But unlike the defense counsel, Serial Mom makes no efforts to convince us of Beverly’s innocence, instead letting us appreciate the homicidal matriarch for the sick puppy she is.
By the time of her eventual trial, she’s a media sensation, with her children even selling the rights to a TV movie depicting her as misunderstood. A joke disclaimer at the beginning even plays into this, falsely claiming the events depicted were “based on a true story.”Īs it becomes increasingly clear to everyone in town that Beverly is a killer, some people become enamored with her, giving her the titular nickname “Serial Mom” and even abetting her crimes. Like most of Waters’ films, Serial Mom heavily satirizes elements of American pop culture, and by the end, it becomes clear he’s mocking the country’s morbid and seemingly endless fascination with the true crime genre.
She effortlessly switches back and forth between the two, with a scene where she heartily enjoys some bloody red gore transitioning seamlessly into a glistening red meatloaf. Turner is magnificent in this role, bringing it to life with a maternal touch that quickly turns into a childlike glee when she kills. Beverly Sutphin (Turner) is a hyperactive suburban housewife hell-bent on recycling, cooking the perfect meal, and taking care of her husband and their children Chip (a gangly Matthew Lillard) and. The film centers around Beverly Sutphin, a stay-at-home housewife who appears to be a sweet woman, but in reality, turns out to be a serial killer who kills everyone who would get in her way. Over the course of the film, she goes from simply mowing down a rude teacher with her station wagon to bludgeoning an elderly woman with a leg of lamb.Īnd while Beverly takes violent offense to the implication that her family is anything less than the American dream, she’s just as likely to slay based on manners, plotting a neighbor’s bloody demise because she doesn’t properly recycle. Serial Mom is a 1994 American satirical comedy film written and directed by John Waters. Beverly takes being a caring wife and mother to an insane level as she flies into a murderous rage over any perceived slight against her and her family, and her killings become increasingly more elaborate as a result. Written and directed by queer godfather of scumbag cinema John Waters, Serial Mom is a demented romp that irreverently lampoons suburbia and the conceit of the nuclear family. Starting out with vulgar prank phone calls, the homemaker quickly turns homicidal and it’s up to her family to try and keep the body count from climbing. Beverly Sutphin: Oh well, I know its difficult, but we need to know the exact words. But appearances aren’t what they seem, with Beverly secretly being an utter menace when she’s home alone. Flea Market Suite (Stood Up and Skewered) (07:02) 7. Its Been a Crazy Day, Hasnt It (03:23) 6. Morning Suite (Ill Get You Pussyface) (02:05) 5. Main Title (Moms Suburban Dream) (04:48) Tracks 3-10 are the film score 4. Along with her dentist husband Eugene (Sam Waterston) and their teenage children Misty and Chip (Ricki Lake and Matthew Lillard), the Sutphins are a picture-perfect image of upper-middle class living. Daybreak (03:06) performed by Barry Manilow 3. Houses have often played key roles in Waters’ films, from Babs Johnson’s trailer in Pink Flamingos to Tracy Turnblad’s row house in Hairspray to the mid-century rancher in Female Trouble where Dawn Davenport pushes the Christmas tree over on her mother when she doesn’t get cha-cha heels for Christmas.Beverly Sutphin (Kathleen Turner) is a mother and housewife living in the suburbs of Baltimore.
“The only cereal I know anything about,” she says innocently, “is Rice Krispies.” Waters writes in his latest book that he conceived of Serial Mom as a “true-crime parody told in a mock-serious docudrama style about a lovable, sweet serial killer that could be your mom.” Or as it’s been described online, “pretty much…a genre of its own, the serial killer feel-good movie.”Īs played by Turner, Serial Mom was irritated by the little things people do, such as chewing gum in the house or not recycling their trash or wearing white shoes after Labor Day, and that fed her urge to kill.īut her home was meticulous, the garbage was recycled regularly, and she always had a lovely dessert for dinner.