History Trivia / DeathBecomesHer

* HilariousInHindsight: Isabella Rossellini was sacked at the age of 42 for looking too old.

* UnderageCasting: Though her character, Helen Sharp, is portrayed as a 50 year old woman during the majority of the film, Creator/GoldieHawn was actually 46 years old when she shot this film.

** Creator/KevinKline was cast as Ernest, yet asked for too much money.

* PlayingAgainstType: Bruce Willis playing a cowardly, bumbling HenpeckedHusband back when he was in the full swing of {{Badass}} action heroes. Bonus points for the character being literally impotent.
** PlayingAgainstType/Directing: You'd be excused for thinking Creator/TimBurton or Creator/TheCoenBrothers directed this, but nope, it was Creator/RobertZemeckis. The director of ''Film/BackToTheFuture'' and ''Film/ForrestGump'', everyone! (Like many of his movies, though, there's the AuthorAppeal of CGI SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome.)

* WhatCouldHaveBeen:i

* PlayingAgainstType: Bruce Willis playing a cowardly, bumbling HenpeckedHusband. Bonus points for the character being literally impotent.

* TroubledProduction: No major catastrophes, but this movie was made back in the early 90s, when digital effects were still in their infancy. This means that they had to stage the scenes down to the smallest detail, and any slight unplanned movement would ruin a take, which had the effect of exhausting the actors. Later on, Meryl said that while she was proud of the movie and her work in it, never again would she do a movie so effects-heavy.

*** There were several brief scenes featuring Madeline's agent at the book party, including one where Madeline talks to him about negotiating an appearance for her on ''Series/HollywoodSquares’’.

*** There were several brief scenes featuring Madeline's agent at the book party, including one where Madeline talks to him about negotiating an appearance for her on ''Series/Hollywood Squares’’.

*** There were several brief scenes featuring Madeline's agent at the book party, including one where Madeline talks to him about negotiating an appearance for her on "Hollywood Squares".

* DivorcedInstallment: The film was originally going to be a sequel to the 1989 ''Series/TalesFromTheCrypt'' movie. The TV theme song was actually used in the trailer, even after the film became stand-alone.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** Much like ''Film/TheFrighteners'' and ''Film/FromDuskTillDawn'', ''Death Becomes Her'' was originally planned to be a ''Series/TalesFromTheCrypt'' movie, but it was ultimately decided that it should be it’s own film.

*** When Ernest entered the morgue to look for Madeline, he was distracted by a drawer holding the body of a dead priest, which eerily rolled open on its own (repeatedly). This would have explained the strange, crying nuns in the hallway, as well as Ernest's sudden conviction that Madeline's resurrection was a "miracle" and a sign from God. (It's unknown whether the scene itself was actually filmed, as the deleted scenes have never been released.)

*** One proposed ending for the film had Madeline and Helen stealing a car at Lisle's and chasing after Ernest, only to drive off a cliff and crash with a fiery explosion ([[{{Irony}} just like in the staged "accident" Helen planned earlier in the film]]). Madeline and Helen would have [[NightmareFuel emerged from the wreckage of the car as charred, smoldering skeletons.]]

*** There was also draft suggesting that Lisel was actually Cleopatra (explaining the Egyptian symbols on the potion box).

** The original script had a number of scenes and plot elements that never made into the film:
*** Ernest originally had a subplot where he befriends a kind female bartender named Toni (played by Creator/TraceyUllman). In the scripted ending, Ernest flees to Toni's bar (with the potion still intact), and she helps him escape Madeline and Helen by [[FakingTheDeath faking his death]] before they run away and start a new life together. The final scenes of the movie would have shown Madeline and Helen vacationing in the Swiss Alps, still young and beautiful, but completely bored and miserable. They snark at an elderly couple holding hands, who are revealed as Toni and Ernest (with Ernest's right hand, which received the potion, still smooth and youthful) -- showing that Ern has found true happiness in old age, whilst Madeline and Helen are still vain, unhappy, and stuck together. The ending was scrapped in favor of a darker, edgier conclusion; unfortunate, as ''Death Becomes Her'' was intended to be Ullman's big return to film.
*** Madeline and Helen originally met as college students at Radcliffe (rather than in high school), and their feud began because Helen envied Madeline's popularity and success with men. In this treatment, Madeline (while still vain, self-absorbed, and spiteful) was a far less malicious character: Ernest was the first love interest she had stolen from Helen, and she regretted her actions (admitting that she did so out of fear and desperation).
*** Helen originally did not become an obese, [[CrazyCatLady insane cat lady]], and wasn't supposed to take the potion until the film's final act, shortly before her fight with Madeline. (She would have aged reasonably since her last meeting with Madeline, but still would have been beautiful and glamorous enough to seduce Ernest and make Madeline feel insecure at the book party.)
*** Madeline's lover was a [[LatinLover Latin]] cabana boy named "Marcello". The original screenplay gave him more screentime, included a scene where he and Madeline meet for sex after Ernest leaves for work (during which she discusses her feud with Helen), and another where Madeline calls him immediately after taking the potion to arrange a meetup.
*** There were several brief scenes involving Madeline's agent at Helen's book party (including one where Madeline talks to him about getting an appearance on "Hollywood Squares").

*** When Ernest entered the morgue to look for Madeline, he was supposed to be distracted by a drawer holding the body of a dead priest, which eerily rolled open on its own (repeatedly). This would have explained the strange, crying nuns in the hallway, as well as Ernest's sudden conviction that Madeline's resurrection was a "miracle" and a sign from God. (It's unknown whether the scene itself was actually filmed, as the deleted scenes have never been released.)

* DeletedRole: Creator/TraceyUllman, a long-time friend of Meryl Streep, had a supporting role as a bartender named Toni who befriends Ernest (and later runs away with him). Despite her character being cut (due to a last minute ending change), she appeared in much of the film's promotional material, including the theatrical trailer (see below) and at least one [[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104070/mediaviewer/rm3743815680 promotional picture]].

* UncreditedRole: Creator/SydneyPollack portrays the E.R. doctor who examines Madeline in an uncredited role.

** PlayingAgainstType/Directing: You'd be excused for thinking Creator/TimBurton or Creator/TheCoenBrothers directed this, but nope, it was Creator/RobertZemeckis. The director of ''Film/BackToTheFuture'' and ''Film/ForrestGump'', everyone!
*** AuthorAppeal: CGI SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome.

*** One draft of the script gave more depth to Lisle's character. Originally, she wasn't going to be merely 71, but old beyond imagination. Her deepest desire was to use the potion to preserve the greatest minds and creative talents of the world forever, such as William Shakespeare, Abraham Lincoln and Max Factor[[note]]founder of a cosmetics company and responsible for the first cosmetics intended specifically for film actors[[note]]. Unfortunately for her, those great minds came to the same conclusion that Ernest ultimately did: eternal life is not a dream but a nightmare, and she killed them in retaliation. The fact that pretty much the only people interested in the potion were the vain, narcissistic personalities of Hollywood was a bone of contention for her. It brought her wealth, but not the collection of intelligent talent she dreamed of.

*** One draft of the script gave more depth to Lisle's character. Originally, she wasn't going to be merely 71, but old beyond imagination. Her deepest desire was to use the potion to preserve the greatest minds and creative talents of the world forever, such as William Shakespeare, Abraham Lincoln and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Factor_Sr. Unfortunately for her, those great minds came to the same conclusion that Ernest ultimately did: eternal life is not a dream but a nightmare, and she killed them in retaliation. The fact that pretty much the only people interested in the potion were the vain, narcissistic personalities of Hollywood was a bone of contention for her. It brought her wealth, but not the collection of intelligent talent she dreamed of.

*** One draft of the script gave more depth to Lisle's character. Originally, she wasn't going to be merely 71, but old beyond imagination. Her deepest desire was to use the potion to preserve the greatest minds and creative talents of the world forever, such as William Shakespeare, Abraham Lincoln and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Factor_Sr. Max Factor]]. Unfortunately for her, those great minds came to the same conclusion that Ernest ultimately did: eternal life is not a dream but a nightmare, and she killed them in retaliation. The fact that pretty much the only people interested in the potion were the vain, narcissistic personalities of Hollywood was a bone of contention for her. It brought her wealth, but not the collection of intelligent talent she dreamed of.

*** One draft of the script gave more depth to Lisle's character. Originally, she wasn't going to be merely 71, but old beyond imagination. Her deepest desire was to use the potion to preserve the greatest minds and creative talents of the world forever, such as William Shakespeare, Abraham Lincoln and Max Factor. Unfortunately for her, those great minds came to the same conclusion that Ernest ultimately did: eternal life is not a dream but a nightmare, and she killed them in retaliation. The fact that pretty much the only people interested in the potion were the vain, narcissistic personalities of Hollywood was a bone of contention for her. It brought her wealth, but not the collection of intelligent talent she dreamed of.

*** Ernest originally had a subplot where he befriends a bartender named Toni (played by Creator/TraceyUllman). In the scripted ending, Ernest flees to Toni's bar (with the potion still intact) and she helps him escape Madeline and Helen (by faking his death) before they run away and start a new life together. The final scenes of the movie would have shown Madeline and Helen vacationing in the Alps, still young and beautiful but completely bored and miserable. They snark at an elderly couple holding hands nearby, who (as they walk away) would be revealed as Toni and Ernest -- with Ernest's right hand (the one that was given the potion) still smooth and youthful and showing how he had found a life of true happiness in age while the other two are stuck together. The ending was scrapped in favor of a darker, edgier conclusion; unfortunate, as ''Death Becomes Her'' was intended to be Ullman's big return to film.

*** Helen originally did not become an obese cat lady and wasn't supposed to take the potion until the film's final act, shortly before her fight with Madeline. (She would have aged reasonably since her last meeting with Madeline, but still would have been beautiful and glamorous enough to seduce Ernest and make Madeline feel insecure at the book party.)

*** There was also suggested that Lisel was actually Cleopatra (explaining the Egyptian symbols on the potion box).

** In-universe example: Madeline is cast in a musical version of ''Sweet Bird of Youth'', which is about an older woman desperately clinging to her youth and beauty.

*** Ernest originally had a subplot where he befriends a bartender named Toni (played by Creator/TraceyUllman). In the scripted ending, Ernest flees to Toni's bar (with the potion still intact) and she helps him escape Madeline and Helen (by faking his death) before they run away and start a new life together. The final scenes of the movie would have shown Madeline and Helen vacationing in the Alps, still young and beautiful but completely bored and miserable. They snark at an elderly couple holding hands nearby, who (as they walk away) would be revealed as Toni and Ernest -- with Ernest's right hand (the one that was given the potion) still smooth and youthful. The ending was scrapped in favor of a darker, edgier conclusion; unfortunate, as ''Death Becomes Her'' was intended to be Ullman's big return to film.

*** Ernest originally had a subplot where he befriends a bartender named Toni (played by Creator/TraceyUllman). In the scripted ending, Ernest flees to Toni's bar (with the potion still intact) and she helps him escape Madeline and Helen (by faking his death) before they run away and start a new life together. The final scenes of the movie would have shown Madeline and Helen vacationing in the Alps, still young and beautiful but completely bored and miserable. They snark at an elderly couple holding hands nearby, who (as they walk away) would be revealed as Toni and Ernest -- with Ernest's right hand (the one that was given the potion) still smooth and youthful.
''Death Becomes Her'' was intended to be Ullman's big return to film.

* DeletedRole: Creator/TraceyUllman (a long-time friend of Meryl Streep) was to have a supporting role as [[http://www.allabouttracey.com/2009/02/death-becomes-her-traceys-deleted.html a bartender named Toni]] who befriends Ernest. In the film's original ending, Toni helps Ernest fake his death and they run away to start a new life together. After the ending was changed, the character was scrapped and Ullman's scenes were [[DeletedScene cut]] from the film.
* DivorcedInstallment: The film was originally going to be a sequel to the 1989 ''Series/TalesFromTheCrypt'' movie. The TV series' theme song was used in the trailer, even after the film became stand-alone.

* MissingTrailerScene: The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ko2dB8Jk_o theatrical trailer]] includes several scenes that never made it into the film: a shot of Madeline driving her convertible down a sunny street; some dialogue between Madeline's agent and a young woman at the book party ("Is that someone?" "That's Madeline Ashton. She was a big star in the 60s." "I thought she was dead!"); scenes of Ernest removing a very frostbitten Madeline from a freezer and dragging her up the mansion stairs ("I feel sweaty!" "That's not sweat, dear. I think you're defrosting"). Two scenes featuring Creator/TraceyUllman also made it into the trailer, despite her character being removed from the film entirely: a scene with Ernest and Toni looking down at the body of a man slumped over the bar ("Now HE'S dead!"), and Madeline and Helen confronting a sobbing Toni, with Helen hysterically exclaiming, "He's dead? Ernest is dead? EVERYBODY'S dead!"

* UncreditedRole: Creator/SydneyPollack portrays the E.R. Doctor in an uncredited role.

** The original script has a number of scenes and elements that never made into the film:
*** A character played by Creator/TraceyUllman (as noted above) and her subplot with Ernest were completely [[DeletedScene removed]] from the final film. ''Death Becomes Her'' was intended to be Ullman's big return to the big screen.
*** Madeline and Helen were originally going to be old college friends, who met as students at Radcliffe (rather than in high school). Madeline (while still vain and rather hateful) was also conceived as a far less malicious character: her feud with Helen began because Helen was jealous of her popularity and success with the boys, and Ernest was the first love interest she had ever stolen from Helen -- an act of fear and desperation, which she regretted.
*** Helen originally did not become an obese cat lady and wasn't supposed to take the potion until the film's final act, shortly before her fight with Madeline. (She would have aged reasonably since her last meeting with Madeline, but would still have been beautiful and glamorous enough to seduce Ernest and make Madeline feel insecure at the book party.)
*** Madeline's lover was originally a [[LatinLover Latin]] cabana boy named "Marcello". The original screenplay included a scene where the two meet for sex after Ernest leaves for work, and another where Madeline calls him immediately after taking the potion to arrange a meetup.
*** Several still-living (at the time) celebrities were going to appear in younger form at Lisel's party, including Dick Clark and Creator/GeorgeHamilton.
*** When Ernest enters the morgue to look for Madeline, he was supposed to be interrupted (several times) when a drawer containing the body of a priest rolled out on its own; this would have explained the crying nuns in the hall, as well as Ernest's sudden conviction that Madeline's resurrection is a "miracle" and a sign from God. (It's unknown whether the scene itself was actually filmed, as the deleted scenes have never been released.)

*** One proposed ending for the film had Madeline and Helen stealing a car at Lisle's and chasing after Ernest, only to drive off a cliff and crash with a fiery explosion ([[{{Irony}} just like in the staged "accident" Helen planned earlier in the film]]). Madeline and Helen would [[NightmareFuel emerge from the wreckage of the car as charred, smoldering skeletons.]]

** Much like ''Film/TheFrighteners'' and ''Film/FromDuskTillDawn'', ''Death Becomes Her'' was originally was going to be a ''Series/TalesFromTheCrypt'' movie, but it was ultimately decided that it should be it’s own film.

** Much like ''Film/TheFrighteners'' and ''Film/FromDuskTilDawn'', ''Death Becomes Her'' was originally was going to be a ''Series/TalesFromTheCrypt'' movie, but it was ultimately decided that it should be it’s own film.

** Much like ''Film/TheFrighteners'', ''Death Becomes Her'' was originally was going to be a ''Series/TalesFromTheCrypt'' movie, but it was ultimately decided that it should be it’s own film.