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The War of the Roses

Play trailer 2:41 Poster for The War of the Roses R 1989 1h 56m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
84% Tomatometer 44 Reviews 71% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
After 17 years of marriage, Barbara (Kathleen Turner) and Oliver Rose (Michael Douglas) want out. The trouble is, neither one wants to part with their opulent home. So begins a long war between husband and wife, reaching farcical heights that leave much of the house -- not to mention their lives -- in shambles. The couple's children (Sean Astin, Heather Fairfield) watch in horror while lawyer Gavin D'Amato (Danny DeVito) tries his best to stem the bloodshed.
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Critics Consensus

The War of the Roses is a black comedy made even funnier by hanging onto its caustic convictions -- and further distinguished by Danny DeVito's stylish direction.

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Critics Reviews

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Robyn Karney Empire Magazine Feb 11, 2008
4/5
Wildly funny and deeply disturbing. Go to Full Review Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader Feb 11, 2008
3/4
DeVito's taste for unorthodox camera angles and striking camera movements occasionally verges on overreaching but for the most part admirably serves the action. Go to Full Review Variety Staff Variety Feb 11, 2008
Trying to wring yocks from a deranged couple locked in mortal combat over possession of their house is more suited to film noir than black comedy. Go to Full Review Barbara Shulgasser Common Sense Media Sep 29, 2025
4/5
Danny DeVito's direction is a star of the film, clever, adroit, full of visual jokes and clues to what's coming. Go to Full Review Sarah Vincent Sarah G Vincent Views Aug 28, 2025
This movie was the definitive film about what not to do in life, marriage and divorce. Go to Full Review Jana Monji Age of the Geek Aug 27, 2025
3/5
Not as good as the remake, but still full of funny moments if you like dark comedy that favors the male point of view. Of course, the chemistry between Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner is off the charts. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Robert P @Superbad 3 days ago The War of The Roses is a *4* star Movie! See more nick S @Nick_S Sep 2, 2026 Kathleen Turner is very convincing as a bitter wife. Michael Douglas is the somewhat befuddled husband who constantly tries to resurrect their marriage. The story is brave enough not to let this resolve in a satisfying way. Lots of great moments. See more Jagdpanzer T @RT44446946 Aug 1, 2026 This is one of those movies where the audience is supposed to view the two leads as equally responsible for their interpersonal conflict, equally guilty, and therefore equally deserving of punishment. However, the increasingly absurd marital spat is extremely lopsided for most of the movie, with Barbara (Kathleen Turner) being the primary instigator, while Oliver (Michael Douglas) is pretty oblivious. He definitely comes off better than she does, and for her part Barbara is intensely unlikeable. I feel like that wasn't necessarily intentional and it made the movie less enjoyable as I spent a good portion of the movie wanting Oliver to just off his wife. It is a black comedy after all. Overall the only parts I really enjoyed were with Danny DeVito, and I liked the present day scenes with him narrating better than the story being narrated. From a technical standpoint I liked it though. The cinematography is charming and has a slightly Dickensian quality, which I believe was intentional. See more Jerod S @jeroduptown Jun 8, 2026 Turner and Douglas' marriage goes WAY south - and they fight it out over the house. A dark comedy that looked really fun to make. See more Larry K @Larrymoses39 Dec 2, 2025 Didn't think this movie would get that crazy. Good fighting See more Tyler G @tylergross121 Nov 2, 2025 A couple going through a divorce goes to shocking depths to punich each other. Not many movies approach divorce like this or end this darkly. It is dripping with Northeastern WASP so much so that it is a little annoying. I didn't find the dark humor funny at all. I didn't enjoy watching this, although it has some memorable scenes. See more Read all reviews
The War of the Roses

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Cast & Crew

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Danny DeVito

Director

Michael Douglas

Oliver Rose

Kathleen Turner

Barbara Rose

Danny DeVito

Gavin D'Amato

Marianne Sägebrecht

Susan

Sean Astin

Josh at 17

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The War of the Roses

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The War of the Roses

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Movie Info

Synopsis After 17 years of marriage, Barbara (Kathleen Turner) and Oliver Rose (Michael Douglas) want out. The trouble is, neither one wants to part with their opulent home. So begins a long war between husband and wife, reaching farcical heights that leave much of the house -- not to mention their lives -- in shambles. The couple's children (Sean Astin, Heather Fairfield) watch in horror while lawyer Gavin D'Amato (Danny DeVito) tries his best to stem the bloodshed.
Director
Danny DeVito
Producer
James L. Brooks, Arnon Milchan
Screenwriter
Michael Leeson
Production Co
Gracie Films, Twentieth Century Fox
Rating
R
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 25, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$84.1M
Runtime
1h 56m
Sound Mix
Surround
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