This article is about the 1988 film. For other uses, see
Masquerade.
Masquerade is a 1988 film starring Rob Lowe and Meg Tilly. Directed by Bob Swaim, the psychological thriller centers around the unfolding relationship between Hamptons heiress Olivia (Tilly) and yacht skipper Tim (Lowe) who are introduced soon after the death of Olivia's mother, which has left her tremendously wealthy. The young boat captain, however, seems uninterested in Olivia's wealth. Olivia's stepfather Gateworth (Glover) and his live-in girlfriend Anne (Delany) have access to the family mansion, as provided in the mother's will, but they constantly fight with Olivia and new beau Tim. Officer McGill (Savant), a local cop and childhood friend of Olivia, also expresses a love interest for her, but Olivia only has eyes for Tim.
Tim and Gateworth, who seem to hate one another, suddenly meet surreptitiously on the outskirts of town in a lobster house to discuss their conspiracy to murder Olivia for her money. Tim expresses doubts, but Gateworth forces the issue, threatening to expose Tim's past if he backs out of their agreement.
The next weekend, a drunken Gateworth confronts Olivia as part of their conspiracy plans, but Tim turns the tables on Gateworth by killing him with his own pistol. Olivia covers up Tim's role in the killing by claiming she killed Gateworth in self defense. Officer McGill finds evidence that Tim may have been involved in the killing, but he fails to divulge the information to his captain, presumably because of his (unrequited) love for Olivia. Gateworth's girlfriend Anne, who had been stirring up trouble about investigation, is suddenly found dead, hanged in her apartment.
Tim and Officer McGill, who seem to have an adversarial relationship with regards to Olivia, now meet secretly at the marina, where it is revealed that McGill was part of the original conspiracy with Gateworth and Tim. He now prods Tim to continue with their plans to kill Olivia in a staged car wreck, but again Tim expresses misgivings, wanting to keep Olivia alive as she is pregnant, but McGill insists they kill her.
When he learns that Tim and Olivia are planning to leave the Hamptons for Florida, McGill decides to sabotage Olivia's sailboat, the Masquerade, and plant incriminating evidence in Tim's linen drawer. Tim discovers McGill's treachery and races to the marina to save Olivia; he succeeds but loses his life in the gas explosion meant to kill Olivia. In the marina office, Olivia discovers a newspaper clipping with a picture of Tim, Gateworth, and McGill at a previous yachting event; realizing the conspiracy, she pushes McGill to his death through the window.
At Tim's funeral, Olivia learns from her family attorney that Tim had recently insisted upon removing himself from Olivia's will, and however it may have started, he came to love Olivia in the end.
Masquerade was nominated for Best Motion Picture by the Edgar Allan Poe Awards.
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