Indecent Proposal

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Indecent Proposal
Original film poster
Directed by	Adrian Lyne
Produced by	Sherry Lansing
Written by	Jack Engelhard (novel) Amy Holden Jones (screenplay)
Starring	Robert Redford Demi Moore Woody Harrelson Seymour Cassel Oliver Platt
Music by	John Barry
Cinematography	Howard Atherton
Editing by	Joe Hutshing Julie Monroe (additional editor)
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	April 7, 1993
Running time	118 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$38,000,000
Gross revenue	$266,614,059 (worldwide)

Indecent Proposal is a 1993 film drama directed by Adrian Lyne. It stars Robert Redford, Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson, Seymour Cassel and Oliver Platt. It is based on the novel of the same name by Jack Engelhard.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Reception 4 Contrast with the Novel 5 In popular culture 6 Real Life 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Plot

Childhood sweethearts David (Woody Harrelson) and Diana Murphy (Demi Moore) are a married couple who travel to Las Vegas, hoping they can win enough money to finance David's fantasy real estate project. They place their money on red in roulette and lose. After gambling away all of their savings, they encounter billionaire John Gage (Robert Redford). John is attracted to Diana and offers David one million dollars to spend a night with her. After a difficult night, David and Diana decide to accept the offer, and a contract is signed the next day. John flies Diana to a private yacht, and it is assumed that their arrangement is consummated.

Although he had hoped to forget the whole incident, David grows increasingly insecure about his relationship with Diana, consumed with a fear that she remains involved with Gage; this insecurity is heightened by the fact Diana discovers that Gage has bought their home/property while it was going into foreclosure. Because of this tension on their relationship, David and Diana separate. John actively persists and renews his advances on Diana. Although she initially resists, Diana eventually consents to spending time with him, and a relationship develops. David, meanwhile, realizes he cannot go on without the love of his life. When Diana files for divorce, David makes one final attempt to win her back by signing the divorce papers and giving the million dollars away.

John sees how Diana looks at David and recognizes that, even if she stayed with him, their relationship would never achieve the intensity she had with David. Then John misleads her into thinking that she was only the latest in a long line of "million dollar girls". She leaves John and returns to David.

[edit] Cast

• Robert Redford as John Gage
• Demi Moore as Diana Murphy
• Woody Harrelson as David Murphy
• Seymour Cassel as Mr. Shackleford
• Oliver Platt as Jeremy
• Billy Bob Thornton as Day Tripper
• Rip Taylor as Mr. Langford
• Cameos: Sheena Easton, Billy Connolly, Herbie Hancock

[edit] Reception

The film was a box office success, earning $106,614,059 in the U.S. and $160,000,000 internationally for a worldwide total of $266,614,059.^{[citation needed]}

Despite the film's success at the box office, it received mostly negative reviews from critics^[1] Gene Siskel gave the film thumbs down. Roger Ebert, however, gave it thumbs up on Siskel & Ebert.^[2] Ebert also wrote a positive print review.^[3] The film won three Golden Raspberry Awards including Worst Picture and Worst Supporting Actor (Woody Harrelson)

[edit] Contrast with the Novel

This section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (April 2009)

Although this film shares some thematic elements with the novel that inspired it, the underlying plot is entirely different: in Engelhard's novel, main character Joshua is a Jew, and his billionaire foil is an Arab. The mental battle between Joshua and his rival is therefore not merely a game of money but rather an extension of the Arab-Israeli conflict. While the novel does end on a positive note, it isn't quite the happy ending portrayed in the film.

[edit] In popular culture

• The Simpsons homages and parodies the film in the episode "Half-Decent Proposal"; Marge's high school prom date, Artie Ziff, comes back into her life and offers Homer and her a sizable portion of his newfound fortune in exchange for a weekend with Marge.
• The film was parodied in a Hyundai commercial airing in Canada. In it, a presumably wealthy man offers a man $1 million to spend the day with his Hyundai Sonata. The man refuses.
• In The Peep Show episode, "Conference", Alan Johnson makes a real life indecent proposal to Jeremy, in which he offers him £530 to sleep with Big Suze. He accepts the offer, however, it results in Big Suze leaving Jez for Johnson permanently.

[edit] Real Life

A real life case emerged in 2004 involving an Irish-born millionaire businessman heavily involved in the ultra-orthodox Jewish community in London. Brian MacCaba took a slander case against a respected rabbi, which brought an alleged $1 million dollar offer for a teacher to light.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Indecent Proposal at the Internet Movie Database
• "Complete list of actors who were considered for roles". notstarring.com. http://www.notstarring.com/movies/indecent-proposal. 

Preceded by Cop and a Half	Box office number-one films of 1993 (USA) April 11, 1993 - May 2, 1993	Succeeded by Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story
Preceded by Groundhog Day	Box office number-one films of 1993 (UK) May 16, 1993	Succeeded by Passenger 57

v • d • e Films directed by Adrian Lyne Foxes (1980) · Flashdance (1983) · 9½ Weeks (1986) · Fatal Attraction (1987) · Jacob's Ladder (1990) · Indecent Proposal (1993) · Lolita (1997) · Unfaithful (2002)