Dark Comedy Classic With Controversial Comedian You Need To See, Stream Free On Tubi
Roseanne Barr became an overnight sensation soon after her top-rated sitcom began its nine-season run on ABC in the fall of 1988. As popular as her television show was, the comedienne was unable to capture much of an audience when she made her feature film debut in the unjustly forgotten 1989 movie She-Devil, which bombed at the box office. Poor returns aside, the movie was one of the greatest dark comedies of its era and is reaching a new generation of fans of the streaming app Tubi.
The Set-Up
She-Devil is a story of a jilted housewife that plots a meticulous and horrible revenge on the philandering husband that walked out on her. Dumpy Ruth Patchett (Roseanne Barr) is married to successful CPA Bob (Ed Begley, Jr.) and raising their two teenage children while fulfilling her role as a housewife.
At a cocktail party, Bob meets and becomes enthralled with the wealthy and successful romance novelist Mary Fisher (Meryl Streep).
The Plan
She-Devil sees an affair between Bob and Mary lead to the end of his marriage to Ruth. As he’s packing up his clothes, he ticks off his personal list of assets that he is responsible for while cruelly telling her that she doesn’t represent any importance in what he values.
“My home, my family, my career, and my freedom,” are words that stick with Ruth as she concocts a sinister set of plans to take these assets away from the man who broke her heart and humiliated her.
Satisfying Destruction
Ruth blows up the house, dumps the kids with Bob (who has since moved in with Mary), and finds a way to turn him into the law for skimming from his clients’ accounts.
Each “asset” of Bob’s that Ruth destroys takes her hilarious determination and relies on ingenuity that viewers do not realize her character possesses until her plans come to total fruition.
She-Devil is a film that will give viewers a sense of satisfaction as the two people responsible for destroying Ruth’s life are tormented as they get legitimately funny comeuppances.
The ultimate methods that Ruth chooses to get her revenge are multi-layered and completely unrealistic, making the story arc that much more amusing.
Barr’s Reverse Makeover
Barr underwent a reverse makeover for her character in the first part of She-Devil, wearing clothing that made the overweight actress appear even more so. The application of a giant, hairy mole on her face, terrible hair and clothing, and a boorish personality made Ruth an almost grotesque figure.
But as the movie progresses, Ruth’s appearance improves and her confidence and self-worth rise to high levels as she breaks the bonds of co-dependence.
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As each “asset” of her former husband is eliminated, Ruth’s own personal assets increase. Bob’s depletion feeds Ruth’s growth, while Mary’s once lavish and princess-like lifestyle begins to quickly crumble around her. Both Barr and Streep play these roles to perfection, with Streep’s high-maintenance and shallow character portrayal getting her a Golden Globe nomination.
The setups are as well-timed as they are ludicrous but help to make She-Devil a funny movie that has rewatchable characteristics. It’s the perfect revenge piece, with its guilty characters getting grossly exaggerated punishments for their actions.
You can stream She-Devil for free with Tubi.
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