Deceived (Polish Film)
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''Deceived'' is a 1991 American
psychological thriller film Psychological thriller is a genre combining the thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting. In terms of context and co ...
directed by
Damian Harris Damian David Harris (born 2 August 1958) is a British film director and screenwriter. He is the eldest son of the actor Richard Harris and socialite Elizabeth Rees-Williams. Career In 1968, Harris debuted on screen playing Miles in the film ' ...
. The script was written by
Mary Agnes Donoghue Mary Agnes Donoghue (26 March 1943 in Queens) is an American screenwriter and director. Following early jobs as a secretary and short story writer, Donoghue's first writing credit was the 1984 film ''The Buddy System''. She went on to pen the scre ...
and rewritten by
Bruce Joel Rubin Bruce Joel Rubin (born March 10, 1943) is an American screenwriter, meditation teacher, and photographer. His films often explore themes of life and death with metaphysical and science fiction elements. Prominent among them are '' Jacob's Ladder' ...
. Goldie Hawn and John Heard star, as a happily married couple whose lives are disrupted when secrets from the past are revealed.


Plot

Adrienne Saunders is happily married to her art dealer husband, Jack. They have a daughter named Mary. After the local museum curator is mysteriously murdered, Jack falls under suspicion of selling forged treasures to the museum. Jack has to suddenly go to Boston on a work related trip, but Adrienne hears from a friend that she thought she saw Jack in town. Adrienne confronts him, but he denies being in town. As pressure mounts on Jack over a forged relic, Adrienne receives word from the police that Jack died in a car accident. In trying to wrap up Jack's affairs, Adrienne begins to suspect that her husband was not who he claimed to be. When she sees a high school yearbook picture of her husband attributed to a man named Frank Sullivan, she realizes that she has been deceived. She tracks down Jack's cousin, Evelyn, who confirms that Frank and Jack were inseparable in high school. After Jack died, she never saw Frank again. Evelyn explains that Frank's father was an alcoholic and that his mother worked as a toll booth operator. She directs Adrienne to Frank's mother, who lives in a rundown Brooklyn apartment. Frank's mother, Rosalie, bitterly receives the news of her granddaughter, telling Adrienne that Frank was always selfish and never looked in on her. A stalker lurks at Adrienne's loft. He comes in to Adrienne's bed while she is asleep and caresses her. He watches Mary, who is spooked by the man in her room at night. One day, as the housekeeper finishes her chores, she surprises the stalker. He leaves her almost dead in the bathroom and ransacks the apartment. At work, Adrienne gets an urgent message from Mrs. Sullivan and rushes to her apartment. When she arrives, the door is open, and Mrs. Sullivan is nowhere to be found. "Jack" appears, and Adrienne slaps him for his cruelty. Jack explains that when his friend died, he was distraught and fell into Jack's identity during the mourning process. He reveals that a man named Dan Sherman is blackmailing him. Jack faked his death to escape, knowing that he would have to give up his life with Adrienne and Mary. He tells her that Sherman is insistent on having an Egyptian necklace in their apartment, and he asks Adrienne to look for it. As she leaves the apartment, Jack watches her from the window beside the body of his murdered mother. During her search for the necklace, Adrienne discovers a Parks Department photo ID. It bears her husband's picture and the name Dan Sherman. She tracks down an address and pays a surprise visit to the house. A pregnant Mrs. Sherman is on the phone and lets her in, thinking she is with a moving company. Adrienne looks around the house and sees wedding pictures of her husband with Mrs. Sherman. In a photo album, she sees a picture of Mary, who Mrs. Sherman says is her husband's dead sister. The person on the phone is Jack, who asks her to give the phone to Adrienne. He congratulates Adrienne on tracking down his new life and reveals that he has kidnapped Mary. Mary traded the necklace to another girl, and Jack instructs Adrienne to retrieve it and meet him at their loft to exchange Mary for the necklace. At the loft, Adrienne asks to see Mary, and Jack explains that she is downstairs playing in the car. When Adrienne tries to go see her, Jack pins her against a wall and demands the necklace first. Adrienne stabs him and flees. After a long chase throughout a construction area, Jack corners her in the freight elevator. He reveals his true nature as always doing "what comes next" no matter how difficult it is. Adrienne lures Jack into the elevator shaft, where he falls to his death; Adrienne had been holding on to an unseen elevator cable to give the illusion of being in the elevator car. Later, Adrienne and Mary pack up to move out of the loft and start a new life somewhere else.


Cast

* Goldie Hawn as Adrienne Saunders * John Heard as Frank Sullivan / Jack Saunders / Dan Sherman * Robin Bartlett as Charlotte, Adrienne's Business Partner *
Ashley Peldon Ashley Peldon (born April 2, 1984) is an American actress, starting as a child actress, transitioning to adult roles, then primarily voice acting after 2008. She has many credits for screams provided for sound effects. Life and career Peldon an ...
as Mary Saunders * Beatrice Straight as Adrienne's Mother *
George R. Robertson George R. Robertson (born April 20, 1933) is a Canadian actor perhaps best known for his roles in the first six ''Police Academy'' films and the film ''JFK''. He guest-starred on an episode of ''The Twilight Zone'' (1980s version). He also playe ...
as Adrienne's Father * Tom Irwin as Harvey Schwartz * Jan Rubeš as Tomasz * Anais Granofsky as Ellen * Heidi Von Palleske as Mrs. Peabody *
Stanley Anderson Stanley Anderson (October 23, 1939 – June 24, 2018) was an American character actor who played Drew Carey's father on ''The Drew Carey Show''. Early years Born in Billings, Montana, Anderson attended Garfield Elementary School, Lincoln Junior ...
as Detective Kinsella * Francesca Butler as Lillian * Bruce MacVittie as Social Security Man * Amy Wright as Evelyn Saunders * Kate Reid as Rosalie Sullivan


Production

Filming took place primarily in Toronto, with some exterior locations in New York City, from January 22 until April 16, 1991.
Mary Agnes Donoghue Mary Agnes Donoghue (26 March 1943 in Queens) is an American screenwriter and director. Following early jobs as a secretary and short story writer, Donoghue's first writing credit was the 1984 film ''The Buddy System''. She went on to pen the scre ...
wrote the initial screenplay. Donoghue was inspired by the thought of having a safe, middle-class life turn out to be a complete lie. When Donoghue declined to make changes to the script,
Bruce Joel Rubin Bruce Joel Rubin (born March 10, 1943) is an American screenwriter, meditation teacher, and photographer. His films often explore themes of life and death with metaphysical and science fiction elements. Prominent among them are '' Jacob's Ladder' ...
was hired, under the pen name "Derek Saunders".


Box office

The film opened at number 3 in the US and grossed $4.3 million in its first week. Its final gross in the US was $28.7 million.


Reception

''Deceived'' gained a 38% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 21 reviews; the average rating is 5/10. Reviewers criticized the film for its illogical and predictable plot.
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
wrote, "''Deceived'' opens with an ancient thriller formula, elevates itself to passages of genuine suspense, and then ends with a climax so absurd that it takes a real effort of memory to recall that parts of the movie were really pretty good." Audiences polled by
CinemaScore CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data. Background Ed Mintz founded Ci ...
gave the film an average grade of "A-" on an A+ to F scale.


References


External links

* * * {{Damian Harris 1990s mystery thriller films 1990s psychological thriller films American mystery thriller films American psychological thriller films 1990s English-language films Films set in New York City Films shot in Toronto Touchstone Pictures films Films scored by Thomas Newman Films with screenplays by Bruce Joel Rubin Fiction about matricide Films directed by Damian Harris 1990s American films