In 1978, in Broadway, the decadent and narcissist actress Madeline Ashton (Meryl Streep) is performing Songbird, based on Tennessee Williams' Sweet Bird of Youth. Then she receives her rival Helen Sharp (Goldie Hawn),who is an aspiring writer, and her fiancé Ernest Menville (Bruce Willis),who is a plastic surgeon, in her dressing-room. Soon Menville calls off his commitment with Helen and marries Madeline. Seven years later, Helen is obese in a psychiatric hospital and obsessed in seeking revenge on Madeline. In 1992, the marriage of Madeline and Menville is finished and he is no longer a surgeon but an alcoholic caretaker.

Out of the blue, they are invited to a party where Helen will release her novel Forever Young and Madeline goes to a beauty shop. The owner gives a business card of the specialist in rejuvenation Lisle Von Rhuman (Isabella Rossellini) to her. When the envious Madeline sees Helen thin in a perfect shape, she decides to seek out Lisle and buys a potion to become young again. Further, she advises that Madeline must take care of her body. Meanwhile Helen seduces Menville and they plot a scheme to kill Madeline. When Madeline comes home, she has an argument Menville and he pushes her from the staircase. She breaks her neck but becomes a living dead. When Helen arrives at Menville's house expecting that Madeline is dead, she is murdered by Madeline. But she also becomes a living dead and they conclude they need Menville to help them to maintain their bodies. But Menville wants to leave them.

"Death Becomes Her" is an American black comedy with excellent special effects even after twenty-three years after the release and great cast. The trash storyline is strange and original and the black humor may not be pleasant for everyone. But there are funny and witty quotes and situations and this film has not aged. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Morte Lhe Cai Bem" ("Death Fits Well to Her")

Classic 90's time, this is one of those movies that I kind of remember seeing on TV five million times as a kid. I always loved watching it, it had the most incredible effects and I thought it was so funny. I was such a deranged 7 year old I guess. But still to this day, I really enjoy watching Death Becomes Her. It has a very clever story, amazing effects and three great actors: Bruce Willis, Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn. Who said dark comedies can't be good? Death Becomes her shows the true competitive side of women that scares most of the human race, how far we will go to be the hottest, the smartest, the kindest, etc. But also the whole essence of eternal youth, beauty and living forever, and Death Becomes Her handles the subject very well.

Actress Madeline Ashton and writer Helen Sharp are longtime rivals. Helen's life falls apart when glamorous Madeline steals Helen's fiancé, plastic surgeon Ernest Menville, and marries him. Seven years later, Helen is now an obese, depressed woman, and is arrested and placed in a mental institution. Obsessed with getting revenge against Madeline, she struggles in the institution with healing. Madeline's career on Broadway ends, and 14 years later she is still struggling with her fading looks and bygone acting career. Ernest, now an alcoholic and miserable in his marriage, has been reduced to working as a high-end mortician. When Madeline and Helen meet again at Helen's book-signing party, Helen appears miraculously rejuvenated, thin, and youthful. Madeline is first dumbfounded then jealous. As part of Helen's plan, she plays both Madeline and Ernest, telling them each she has never blamed them for her ruined love life. Madeline resorts to the aid of the mysterious Lisle Von Rhoman, who claims she has discovered the secret of eternal youth. Madeline purchases the potion, drinks it, and is delighted to see her body visibly losing the signs of aging as she watches in a mirror, leaving her thin, firm, and young. Helen, meanwhile, seduces Ernest and reveals to him a detailed and foolproof plot to kill Madeline. Ernest kills Madeline, Madeline is still alive… Madeline kills Helen… Helen is still alive… death has become them.

The film is flawed no doubt, it should have developed the characters a bit more, we never really understood why Madeline and Helen were friends in the first place as it seems like they've always hated each other, they could have just explored the friendship a little further. As well as why we should care what is happening to these pretty horrible characters. But still this is one of those films that for some reason keeps me watching it every time it pops up on TV. I think it was a lot of fun and had some good laughs, especially the fight between Madeline and Helen, they discover that there's really no point to inflicting physical pain but keep going at it with each other. This is a recommendation to those who have a strange sense of humor, it's something only a few will get.

7/10

Wow--this is one strange and inspired comedy that is so unlike any other I can think of! Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn play aging childhood friends who grow to absolutely hate each other. Both are shallow and vain and both feel 100% in the right for hating the other. The awfulness of their relationship culminates in Meryl stealing away Goldie's husband--just because she COULD! Years pass and Meryl is a fabulously wealthy actress--who STILL down deep is vain and self-centered. Back comes the previously fat and unattractive Goldie but instead, she is thin and looks even younger than she looked decades ago! It looks as if she went to the greatest plastic surgeons in the world and said "here's a million bucks--gimme the works!!". Goldie is back to rub in her good looks and also to steal back wayward hubby Bruce Willis--not because she even wants him but because she CAN! Well, Meryl is worried about losing her man but she's much more upset because Goldie looks so much better than her! So worried that she goes to a strange witch-like lady (Isabella Rosselini) who tells her she has a magic substance that can give her eternal youth!! Despite the cost, the vain lady gladly pays and drinks the formula--and immediately feels the wonderful effects.

When she arrives at home, there is Goldie and Bruce to finish their plan--which is to kill Meryl and leave! Well, here is where the movie and special effects get REALLY, REALLY weird. Meryl is shoved down the steps and obviously breaks her neck. Goldie and Bruce are celebrating as Meryl wakes up and is alive--but, her head is on completely backwards!! After a little adjustment, she's back to how she was and the formula was an apparent success! So then she attacks Goldie with a shotgun--blowing her across the room into a fountain. A few moments later, Goldie gets up and walks about with a huge hole in her body--so big you can see right through her!! It's now obvious that she, too, has used the formula! Well, after some more senseless punching and slapping, the fight is over--they really can't kill the other no matter how hard they try. Plus, for some inexplicable reason, they decide to bury the hatchet and become friends again. Now, their immediate goal is to use Bruce's expertise as a plastic surgeon to make them look better--spackling in the hole in Goldie and being ready in case they needed touching up! Bruce has had enough and they try to force his to take the formula and be their permanent fixer-upper! But, despite their efforts and those of the weird little group with the potions, he escapes and vows to never see them again nor use the formula.

At this point, the film is wrapping up and the film ends with one of the funniest and visually impressive endings in film history. Instead of elaborating, you just need to see it for yourself.

The film has terrific over-the-top performances by Goldie and Meryl and Bruce plays an appropriately creeped out guy who just wants to be left alone!! The script is fresh and funny and provides a lot of amazing laughs. On top of everything, the biggest star are the special effects--amazing and so important to the movie.