She-Devil (1989)

Underrated, well-performed comedy from Fay Weldon's book (previously filmed as a British mini-series for television) about a common housewife who connives to get even with the self-absorbed romance novelist who stole her husband. Some of the jokes have a mean-spirited tone, but it was an interesting idea to have Roseanne Barr play her role (as the put-upon wife-turned-she devil) in a relatively low-key and allow Meryl Streep (as the colorful villainess) to ham it up. Sylvia Miles and Linda Hunt are lively in supporting roles, though both simply evaporate from the film's narrative after the midway point, this due to the film's episodic structure. Ed Begley Jr. isn't quite right as Roseanne's cheating husband--he looks like Streep's brother, not her lover--yet the film is funny and entertaining, if not always right on track. **1/2 from ****

Fmovies: So cool that Rosanne's name in the movie was RUTH! Do you know what that means --- the common noun "ruth"?

I thought this movie was really funny. Not a great, mind you. Not a classic. I am not lamenting the fact that it got no Oscars. But I am deploring its abysmally low rating on imdb. I just don't get it.

She-Devil was trumped-up as Roseanne Barr's movie debut!In just a few years our favorite chubby housewife rose from being a stand-up comic performing in bars to having her own TV series and at last co-starring in a major motion picture with the immortal Meryl Streep!The movie itself is rather silly and farfetched!Roseanne is essentially playing herself as a put-apon housewife! But the real surprise is Meryl Streep! She delivers a searing,self-mocking performance as narcissisitic romance novelist Mary Fisher.She plays this role flawlessly!! As a prissy,bluenose diva she reacts hilariously to every twist and turn of the movie's silly storyline!Actually mocking every role she's played before!Roseanne holds her own nicely-but it would't have been possible without Meryl Streep!!

She-Devil fmovies. My goodness, all the negativity about this fun and strangely satisfying flick. Everyone I know really likes this movie and has seen it several times. If we can define how good a film is by how many times we're capable of seeing it, then this movie certainly is praise worthy. I also enjoyed Roseanne's performance every bit as Meryl Streep. And why can't people believe that an actress of Ms. Streep's caliber took on this role? She was wonderful and got to demonstrate a great comedic performance. This movie is just plain fun. If you watch it once, I guarantee you'll watch it again and again.

Meryl Streep (Mary Fisher), "Out of Africa",'85 put her heart and soul into this role and proved to her many fans that she is a great actress who can even play comedy and make it work. Roseanne Barr(Ruth Patchett), "Blue in the Face",'95, performs as an ugly housewife who is abused beyond words by Bob, her husband, (Ed Begley,Jr.),"Auto Focus",'02. Bob plays a horrible husband who deserves just what he gets from the SHE-DEVIL! If you love Meryl Streep and Roseanne, just sit back and enjoy this CRAZY film and forget about your troubles.

In a nutshell-this is another first wives club and fans of that movie will probebly appreciate this one which actually cam eout quite a bit before fwc. It's another woman scorned movie but I enjoyed it actually a bit more then wives club due to the fact it didn't drag. First wives club though it was the ultimate "watch in a group of women movie" had some moments where my attention wandered. This was very much a caricature movie but it was good dark comedy and boy was it funny to see Meryl in a role like this!