BLACK WIDOW
D: Bob Rafelson (1987): with Debra Winger, Theresa Russell, Dennis Hopper, Diane Ladd.
What ever happened to Debra Winger’s career? Was it all the gossip about how difficult she was to work with? Or was she simply a victim of the public’s changing tastes? Winger came to prominence in 1980’s Urban Cowboy, followed by the smash hits An Officer and a Gentleman and Terms of Endearment. Even though she was nominated for Oscars several times, it was downhill from there. But Winger was in peak form for what has been regularly described as “a stylish thriller.” Paired with Russell (a most intriguing actress with a score of bad films behind her — think Whore), Winger plays a federal agent on the tail of a chameleon-like young woman (Russell) who marries wealthy men and kills them. The plot is gripping and relatively fast-paced, and Winger and Russell are excellent counterpoints to each other — Winger is earthy and likable, and Russell is sexy and sinister. There is an interesting array of men playing Russell’s victims, including Hopper in a cameo, with a deliciously calculating Ladd playing his sister.
This article appears in August 24 • 2001.