Main Cast: Susan Sarandon, Raul Julia, Edward Herrmann, Judith Ivey, Mary Beth Hurt
Release Year: 1985
Country: US
Run Time: 99 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Director Frank Perry brings Susan Issacs' comedic whodunit novel to the screen with Susan Sarandon as a Long Island housewife who tries to escape her deadening suburban life by trying to solve the murder of a philandering local dentist. The dentist, Bruce Fleckstein (Joe Mantegna), is the kind of swinging ladies' man who wears gold chains and jazzy clothing. He also arranges to meet his lonely housewife patients in hotel rooms for afternoon quickies. When he is found murdered in his office, the suspects are as numerous as the names in the Nyack telephone directory, especially since Fleckstein had the habit of taking incriminating Polaroid snapshots during his one-on-one sessions. Judith Singer (Sarandon) is an ex-Newsday reporter and bored wife of Bob Singer (Edward Herrmann), a stuffy business executive, and she was one of the last people to see Fleckstein alive. Considered a suspect by police detective David Suarez (Raul Julia), she determines to solve the case herself, interviewing suspects and searching for evidence. If she solves the crime, Judith hopes to write an article about it and get her old job back at the newspaper. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
Review
The screenplay for Compromising Positions has all the ingredients for a delightful murder mystery-comedy. There's an amusingly despicable murder victim, a long list of could've-done-its, a spunky and determined amateur sleuth, a seasoned crime professional, and an interesting (although determinedly non-exotic) setting. Unfortunately, the screenplay also includes a number of characters who are not entertaining enough to make up for their essential unpleasantness (and therefore come across as bores to the audience). Frank Perry's direction, which emphasizes the venality of the characters at the expense of their comic potential, only adds to its misanthropic feeling, and his often sluggish pacing doesn't help the situation. Fortunately, Compromising Positions has a strong cast. Susan Sarandon can't quite make Judith a fully rounded character -- the screenplay spends too much time whizzing her from one clue to another and not enough time fleshing her out -- but she's fun to be with, and she and Raul Julia exhibit a nice chemistry. Judith Ivey is a standout as a cynical sculptress, and Joe Mantegna is perfect in his all-too-brief role as the victim. In addition, the film is quite effective in its precise observations about the emptiness of suburban life. Director Perry would follow Compromising Positions with only one more directorial effort, the unmemorable Hello Again. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Joe Mantegna - Dentist Bruce Fleckstein; Anne de Salvo - Phyllis Fleckstein; Josh Mostel - Dicky Dunck; Deborah Rush - Brenda Dunck; Joan Allen - Mary Alice Mahoney; Elkan Abramowitz - Police Sergeant; Jason Beghe - Cupcake; Tanya Berezin - Newsday Editor; Paul Butler - Cop; Bill Cobbs - Sgt. Williams; Jack Gilpin - Patrol Car Cop; Tim Jerome - Rabbi; Kaiulani Lee - Scotty Hughes; Amanda Lyons - Kate Singer; Jon Polito - Cop; Pat Harper - Newscaster; Harris Laskaway - Leader Cop; William Youmans - Motel Clerk; Chris Cunningham - Joey Singer
Credit
Patrick McCormick - Associate Producer, Howard Feuer - Casting, Joseph G. Aulisi - Costume Designer, Frank Perry - Director, Peter C. Frank - Editor, Brad Fiedel - Composer (Music Score), Kathryn Bihr - Makeup, Rita Ogden - Makeup, Tony Jannelli - Camera Operator, Peter Larkin - Production Designer, Barry Sonnenfeld - Cinematographer, Patrick McCormick - Production Manager, Frank Perry - Producer, Victor Kempster - Set Designer, Peter Odabashian - Sound Editor, Nora Ephron - Screenwriter, Susan Isaacs - Screenwriter, Susan Isaacs - Book Author
The film is reviewed, favourably, in Pauline Kael's ninth collection of movie reviews Hooked. She is especially complimentary about Susan Sarandon's performance. "The screenplay provides a batch of actresses with a chance to show some comic verve. Susan Sarandon's smile has never been more incredibly lush, and she does some inspired double takes - just letting her beautiful dark eyes pop." "It's fun to have a movie about a woman whose curiosity is her salvation."
