Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786302096224
Format: Closed-captioned
ISBN: 6302096227
Label: 20th Century Fox
Languages: Array
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: 1997-04-22
Running Time: 99
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Theatrical Release Date: 1991-02-08

Julia Roberts tries to escape an abusive husband by faking her death. But eventually her past catches up with her in this suspenseful and scary drama.
This 1991 thriller by Joseph Ruben (True Believer) works up to a point: Julia Roberts plays an abused wife who fakes her death and starts anew under a different identity in Iowa. Her psychopathic husband (Patrick Bergin) figures it out and stalks her and her new boyfriend (Kevin Anderson). The best part of the film is the moody isolation of Roberts's life with Bergin. Ruben ingeniously stakes out the story by presenting what looks like an ideal life between the two--a nice house on the ocean, a seemingly healthy sex life, etc.--and then, whammo! Vital to the plot but less interesting is everything afterward, but that's less an inherent script problem than it is obvious studio pressure to push Roberts as a cute star. There's even a sequence where the actress tries on a series of hats while Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl" plays on the soundtrack. Such insistent valentines to Roberts destroys most of Ruben's momentum and the film's credibility, and the project never quite recovers. --Tom Keogh

Customer Rating:
Summary: Well Done, Julia
Comment: This movie is suspensful from beginning to end. A fine dramatic performance presented by Julia Roberts.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: amazing performance with exciting twist
Comment: Some time ago I have watched this movie not once and not even twice. But I want to go back to watching it over again. Why? I've lived the story myself. It is not a fiction. It could be reality. And I believe there are many stories untold that are even more frightening. There are truly people out there who hide their persona well. And there are women out there for real who for their own reason get involved with individuals like those. I believe this movie was empowering to all open-minded people who can see beyond, who can empathize, who do not label or prejudge and who are on their journey of self-discovery. We all go through different experiences for a reason to learn and teach. Some people call it fate, some people call it a coincidence but always it ends with the kind of choices we make now and tomorrow.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Great service, great product
Comment: Prompt response from seller, and the DVD was in good working condition. I would use this seller again.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: If you've seen the film Enough, you know what to expect here...
Comment: While on vacation on the beach, housewife Laura fakes her own death to escape her obsessive compulsive and abusive husband, Martin. Laura has painstakingly planned her escape, knowing that if he finds her she's dead. She rebuilds her life in Iowa, where she's secreted away her mother and she begins to live an almost haphazard life, reveling in the fact that no one can tell her what to do. What she didn't plan for was her future, having no forged paperwork to get a new job and not even having established a new name. But this being a movie, everything works out for the best, and Laura (now Sarah) even begins seeing one of her neighbors. Only of course her husband finds her and she's forced to fight him one last time--this time for her life.

Sleeping with the Enemy is from the early 90s when Julia Roberts had established herself as America's sweetheart. It shows in this film. The opening scenes paint her as a beautiful woman with the perfect life. Vacation home on the beach, sexy husband, established domesticity. And then we see glimpses of her husband's neuroses, and finally see him hit her. I was rooting for her when she escapes him, even though I knew he'd find her soon enough. And when she began to reestablish her life, I was hoping that she could find love and learn to trust someone again (although, this being a movie, of course I knew she would). This film is enjoyable if you can forgive the weak plotting and transparency at times. If you've seen and enjoyed the film Enough, you know what to expect. And if you like that sort of thing, this one won't disappoint.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Almost makes a point.
Comment: Sleeping with the Enemy starring Julia Roberts deals with domestic violence but also starting a new life after such a horrible situation. Roberts pulls off a subtle and sympathetic performance, this movie was released right after the success of Pretty Woman. Roberts's character in the film fakes her own death to escape her abusive husband. Once her creep hubby realizes she is very much alive, he tracks her down and makes her life unbearable. I like this movie but it does have flaws, decide for yourself.

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