Domestic Disturbance

Starring:John Travolta, Teri Polo
Studio: Paramount
Product Type: DVD

Description

The legendary Bette Davis stars as Mrs. Taggart, a venomous one-eyed matriarch who — despite her husband being long dead — demands her three grown sons gather for her 40th anniversary. Eldest Henry is a mild-mannered cross-dresser; middle child Terry is a henpecked weakling; and carefree youngest son Thomas arrives with his pregnant fiancée. But this bumpy night has only just begun, as family secrets will be revealed, cruel insults hurled, and frilly underwear stolen. Even if the siblings can survive the festivities unscathed, does the biggest mother of them all have a shocking final surprise for everyone? Christian Roberts (TO SIR, WITH LOVE) and Sheila Hancock co-star in this deranged black comedy written and produced by Jimmy Sangster (THE NANNY, WHO SLEW AUNTIE ROO?) and directed by Roy Ward Baker (DON'T BOTHER TO KNOCK, A NIGHT TO REMEMBER) that Bette Davis fans still call one of her most outrageous performances ever!

Customer Reviews:

BETTE AT HER BEST.......2006-12-29

but she has a splendid cast with her... Forget about Margo Channing, Charlotte, Baby Jane etc being Bette`s most bitchy part...

THIS PART IS IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Roughly 10 years before "Mommie Dearest"(Christina`s book-account of mother Joan Crawford) and Bette seems to do a Crawford imitation hehehe...

There are similareties to TV`s Angela Channing(Jane Wyman) in Falcon Crest and Alexis Carrington(Joan Collins) in Dynasty... but this 1 is TRULY a woman and mother from HELL!!! (True - Alexis loved her children)..

THIS HAS TO BE INCLUDED IN EVERY BETTE DAVIS-retrospecte along with her more famous films:-)

You Won't Celebrate This ANNIVERSARY .......2006-07-10

THE ANNIVERSARY is perhaps the most unusual film in Bette Davis' filmography. Coming after three fine "horror" thrillers, this one often gets pegged as another entry in the category (and was marketed as one by 20th Century-Fox who clearly was at a loss at how to sell it), THE ANNIVERSARY is actually a black comedy-melodrama with Davis playing such a monster mother she makes Gladys Cooper in NOW VOYAGER look like Stella Dallas in comparsion. Davis stars as Mrs. Taggart, owner of a construction company who keeps her three ineffectual adult sons on a tight leash. Unfortunately, the director failed to do likewise to Miss Davis but she can scarcely be blamed when the screenplay dares her to overact. Surprisingly successful playing a British matron (she does have the bad teeth for the role), Bette has a ball (and certainly a major segment of her audience will as well) but the bad taste and bad manners wears thin before long and the storyline, whatever it is, is just not interesting.

The movie is strong on outrageousness but weak on credibility, stunningly vicious remarks or actions are overlooked as if nothing happened moments later. Some of the insults are funny but the laughs are surprisingly few in this picture which has long stretches of melodrama. On the plus side there are two young actresses, Sheila Hancock and Elaine Taylor, who do very well and are able to stand up not only to Mrs. Taggart but to Bette Davis. The sons, unfortunately, are written off as drips although the hopelessly dominated middle son is well played.

THE ANNIVERSARY was for years a little seen film and television airings have always been extremely rare probably due to it's adult humor (although you will now see rougher stuff on TV cartoons). It's hard to miss in Bette Davis books with it's stills of Davis in a eyepatch or clutching a pissin' statue and I suspect many Davis fans have sought it out on video and DVD sight unseen.

This movie was apparently a bomb at the box office and started the most elusive chapter in Davis' career, 1968-1975 where she made some scarcely seen films like "Connecting Rooms", "Bunny O'Hare", and "The Scientific Cardplayer" as well as a few instantly forgotten TV projects. Bette Davis, like Mrs. Taggart, did not know the meaning of conceding and marched on and actually found a number of worthwhile and well-received projects in her senior years from 1976 until her death in 1989.

Bette Dearest.......2006-06-26

You really have to hand it to the Movie Divas of yesterday, don't you?

I mean, when faced with financial and professional stagnation, what did they do? Go on Oprah and whine about bankruptcy? No. Turn to drugs and make enormous fools of themselves in the National Press? No chance. Did they suddenly discover a 'cause' to get themselves back in the spotlight, in vainglorious hopes of getting more movie roles sent their way? Nope. Or did they even retire graciously and quietly, living out the winters of their lives in seclusion and silence? Oh, my, but no.

They made movies like this one!!

Joan Crawford did 'Trog' and 'Berserk', Lana Turner appeared in 'Madame X' and 'The Big Cube', Shelley Winters had 'Cleopatra Jones' and a string of memorable TV appearances, and of course, La Bette Davis made, among others, 'The Anniversary'.

For which I, for one, will be eternally grateful.

'The Anniversary' isn't a great movie in terms of supporting cast, direction, or script. Even the production design is a little flat, a little stagey. But Bette shines - absolutely radiates star power - in this oftentimes-slow twilight years Star Vehicle, as Mrs. Taggart, the revoltingly machiavellian Matriarch of the highly dysfunctional Taggart clan. Gathering her sons and their other halves together on the occasion of her fortieth wedding anniversary, Mrs. Taggart, when faced with filial mutiny, does her level, manipulative best to put a stop to all forms of dissention, including disinheriting her grandchildren, turning her eldest cross-dressing son over to the police, and trying to frighten her would-be daughter-in-law into miscarrying her unborn child.

Sounds pretty grim, on paper - but Davis' perfectly pitched high camp performance saves this movie from being simply another late sixties melodrama. I mean, you'd hardly expect to find such a steel-willed woman playing with a Mannekin Pis-shaped watergun or french-kissing her youngest son in front of his siblings, but there you go: Davis clearly knew that she could have fun in this role, and have fun she does - and we're thrilled to be along for the ride.

Highly recommended as a candy-light, no-brainer campfest of huge proportions, 'The Anniversary' is an excellent addition to any comedy collection.

Highly Entertaining Black Comedy With Bette Davis At Her Monstrous Best.......2006-06-15

Hammer Studios are definately best known for their Gothic horror efforts usually starring horror icons Peter Cushing and Chrsitopher Lee, however on occasion they did stray from their usual product with often very pleasing results. "The Anniversary", has always been one of my great favourites among the body of work of both Hammer Studios and the legendary Bette Davis. Having already appeared in Hammer's dark drama "The Nanny", in 1965 Bette Davis took on a very different type of role for her second Hammer engagement playing a wonderfully over the top "mother from hell", who manipulates and controls her three weak willed sons in a macabre game of cat and mouse. Rarely in her later years did Davis have such a meaty role as in "The Anniversary", and she has the time of her life totally upstaging everyone and everything to unforgettable effect here. Her castrating and caustic mother makes "Mommie Dearest", look like a sunday school teacher and audiences are guaranteed a grand old time watching one of Hollywood's greatest acting legends dominating the screen from beginning to end and showing all and sundry what larger than life acting on screen is all about.

AND WHEN SHE WAS BAD............2006-04-06

....she was excellent. The legendary Bette Davis stars as a wealthy woman who uses her tongue as a machete to slice & dice her three grown sons and their significant others. She will stop at nothing, including blackmail and quite possibly even murder, to retain her control over them and their lives. Based on the stage play, this ultra-black British comedy/drama takes place during one evening as Mrs.Taggert (Davis) has her annual wedding anniversary celebration (Mr.Taggert is deceased) with her family paying her the usual (and reticent) homage. When the youngest son's new girlfriend tries to exert her influence, things begin to go awry. Anchor Bay has offered a fine print that's worth owning. The film shows it's stage origins a bit but the British cast is great and Davis is magnificent in a very, very wicked role. You may want to see it again just to catch some of her lines as the script is pungent and full of verbal slap-downs. Enjoy this one.

Average customer rating:

"Domestic Disturbance" is entertaining with its high-tension suspense and great action
Worth Renting
Will the Wicked Stepfather Win?
Good Movie
Not Very Disturbing, But Entertaining

Domestic Disturbance
Starring: Steve Buscemi , Terry Loughlin , Teri Polo , Ruben Santiago-Hudson , and John Travolta
Director: Harold Becker
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Don't Say a Word
Changing Lanes
The General's Daughter
Basic
High Crimes

ASIN: B00005JKQS
Release Date: 2002-04-16

Amazon.com

If you focus on the effective casting of John Travolta and Vince Vaughan, Domestic Disturbance may grab your attention as a thriller that hits too close to home. After playing a greasy villain in Swordfish, Travolta ably serves up the good-guy charm as a divorced father who must rescue his teenage son from a murderous new stepfather, played by Vaughan with bad-tempered relish. Director Harold Becker is worthy of better material (like his earlier hit Sea of Love), but he handles this B-movie potboiler with professional flair, particularly in the setup involving an accomplice (the ever-reliable Steve Buscemi) who threatens to destroy Vaughan's small-town respectability. The plot's about as plausible as Britney Spears in a remake of Sophie's Choice, relying heavily on lame-brained cops and vast chasms in logic, but by the time Travolta and Vaughan engage in their inevitable showdown, even childless viewers may feel a twinge of parental instinct. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

"Domestic Disturbance" is entertaining with its high-tension suspense and great action.......2007-03-16

"Domestic Disturbance" is a thriller about a divorced couple and their child. Frank (John Travolta) has to deal with a man marrying his ex-wife Susan. The guy (Vince Vaughn) is well liked by the community, but there are hints of something being amiss with him. Frank's son claims he witnesses his mother's new husband Rick commit murder. The more Frank investigates Rick, the more suspicious he looks. The investigation spurs a game of cat and mouse.

There is great interaction between Travolta as a concerned parent and Vaughn the cold heartless type. The tension between them breeds suspense. The would-be new father uses his craftiness to manipulate those around him. There are few things he wouldn't do to get his way.

"Domestic Disturbance" is entertaining with its high-tension suspense and great action. I highly recommend it for those who enjoy a thriller that will keep you guessing to the last minutes.

Worth Renting .......2006-07-13

Frank Morrison (John Travolta) is a hard-working boat builder and devoted dad who is naturally wary of the new man (Vince Vaughn) in his ex-wife's (Teri Polo) life. His wariness turns into outright distrust when his son (Matt O'Leary) says that he saw this guy commit a murder. The problem is, nobody will believe the kid because he has a history of lying and getting into trouble. Frank becomes the only one who will believe the kid's story.
Enjoyable thriller is maybe a little bit better than most because it's actually mostly believable instead of contrived. It is also helped by genuinely good acting, especially by Travolta and Steve Buscemi. For such a short movie, it packed in a lot of great suspense and a good plot. I would suggest this to anybody who likes to feel tension during a movie!!

Will the Wicked Stepfather Win?.......2006-03-26

It seems that lately John Travolta has gone to the extreme to rid himself of our memories of SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER. His role in DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE is no different. Travolta plays a father intent on saving his son from the evil stepfather; he's a rough and rugged boat builder trying to be someone's hero. His nemesis is Rick (Vince Vaughan) who is as two-faced as you can get - on the outside he's the town's Man of the Year and everyone likes him, but on the inside, he's a ruthless murderer and conman.

The storyline has been done before with different twists. Frank Morrison (Travolta) is having a hard time with the upcoming marriage of his ex-wife, Susan (played by Teri Polo). Their son, Danny, (played by Matt O'Leary) also is having issues but relies on his relationship with both parents to get through it. It's a nice platform on which to build the rest of the story.

A few months later, Danny finds out his mother is pregnant and his entire life turns upside down. He stows away in Rick's SUV to catch a ride to his father's house. Instead of going straight into town, Rick kills an old friend who has come to town to cause problems for him. This is where the storyline is a bit sketchy. Seems Ray Coleman is out of prison and has come back into Rick's life to get his share of the cash from some previous partnership. It's never really described as to how they got said money, only that Rick had a better lawyer than the other three. Huh? Gee, is he a bank robber? How about a drug runner? What could it be? We are given a vague answer at the end of the movie but never really any more than a tidbit of information.

Danny is threatened by Rick and then when that doesn't work, Rick threatens Danny's father. That does the trick and Danny changes his story and keeps his mouth shut about what he saw. By this time Frank knows something isn't right and begins his own sleuthing when the police won't help. An internet search hits on past identities and the entire story comes to light. You'd think the police would be smart enough to do a simple internet search, but not in this movie.

The plot is ok; the suspense is lacking. But there are some glaring errors that kept this movie from being 5 stars. First off, when Rick kills Ray Coleman in his Chevy Suburban, he stabs him. It's a stab wound that kills him almost instantly. Ok, so where's the blood? There was no blood at all on the leather seat and very little on Ray's clothing. In fact, Rick picks him up and drags him into a brick factory to torch the body. Ok, so where is the blood trail? Gee, guess the guy had no blood in him!

The next big error was that the body was cremated in the brick factory and there were no bone fragments or teeth when police searched the kiln? I found that a bit of a stretch. So if Danny hadn't witnessed this murder, it would have been the perfect crime, right? If so, then criminals would have disposed of bodies this way for years!

The saving grace with this movie is the chemistry between the actors. John Travolta and Vince Vaughn are perfect opponents. The sweetness of Teri Polo is the perfect balance to the wickedness of Vaughn's character. And Danny is a nice mix of teenage angst and lovable child.

Overall, this is an above average movie. It's predictable right down to the crash through the French doors and the ending fight scene between Travolta and Vaughn. Yes, predictable but still enjoyable!

Good Movie.......2006-01-20

Vince Vaughn is good at playing characters with different personalities. He plays a man who is an industrialist but in secret is a extortioner and a murderer. Danny, his stepson discovers that he has murdered Ray Coleman, a guy who makes his living doing shady dealings. Danny isn't believed because he has been known throughout Southport as a menace who has been in trouble with the law. The only person who believes him is his father.
John Travolta already proves how talented he is in the movie. He plays a third-generation shipbuilder in the city who struggles to maintain his business and have a good relationship with his son. He is the only one who believes Danny and is willing to unmask the man that is "the pillar of the community".
This movie is a good movie overall.

Not Very Disturbing, But Entertaining.......2005-11-15

"Domestic Disturbance" is an underrated thriller that boasts a frightening performance from Vince Vaughn and good work from John Travolta, playing a nice guy for a change.

Sure, the plot is very predictable all the way to the end, and the fact that we find out early on that Vaughn's character is a baddy takes a lot of the suspense out of the movie. But I was still compelled to watch to see how the good guy would eventually triumph. And Steve Buscemi also is a standout as Vaughn's creepy business partner.

I didn't expect a whole lot out of the film when I first saw it, but I found it an entertaining and satisfying way to kill 90 minutes.

John Travolta Triple Feature (Face/Off, The General's Daughter, Domestic Disturbance)

Average customer rating:

John Travolta Triple Feature (Face/Off, The General's Daughter, Domestic Disturbance)
Starring: John Travolta
Manufacturer: Paramount Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Musicals & Performing Arts | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Average customer rating:

"Domestic Disturbance" is entertaining with its high-tension suspense and great action
Worth Renting
Will the Wicked Stepfather Win?
Good Movie
Not Very Disturbing, But Entertaining

Domestic Disturbance [Region 2]
Starring: John Travolta , James Lashly , Rebecca Tilney , Debra Mooney , and Vince Vaughn
Director: Harold Becker
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Don't Say a Word
Changing Lanes
The General's Daughter
Basic
High Crimes

ASIN: B00007854O

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

"Domestic Disturbance" is entertaining with its high-tension suspense and great action.......2007-03-16

Worth Renting .......2006-07-13

Will the Wicked Stepfather Win?.......2006-03-26

Good Movie.......2006-01-20

Not Very Disturbing, But Entertaining.......2005-11-15

John Travolta Thriller Collection (Domestic Disturbance, Face/Off - SCE, The General's Daughter)

Average customer rating:

John Travolta Thriller Collection (Domestic Disturbance, Face/Off - SCE, The General's Daughter)
Starring: John Travolta
Manufacturer: Paramount Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Average customer rating:

Domestic Disturbance [Region 2]
Starring: John Travolta , James Lashly , Rebecca Tilney , Debra Mooney , and Vince Vaughn
Director: Harold Becker
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000067UCA

John Travolta ~ Boy in the Plastic Bubble / Erik Estrada ~ the Final Goal / Jeff Bridges ~ in Search of America

Average customer rating:

John Travolta ~ Boy in the Plastic Bubble / Erik Estrada ~ the Final Goal / Jeff Bridges ~ in Search of America

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVD:

DVD

Home Alone / Home Alone 2 - Lost In New York [1990]

DVD: The Cartier Affair

Infam