History Literature / TheMirrorCrackdFromSideToSide

* FatalFlaw: Heather Badcock is the perfect example of how having multiple virtues can still be not enough if you have a single but important flaw. Being kind and compassionate, but unable to think about how your actions impact others, can still lead you to hurt them. [[spoiler:Heather never meant any harm and still she ended up ruining the life of Marina Gregg and her child, with her recklessness. Thinking about Heather's death,]] Mrs. Marple insinuates that [[spoiler: even her husband, Arthur Badcock, after the legit period of mourning will not particularly suffer from being a widower, because]] even as a wife Heather was not able of feel interest in how her husband felt, so their life as a couple must have been rather detached, emotionally.

''The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side'' is a 1962 novel by Creator/AgathaChristie, featuring Literature/MissMarple. The American version (and its adaptations) use the shorter title ''The Mirror Crack'd''.

[[CompleteTheQuoteTitle The title of the novel comes from the poem "The Lady of Shalott"]] by Creator/AlfredLordTennyson. The character of Marina Gregg is generally assumed to be based on the American actress Creator/GeneTierney--and the central plot points are based on events in the life of that actress. Christie herself denied this and insisted the similarity was a coincidence.

* WhiteAndGreyMorality: Both the victim and the murderer are sympathetic, but both of them have fatal flaws that collectively bring about the tragedy. [[spoiler:Heather failed to recognize how her actions would destroy Marina's life and the life of her unborn child, and Marina poisoned her in a fit of rage without thinking.]]

* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: [[spoiler:Heather Badcock, for Marina Gregg, Ella Zielinsky, Giuseppe, and herself. If she hadn't sneaked out to meet Marina while she was still getting over rubella, she never would have infected Marina, caused her baby to develop birth defects, ruined her life and career, given her a reason to want Heather dead, put Ella and Giuseppe in a position to blackmail Marina and thus set themselves up as targets for murder, and ultimately brought about Marina's death.]]

The story has been [[TheFilmOfTheBook adapted for the screen]] three times, with Creator/AngelaLansbury (1980), Creator/JoanHickson (1992), and [=Julia McKenzie=] (2010) playing Miss Marple. For examples from the 2010 adaptation, see ''Series/{{Marple}}''. It has also received a stage adaptation.

The story has been [[TheFilmOfTheBook adapted for the screen]] three times, with Creator/AngelaLansbury (1980), Creator/JoanHickson (1992), and [=Julia MacKenzie=] (2010) playing Miss Marple. For examples from the 2010 adaptation, see ''Series/{{Marple}}''. It has also received a stage adaptation.

The story has been [[TheFilmOfTheBook adapted for the screen]] three times, with Creator/Angela Lansbury (1980), Creator/JoanHickson (1992), and [=Julia MacKenzie=] (2010) playing Miss Marple. For examples from the 2010 adaptation, see ''Series/{{Marple}}''. It has also received a stage adaptation.

The story has been adapted three times for the screen, with Angela Lansbury (1980), Creator/JoanHickson (1992), and [=Julia MacKenzie=] (2010) playing Miss Marple. For examples from the 2010 adaptation, see ''Series/{{Marple}}''. It has also received a stage adaptation.

* CryingWolf: [[spoiler: Miss Marple correctly deduces that Marina [[ExploitedTrope exploited]] this trope during the poisoning--if anyoe saw her slipping drugs into a cocktail, they'd simply assume that it was for herself, given that Marina was almost constantly taking pills and concoctions for her nerves. As such, eyewitnesses would never imagine that she might be trying to kill someone else. Gladys Dixon is the only person who interprets Marina's actions somewhat correctly, and Miss Marple hurriedly gets her out of town once she realizes that the knowledge makes her a target.]]

The story has been adapted three times for the screen, with Angela Lansbury (1980), Joan Hickson (1992), and [=Julia MacKenzie=] (2010) playing Miss Marple. For examples from the 2010 adaptation, see ''Series/{{Marple}}''. It has also received a stage adaptation.

* NotWorthKilling: This is how Miss Marple eliminates a few suspects from the list--namely, [[spoiler: Marina's three adopted children, who by now are grown up. While one of her adopted daughters was indeed at the party in disguise as a photographer, a conversation with her reveals that she loathes Marina for the way she treated them and just wanted a glimpse of her. Miss Marple realizes that at this point, the kids aren't even interested in revenge; Marina's such a wreck, and the past so far behind them, that getting vengeance wouldn't be worth the risk of being arrested for it.]]

* SanitySlippage: After witnessing a death at close quarters, Marina Gregg is understandably shaken, and the ParanoiaFuel mounts as threatening notes appear on her property and poisons appear in her coffee. [[spoiler:The whole thing is an act to defer suspicion from herself, but between her true guilt over the murders and the flashback to a nervous breakdown, her sanity really ''is'' crumbling, until she either took an overdose or her husband administered one to simply end it all.]]

The story has been adapted three times for the screen, with Angela Lansbury (1980), Joan Hickson (1992), and [=Julia MacKenzie=] (2010) playing Miss Marple. For examples from the 2010 adaptation, see ''Series/{{Marple}}''. It has also been adapted for a stage.

The story has been adapted three times for the screen, with Angela Lansbury (1980), Joan Hickson (1992), and [=Julia MacKenzie=] (2010) playing Miss Marple. For examples from the 2010 adaptation, see ''Series/{{Marple}}''.

* UglyGuyHotWife: Marina, as an actress, is still very attractive despite her age. Her husband, Jason Rudd, is frequently described to be ugly and looks like a clown.

* HollywoodOld: Having Creator/AngelaLansbury, famous for starring in ''Series/MurderSheWrote'', play Miss Marple in the film might seem like a very logical move. However, back then, Lansbury by her own admission was 20 years too young for the role.

* NeverOneMurder: After murdering Heather Babcock, the killer also offs [[spoiler:Ella Zielinsky when she tries to [[HeKnowsTooMuch blackmail]] the culprit]].

* NeverOneMurder: After murdering Heather Babcock, the killer also offs [[spoiler:Ella Zielinsky and Giuseppe the butler when they separately try to [[HeKnowsTooMuch blackmail]] the culprit]].

* NeverOneMurder: After murdering Heather Babcock, the killer also offs [[spoiler:Ella Zelinsky when she tries to [[HeKnowsTooMuch blackmail]] the culprit]].

* AmbiguousSyntax: This trope provides a crucial clue regarding the testimony of [[spoiler: Gladys Dixon, who was standing by Marina and Heather Badcock when they met. Heather bumped into Marina's elbow, which led to the latter spilling her cocktail. When Gladys recalls the incident to Cherry Baker later, she remarks "She did it on purpose!" It's Miss Marple who understands that when Gladys said "she," she didn't mean Heather hitting Marina's elbow--she meant ''Marina'', who deliberately dropped the glass to have an excuse to poison Heather's.]]

[[CompleteTheQuoteTitle The title of the novel comes from the poem "The Lady of Shalott"]] by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. The character of Marina Gregg is generally assumed to be based on the American actress Creator/GeneTierney--and the central plot points are based on events in the life of that actress. Christie herself denied this and insisted the similarity was a coincidence.

* ExactWords: Heather will tell anyone that she was sick but went out to meet Marina to get an autograph. [[spoiler:Miss Marple reveals that it wasn't an inconvenience like the common cold, but rubella aka measles, a highly contagious disease that can cause birth defects]].
* FeigningHealthiness: Heather Badcock once caught measles and was told to stay at home, but went out to a party to meet her favorite actress Marina Gregg anyway. Unbeknownst to her, [[spoiler:Marina was pregnant, caught measles from Heather, and the child was born with severe birth defects]]. Years later, they meet again, with Heather proudly recalling the time she proved no sickness would prevent her from meeting her idol, which quickly gets her [[spoiler:murdered by Marina]]. This was possibly based on a similar incident that happened in real life to Creator/GeneTierney (though without [[spoiler:the murder]]).

* NewHouseNewProblems: The murder and everything involved in it happens nice and fast after Marina and Jason move in. Downplayed with Cherry and her husband, who recently moved into a developmnet house but have problems with their neighbors and walls that are too thin to keep noise in or out.

* HardTruthAesop: Regarding the real reason for Heather being accidentally [[spoiler:--actually deliberately--]] killed: [[spoiler:Quarantines exist for a reason!]] No, they're not nice and can make a person feel cooped up and missing out on life, but they are necessary to protect other people [[spoilser:from contagious diseases]]. Safe to say that if [[spoiler:Heather had followed the rules and waited to meet Marina at a later time, she would have not caused TheChainOfHarm that plagued Marina, her biological baby and her adopted children]].