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The War of the Roses

Play trailer 2:41 Poster for The War of the Roses R 1989 1h 56m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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84% Tomatometer 45 Reviews 71% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
After 17 years of marriage, Barbara (Kathleen Turner) and Oliver Rose (Michael Douglas) want out. The trouble is, neither one wants to part with their opulent home. So begins a long war between husband and wife, reaching farcical heights that leave much of the house -- not to mention their lives -- in shambles. The couple's children (Sean Astin, Heather Fairfield) watch in horror while lawyer Gavin D'Amato (Danny DeVito) tries his best to stem the bloodshed.
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Critics Consensus

The War of the Roses is a black comedy made even funnier by hanging onto its caustic convictions -- and further distinguished by Danny DeVito's stylish direction.

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Critics Reviews

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Robyn Karney Empire Magazine Wildly funny and deeply disturbing. Rated: 4/5 Feb 11, 2008 Full Review Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader DeVito's taste for unorthodox camera angles and striking camera movements occasionally verges on overreaching but for the most part admirably serves the action. Rated: 3/4 Feb 11, 2008 Full Review Variety Staff Variety Trying to wring yocks from a deranged couple locked in mortal combat over possession of their house is more suited to film noir than black comedy. Feb 11, 2008 Full Review Barbara Shulgasser Common Sense Media Danny DeVito's direction is a star of the film, clever, adroit, full of visual jokes and clues to what's coming. Rated: 4/5 Sep 29, 2025 Full Review Sarah Vincent Sarah G Vincent Views This movie was the definitive film about what not to do in life, marriage and divorce. Aug 28, 2025 Full Review Jana Monji Age of the Geek Not as good as the remake, but still full of funny moments if you like dark comedy that favors the male point of view. Of course, the chemistry between Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner is off the charts. Rated: 3/5 Aug 27, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Tyler G A couple going through a divorce goes to shocking depths to punich each other. Not many movies approach divorce like this or end this darkly. It is dripping with Northeastern WASP so much so that it is a little annoying. I didn't find the dark humor funny at all. I didn't enjoy watching this, although it has some memorable scenes. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 11/02/25 Full Review Anthony H. This film begins as a captivating love story that gradually descends into madness. Surprisingly, the entire film can be interpreted as a love story. The Roses eventually find themselves embracing, even loving the chaos that their divorce has unleashed, to the point where it leads to their inevitable demise. While the film was slightly lengthy, it was an enjoyable watch. It presented a unique perspective on love and divorce, emphasizing that money is not the sole determinant of happiness. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 09/24/25 Full Review Shaun R Black comedy at its finest. 2 great leads and some iconic scenes. Heaven forbid they make films like this now where both the male and female leads give as good as they get. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/28/25 Full Review mbryanf I saw this movie for the first time when I was nine years old. I loved it then and I still love it thirty years later! Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/28/25 Full Review Miles P Ah I remember this well. Still in our honeymoon phase and we went to see this blizzard of negativity and just hated it. We were huge fans of Douglas and Turner (Romancing the Stone) and this left a pretty nasty taste in our mouths. 36 years later we noticed a sequel coming out. Big pass. We still remember this crap. Really sorry if you can identify with it. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 08/27/25 Full Review Julian S. Every couple should be forced to screen this before saying ‘I do.’ Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/22/25 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Danny DeVito

Director

Michael Douglas

Oliver Rose

Kathleen Turner

Barbara Rose

Danny DeVito

Gavin D'Amato

Marianne Sägebrecht

Susan

Sean Astin

Josh at 17

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The War of the Roses

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The War of the Roses

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Movie Info

Synopsis After 17 years of marriage, Barbara (Kathleen Turner) and Oliver Rose (Michael Douglas) want out. The trouble is, neither one wants to part with their opulent home. So begins a long war between husband and wife, reaching farcical heights that leave much of the house -- not to mention their lives -- in shambles. The couple's children (Sean Astin, Heather Fairfield) watch in horror while lawyer Gavin D'Amato (Danny DeVito) tries his best to stem the bloodshed.
Director
Danny DeVito
Producer
James L. Brooks, Arnon Milchan
Screenwriter
Michael Leeson
Production Co
Gracie Films, Twentieth Century Fox
Rating
R
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 25, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$84.1M
Runtime
1h 56m
Sound Mix
Surround
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