Main Cast: Demi Moore, Glenne Headly, Bruce Willis, Harvey Keitel, John Pankow
Release Year: 1991
Country: US
Run Time: 102 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Mortal Thoughts is a low-key thriller revolving around the relationship between two best friends who are involved in the death of one of their husbands. The movie unfolds as the events leading to a confession are shown in flashback. Joyce (Glenne Headly) is married to the abusive, unfaithful James (Bruce Willis). During an outing at a carnival, James is killed, and Joyce and her best friend Cynthia (Demi Moore) try to cover up the murder. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
Review
Director Alan Rudolph takes a dramatic detour from his typical dreamy style with this gripping tale of a blue-collar homicide investigation. Bruce Willis plays a more vicious version of his familiar working-class blowhard, here, a poster boy for spousal abuse. When the police find his corpse, his wife (Glenne Headley) and her best friend (Demi Moore) are brought in for interrogation. A completely absorbing study of the dynamics of a dysfunctional marriage and an unusual friendship, its depiction of the way in which murder can erupt in the midst of a seemingly ordinary milieu is utterly convincing. While the film emphasizes the unhappiness of both women with their husbands, Headley clearly has the worse deal, and it makes clear how, given the financial pains of the alternatives, she would rather joke about killing her husband than suing for divorce. The fascination/revulsion of Moore with her friend's marriage worries even her dim-witted husband (John Pankow), but she fails to heed his warning. The willingness of the two women to blandly accept what they've done, if only for a time, is an unsettling reminder of the banality of evil. Willis and Headley give beautifully nuanced performances, but the revelation here is Moore, in what may be her best work. ~ Michael Costello, All Movie Guide
Billie Neal - Det. Linda Nealon; Ron J. Amodea - Band Leader; Larry Attile - Sydney Levitt; Kelly Cinnante - Cookie; Kimberly Comprix - Tina; Elaine Eldridge - Customer in Salon; Crystal Field - Jeanette Marino; Peter Gallagher; Julie Garfield - Maria Urbanski; Elain Graham - Woman Police Sergeant; Star Jasper - Lauren (Cynthia's Sister); Marianne Leone - Aunt Rita; Doris McCarthy - Pat (Cynthia's Mom); Leonid Merzon - Yuri; Brandon Messemer - Cynthia's Baby; Richard Messemer - Cynthia's Baby; Christopher Peacock - Irish Kid; James Pecora - Cop; Thomas Quinn - Detective Seltzer; Lindsay Rodio - Jennifer Kellogg - as a 3-year-old; Edward Chip Rogers - Detective; Christopher Scotellaro - Joey Urbanski; Karen Shallo - Gloria Urbanski; Roger Shamas - Krishna Kolhatkar; Bruce Smolanoff - Irish Kid; Marc Tantillo - Usher; Frank Vincent - Dominic Marino; Anna Marie Wieder - Candy; David Willis - Mr. Urbanski; John Lyons; Donna Isaacson
Credit
Beth Kushnick - Art Director, Robert K. Shaw, Jr. - Art Director, John Lyons - Casting, Donna Isaacson - Casting, Demi Moore - Co-producer, Hope Hanafin - Costume Designer, Alan Rudolph - Director, Tom Walls - Editor, Stuart Benjamin - Executive Producer, Taylor Hackford - Executive Producer, Mark Isham - Composer (Music Score), Gary Alper - Musical Direction/Supervision, Janet Flora - Makeup, Howard Cummings - Production Designer, Elliot Davis - Cinematographer, Joseph M. Caracciolo, Jr. - Producer, Mark Tarlov - Producer, John Fiedler - Producer, Beth Kushnick - Set Designer, Claude Kerven - Screenwriter, William Reilly - Screenwriter
Mortal Thoughts is a mystery filmthriller film released in 1991. The film is based on the story of a woman, who is interrogated by the police about the death of her friend's husband. It was directed by Alan Rudolph and stars Demi Moore, Bruce Willis, and Harvey Keitel. Bruce Willis plays James Urbanski, the violent, drug-addict husband of Cynthia's friend Joyce (Glenne Headly), who is murdered one horrible evening at a nearby Feast of San Gennarro festival.
The film revolves mainly around a scene in which Cynthia Kellogg (Demi Moore) is interrogated by two investigators at the police station. The deposition given by Cynthia is supported by detailed flashbacks throughout the film. The interrogation arouses particular suspicion about whether Cynthia's own husband could have informed the police about the incident and anything which his wife could have confided in him.
