She-Devil (1989)

She-Devil is a 1989 American black comedy film directed by Susan Seidelman & starred Meryl Streep, Ed Begley Jr., and Roseanne Barr (in her feature film debut).

The film is based on a loose adaptation of Fay Weldon's 1983 novel "The Life and Loves of a She-Devil."

Plot
After frumpy housewife Ruth Patchett (Roseanne Barr)'s husband, Bob (Ed Begley Jr.) gets involved in an affair with romance novelist Mary Fisher (Meryl Streep), she sets out to seek revenge on them.

Cast

 * Roseanne Barr as Ruth Patchett
 * Meryl Streep as Mary Fisher
 * Ed Begley, Jr. as Bob Patchett
 * Linda Hunt as Hooper
 * Sylvia Miles as Mrs. Fisher
 * Elisebeth Peters as Nicolette Patchett
 * Bryan Larkin as Andy Patchett
 * A Martinez as Garcia
 * Maria Pitillo as Olivia Honey
 * Mary Louise Wilson as Mrs. Trumper
 * Susan Willis as Ute
 * Jack Gilpin as Larry
 * Robin Leach as Himself
 * Nitchie Barrett as Bob's Secretary
 * June Gable as Realtor
 * Lori Tan Chinn as Vesta Rose Woman

Production
"She-Devil" was filmed in the spring & summer of 1989, during the time Roseanne Barr's sitcom "Roseanne" was on a break from its first season.

Reportedly, Susan Seidelman didn't know that a BBC adaptation of Fay Weldon's novel had already been made until she was well into the film's production.

Meryl Streep was one of the first actresses to read the film script due to her & Susan Seidelman having the same agent. At first, Streep considered taking the role of Ruth Patchett, but decided to play the role of Mary Fisher because she felt that she had portrayed a role with a similar subject in the 1988 film Evil Angels.

Box Office
"She-Devil" debuted at #4 at the box office, grossing $3,509,647 during its opening weekend, ranking behind films The War of Roses, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and Back to the Future Part II.

Domestically, the film grossed at $15,351,421.

Critical Reception
Critics praised Roseanne Barr and Meryl Streep's performances in the film, but criticized it for its tone.

Roger Ebert gave the movie a three-star rating. About Roseanne's performance in the film, he said that "it pays off, in that Barr demonstrates that there is a core of reality inside her TV persona, a core of identifiable human feelings like jealousy and pride, and they provide a sound foundation for her comic acting."

Rolling Stone's Peter Travers says, "Seidelman creates a so-called happy ending in which an honest woman learns to deceive, use makeup and make her husband crawl. In the process, a provocative work of fiction loses its power and its point."

Hal Hinson from the Washington Post called the fim's message "murky and out of whack."

Accolades
1990 Golden Globes
 * Meryl Streep: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture- Comedy\Musical (nominated)