The War of the Roses
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The War of the Roses is a 1989 American motion picture based upon the 1980 novel War of the Roses by Warren Adler. It is a dark comedy/drama about an upper-middle class couple with a seemingly perfect marriage. He is a successful lawyer and his wife is building her own catering business. When their marriage begins to fall apart, material possessions become the center of a divorce war on each other.
In both the novel and the movie, the married couple's family name is Rose. At the same time, the title of the book/film alludes to the battles between the Houses of York and Lancaster at the end of the Middle Ages (see Wars of the Roses). Interestingly, in the German-speaking world, since the release of the movie the word Rosenkrieg (a literal translation of "War of the Roses") has come to denote such a bitter fight for material possessions (and maybe also for custody of the children) as depicted in the film, with most speakers completely unaware of the word's origins.
Primary cast:
- Michael Douglas : Oliver Rose
- Kathleen Turner : Barbara Rose
- Danny DeVito : Gavin D'Amato, attorney
- Marianne Sägebrecht : Susan
- Sean Astin : Josh at 17
- Heather Fairfield : Carolyn at 17
- G.D. Spradlin : Harry Thurmont
- Peter Donat : Jason Larrabee
Award nominations:
- BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenply – (Michael Leeson)
- Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
- Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy - (Kathleen Turner)
- Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy - (Michael Douglas)de:Der Rosenkrieg