Death Becomes Her Page #8

Synopsis: In 1978, in Broadway, the decadent and narcissist actress Madeline Ashton is performing Songbird, based on Tennessee Williams' Sweet Bird of Youth. Then she receives her rival Helen Sharp, who is an aspiring writer, and her fiancé Ernest Menville, 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 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
Director(s): Robert Zemeckis
  Won 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 16 nominations.
 
IMDB:
6.5
Metacritic:
56
PG-13
Year:
1992
104 min
5,265 Views


695

00:
59:01,840 -- 00:59:05,833

I fainted and I woke up

and it was all dark.

696

00:
59:05,880 -- 00:59:08,553

I kept yelling

and yelling and yelling.

697

00:
59:08,640 -- 00:59:11,313

Nobody heard me.

Nobody did anything.

698

00:
59:11,400 -- 00:59:13,675

Then I didn't know where

I was and I got scared.

699

00:
59:13,760 -- 00:59:17,116

It's okay.

It's all right.

700

00:
59:17,200 -- 00:59:20,875

Ernest, I'm in the morgue.

701

00:
59:20,960 -- 00:59:23,110

- Why am I in the morgue?

- Shh! It's okay. It's okay!

702

00:
59:23,160 -- 00:59:25,515

Listen! I understand now.

It's incredible!

703

00:
59:25,560 -- 00:59:28,518

It's physically impossible,

but now I understand it.

704

00:
59:28,560 -- 00:59:32,519

- They think I'm dead, Ernest.

- Yes! But you're not!

705

00:
59:32,560 -- 00:59:35,279

In the whole of recorded

medical history,

706

00:
59:35,320 -- 00:59:38,437

this has never happened

to another single human.

707

00:
59:38,480 -- 00:59:42,155

Yeah, so, why did it have

to happen to me?

708

00:
59:42,200 -- 00:59:45,317

- Do you know what you are, darling?

- Uh-uh.

709

00:
59:45,360 -- 00:59:49,353

You're a sign.

You're an omen, a burning bush!

710

00:
59:49,400 -- 00:59:51,994

- I am?

- Of course you are.

711

00:
59:52,080 -- 00:59:54,799

We're being told that

we belong together.

712

00:
59:54,880 -- 00:59:58,350

And I'm being called.

I'm being challenged.

713

00:
59:58,440 -- 01:00:01,591

Don't you see, Madeline?

It's a miracle!

714

01:
00:38,080 -- 01:00:40,594

Oh, my God!

715

01:
01:04,080 -- 01:01:07,959

Sh*t!

716

01:
01:23,920 -- 01:01:25,831

Oh!

717

01:
01:51,920 -- 01:01:53,990

Formaldehyde.

718

01:
01:54,040 -- 01:01:57,191

What in God's name?

719

01:
02:26,600 -- 01:02:28,477

Darn it.

720

01:
02:33,520 -- 01:02:35,397

It's just not the right balance.

721

01:
02:35,440 -- 01:02:38,352

- How's it goin', Ern?

- I don't wanna rush things, Madeline.

722

01:
02:38,440 -- 01:02:41,910

Who keeps calling?

723

01:
02:42,000 -- 01:02:44,355

- Huh?

- Who is that?

724

01:
02:44,400 -- 01:02:47,358

I can't have these interruptions!

725

01:
02:50,040 -- 01:02:53,555

I'm gonna need you

to hold very still.

726

01:
02:53,640 -- 01:02:55,995

Oh!

727

01:
02:56,080 -- 01:02:59,197

- What?

- Madeline!

728

01:
02:59,280 -- 01:03:02,511

- I asked you to sit still.

- Mmm, what's the matter?

729

01:
03:02,600 -- 01:03:05,478

- I need more turpentine now.

- Are we almost done?

730

01:
03:05,520 -- 01:03:08,910

The highlights of your eyes

are unbalanced. Want people to stare?

731

01:
03:09,080 -- 01:03:13,631

I can't use kerosene

because it'll affect the skin.

732

01:
03:16,120 -- 01:03:18,953

Where is she?

733

01:
03:22,160 -- 01:03:26,039

Oh, my gosh, Helen!

What are you doin' here?

734

01:
03:26,120 -- 01:03:28,509

What's that on your hands?

Blood?

735

01:
03:28,560 -- 01:03:30,676

- Paint!

- Paint?

736

01:
03:30,760 -- 01:03:32,637

What would you be doing that

you have paint on your hands?

737

01:
03:32,720 -- 01:03:34,950

- Painting.

- Ernest.

738

01:
03:35,040 -- 01:03:38,077

Are you doing something funny

with Madeline?

739

01:
03:38,160 -- 01:03:41,357

- Define funny.

- Oh, come on, Ernest. Cough her up!

740

01:
03:41,400 -- 01:03:43,595

Shh, shh, shh,

listen, Helen.

741

01:
03:43,680 -- 01:03:45,955

- We should go outside and talk.

- Why are you whispering?

742

01:
03:46,000 -- 01:03:50,278

- She's resting and in a foul mood.

- Are you nuts?

743

01:
03:50,320 -- 01:03:53,039

- She's resting!

- She's not resting.

744

01:
03:53,080 -- 01:03:57,358

She's dead, Ernest, just like we wanted,

just like we plotted together.

745

01:
03:57,440 -- 01:04:01,149

Remember? You may have done it alone,

but I can't walk away now.

746

01:
04:01,200 -- 01:04:03,953

- Not after you put us both in jeopardy!

- Shh!

747

01:
04:04,040 -- 01:04:08,352

We have to bury her in Death Valley

and be done with her once and for all.

748

01:
04:08,400 -- 01:04:11,756

- You have to listen to me.

- Stop waffling. She deserved it.

749

01:
04:11,840 -- 01:04:16,197

She was a home wrecker.

She was a man-eater.

750

01:
04:16,240 -- 01:04:19,038

And she was a bad... actress.

751

01:
04:19,120 -- 01:04:24,274

- Would you please listen to me!

- Oh, stop it!

752

01:
04:24,360 -- 01:04:26,794

Madeline is not ready

to be buried yet.

753

01:
04:26,840 -- 01:04:29,274

- She's upstairs resting peacefully.

- Oh, fine!

754

01:
04:29,360 -- 01:04:31,476

If she's not dead,

you tell her to come here.

755

01:
04:31,560 -- 01:04:33,915

Tell her to come here,

walk right up to me...

756

01:
04:34,000 -- 01:04:36,434

- and kiss me on the...

- Kiss you on the what?

757

01:
04:38,080 -- 01:04:42,471

- Mad?

- Hel.

758

01:
04:42,560 -- 01:04:45,358

- Darling.

- What have you two...

759

01:
04:45,400 -- 01:04:49,359

been plotting down here

or should I say, what else?

760

01:
04:49,400 -- 01:04:54,428

Are you angry, dear?

Are you very angry?

761

01:
04:54,480 -- 01:04:58,951

- It's alive.

- Madeline?

762

01:
04:59,040 -- 01:05:03,272

Oh, boy! Helen, I think you

should leave right away.

763

01:
05:03,320 -- 01:05:07,074

I see a very bad

situation developing here.

764

01:
05:07,120 -- 01:05:10,590

Dear? Madeline?

765

01:
05:20,120 -- 01:05:22,156

I just want you

to know one thing, Hel.

766

01:
05:23,640 -- 01:05:25,517

You brought

this on yourself.

767

01:
05:25,560 -- 01:05:26,913

Madeline!

768

01:
05:30,360 -- 01:05:32,874

Oh, my God!

769

01:
05:34,560 -- 01:05:38,599

- What have you done?

- What have I done? Defended myself.

770

01:
05:38,640 -- 01:05:40,835

You plotter, coconspirator!

771

01:
05:40,880 -- 01:05:44,111

- She's dead!

- She is?

772

01:
05:44,200 -- 01:05:48,557

These are the moments

that make life worth living.

773

01:
05:48,600 -- 01:05:51,717

My God, Madeline, that was horrible.

It was brutal.

774

01:
05:51,760 -- 01:05:54,672

It was stupid!

The police, Madeline! The police!

775

01:
05:54,760 -- 01:05:57,672

What are they gonna do? Put me

in the gas chamber? Big deal.

776

01:
05:57,720 -- 01:06:00,712

Life in prison? Know what that

means to a person in your condition?

777

01:
06:00,760 -- 01:06:05,675

- So negative. Let me enjoy the moment.

- What about the neighbors?

778

01:
06:05,760 -- 01:06:10,151

Neighbors? In 12 years in Los Angeles,

have you ever seen a neighbor?

779

01:
06:10,200 -- 01:06:13,158

Oh! I gotta think!

I gotta think!

780

01:
06:13,200 -- 01:06:15,111

One of us has

to stay rational.

781

01:
06:15,200 -- 01:06:19,512

I am completely rational.

We're going to bury her.

782

01:
06:19,600 -- 01:06:21,989

In Death Valley.

You and I.

783

01:
06:22,040 -- 01:06:24,395

I most certainly will not!

784

01:
06:24,440 -- 01:06:29,355

Oh, no? Pretty strong words

for a murderer on the run,

785

01:
06:29,440 -- 01:06:32,796

which is exactly

what you are, Ernest.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote

Martin Donovan

Martin Donovan (born August 19, 1957) is an American film, stage and television actor. He has had a long collaboration with director Hal Hartley and appeared in many of Hartley's films, such as Trust (1990), Surviving Desire (1991), Simple Men (1992), Flirt (1993), Amateur (1994), and The Book of Life (1998; in which he played Jesus). Donovan also played Peter Scottson on Showtime's cable series Weeds. He made his writing/directorial debut with the film Collaborator (2011). more…

All Martin Donovan scripts | Martin Donovan Scripts

0 fans

Submitted on August 05, 2018

Discuss this script with the community:

0 Comments

    Translation

    Translate and read this script in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this screenplay to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Death Becomes Her" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 19 Jan. 2025. <https://www.scripts.com/script/death_becomes_her_6565>.

    We need you!

    Help us build the largest writers community and scripts collection on the web!

    The Studio:

    ScreenWriting Tool

    Write your screenplay and focus on the story with many helpful features.


    Quiz

    Are you a screenwriting master?

    »
    What is the purpose of a "pitch" in screenwriting?
    A To outline the plot
    B To write the final draft
    C To describe the characters
    D To present the story idea to producers or studios