One of Waters' discoveries, talk-show host Ricki Lake, appears as Misty, one of the Sutphin offspring, in a part apparently filmed before her publicized weight loss of more than 100 pounds. Turner relishes every morbid moment of a role as close-to-the-bone and revelatory as Marlon Brando's in Last Tango in Paris or Paul Newman's in Slap Shot.Īn actor even more typically earnest, Sam Waterston (The Killing Fields, TV's I'll Fly Away), plays Beverly's husband Eugene with a plastic grin and an inflating lump in his throat as the truth about his wife becomes apparent.
She's so unpredictable that we hang on every word, whether it's delivered in a lecturing mother's sing-song rhythm or a guttural growl that would rattleThe Exorcist. Turner can flash a Donna Reed smile, a Linda Blair glare or, in her best moments, offer a loopy combination of both. Most actors wouldn't accept such a gross and potentially embarrassing role, but Turner cuts a hilarious swath across the screen in a courageously over-the-top performance that perfectly fits Waters' twisted vision. Beverly's love of family is best measured by a body count, but she means well. She's also into hydraulic-speed sex, obscene telephone calls and would kill for a decent parking space. Beverly doesn't allow gum or profanity in the house, wants everyone to buckle-up and still believes white pumps shouldn't be worn after Labor Day. Nobody except the audience notices that maniacal gleam in her eye when she smacks a fly with a swatter (which Waters lingers upon in colorful close-up). Can that really be world-class actor Kathleen Turner camping it up as a homicidal housewife? It certainly is, and Turner is terrific in a booster-shot role for her flagging career.īeverly Sutphin (Turner) appears to be supermom, dishing out cornflakes and sage advice to her family at the breakfast table. As usual, Waters' humor is based on shock, but it's doubtful that he has ever had a stranger surprise for moviegoers than his lead performer in Serial Mom.
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