overall, of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by co-executive producer Jack Burditt and series' creator, executive producer and lead actress Tina Fey. The director of this...
", Jack Donaghy
Jack Donaghy
John Francis "Jack" Donaghy is a fictional character on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. He is the Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming for General Electric and later Kabletown....
, portrayed by Baldwin, confesses to a priest that he once said "I am God" during a deposition. This is a reference to a famous line by Jed Hill, Baldwin's character in this film.