Indecent Proposal
(1993)
R | 118 mins | Drama, Romance | 7 April 1993
Director:
Adrian LyneWriter:
Amy Holden JonesProducer:
Sherry LansingCinematographer:
Howard AthertonEditor:
Joe HutshingProduction Designer:
Mel Bourne
According to a 13 Sep 1995 HR article, Paramount Pictures paid Jack Engelhard $120,000 for screen rights to his novel, Indecent Proposal, and promised the author two percent of the picture’s net profits. A 6 Jul 1992 Publishers Weekly item reported that Pocket Books had purchased paperback rights to the 1988 novel, and a paperback release was slated to tie in with the film’s opening, then set for Mar 1993.
A 27 Sep 1991 Screen International item noted that producer Sherry Lansing approached Julia Roberts to play the role of “Diana Murphy,” with plans to begin filming Jan 1992. Also considered for the role of Diana, actresses Isabel Adjani, Lolita Davidson, and Nicole Kidman performed screen tests, as mentioned in a 9 Mar 1992 DV item. Later that month, a 20 Mar 1992 Screen International brief reported that Kidman and her then-husband, actor Tom Cruise, had been pursuing the roles of Diana and “David Murphy,” but had recently dropped out. On 9 Mar 1992, Var speculated that Cruise lost interest in the project because its morals were not in keeping with his newfound religion, the Church of Scientology. Other actors considered for David Murphy included Johnny Depp, Tim Robbins, and brothers Alec and William Baldwin , according to Screen International and a 24 May 1992 LAT item. According to the 9 Mar 1992 Var and LAT, Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, and Jeff Bridges were considered for the role of “John Gage.”
Director Adrian Lyne and Paramount president Stanley Jaffe had a well-publicized argument shortly before ...
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According to a 13 Sep 1995 HR article, Paramount Pictures paid Jack Engelhard $120,000 for screen rights to his novel, Indecent Proposal, and promised the author two percent of the picture’s net profits. A 6 Jul 1992 Publishers Weekly item reported that Pocket Books had purchased paperback rights to the 1988 novel, and a paperback release was slated to tie in with the film’s opening, then set for Mar 1993.
A 27 Sep 1991 Screen International item noted that producer Sherry Lansing approached Julia Roberts to play the role of “Diana Murphy,” with plans to begin filming Jan 1992. Also considered for the role of Diana, actresses Isabel Adjani, Lolita Davidson, and Nicole Kidman performed screen tests, as mentioned in a 9 Mar 1992 DV item. Later that month, a 20 Mar 1992 Screen International brief reported that Kidman and her then-husband, actor Tom Cruise, had been pursuing the roles of Diana and “David Murphy,” but had recently dropped out. On 9 Mar 1992, Var speculated that Cruise lost interest in the project because its morals were not in keeping with his newfound religion, the Church of Scientology. Other actors considered for David Murphy included Johnny Depp, Tim Robbins, and brothers Alec and William Baldwin , according to Screen International and a 24 May 1992 LAT item. According to the 9 Mar 1992 Var and LAT, Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, and Jeff Bridges were considered for the role of “John Gage.”
Director Adrian Lyne and Paramount president Stanley Jaffe had a well-publicized argument shortly before production was set to begin, when Lyne became angered by Jaffe’s suggestion that they accelerate the post-production schedule to allow the film to open by Christmas 1992. A 31 Mar 1992 DV news item noted that Jaffe and Lyne had fought several times previously on Fatal Attraction (1987, see entry), but that they would always reconcile; in the meantime, Lansing put the already-hired crew members “on a week-to-week hiatus until further notice.” Shooting was expected to begin 15 May 1992, when actor Robert Redford became available; however, Redford had not signed off on the role of John Gage to that time, as he and Paramount were still “very far apart on financial terms.” A 27 Apr 1992 LAT article later reported that Redford turned down the $4 million salary initially offered him in exchange for gross profit participation.
DV and HR items reported on 5 Jun 1992 that MGM-Pathe Entertainment filed a lawsuit against actor Woody Harrelson, Paramount, Lansing and Lyne, claiming that Harrelson had broken a “pay-or-play” contract to star in Benny and Joon (1993, see entry) after taking the role of David Murphy in Indecent Proposal. According to DV, MGM claimed that Harrelson entered into a written contract to play “Benny” on 2 Apr 1992, with principal photography planned to begin 2 Jun 1992. However, Harrelson pulled out of the contract 23 Apr 1992, claiming that he could not trust director Jeremiah Chechik for the MGM film. The lawsuit contended that Paramount, Lansing, and Lyne encouraged Harrelson to forgo MGM’s movie for theirs, and stated that damages, including costs associated with pre-production, advertising, casting, and attorney’s fees, were in excess of $5 million. According to a 16 Apr 1993 Chicago Tribune article, the lawsuit was settled and Paramount had to pay “upwards of $400,000” to MGM.
As stated in production notes from AMPAS library files, the filmmakers scouted more than seventy locations over the course of nine months during pre-production. In his 28 May 1992 DV “Just for Variety” column, Army Archerd reported that rehearsals were set to begin 1 Jun 1992 at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV. Principal photography began two weeks later with shooting in the casino between the hours of four a.m. and four p.m., during which time the casino remained operational. After a month in Las Vegas, the production moved to Southern California. Filming took place in forty locations across Los Angeles, CA, including the neighborhood of Echo Park; additionally, a Santa Barbara, CA, mansion doubled for millionaire Gage’s home.
The production budget was roughly $32 million, as noted in a 13 Apr 1993 LAT article. Although a Christmas 1992 opening had been discussed, Lyne was allowed a five-month post-production period, completing the film roughly two weeks before its opening, as stated in a 29 Mar 1993 Orange County Register item. For its marketing of the film, Paramount won the “Excellence in Film Marketing Award” for Apr 1993 from the Film Information Council, marking the first time the studio had received the accolade that was launched eight months before, according to a 21 May 1993 DV brief.
The opening week box-office gross for Indecent Proposal was $25 million, as reported in a 10 Apr 1993 NYT article. A 25 May 1993 DV news item stated that the film had taken in $88.7 in domestic box-office receipts, and an additional $28.8 million in foreign territories. A 16 Apr 1993 HR suggested that a “sleepy April marketplace” aided the film’s success, stating that no other films that had recently opened were targeted at adult female moviegoers.
Critical reception was mixed. As noted in LAT articles on 18 Apr 1993 and 1 May 1993, there was a feminist backlash to the film, fueled by the fact that the lead female character is sold, for one night, by her husband to another man. At a “cable-sponsored forum” in Beverly Hills, CA, called “Women and Power – New Images and Realities,” feminist leader Betty Friedan delivered a keynote address that included an admonition of the female filmmakers behind Indecent Proposal, Lansing and screenwriter Amy Holden Jones. Friedan stated, “Don’t say women made this movie...shame on them,” and claimed that the film had made her “sick.” In the 18 Apr 1993 article, Jones defended her screenplay and said that Diana Murphy made the choice in the film, not her husband, and called Diana’s storyline “the ultimate female fantasy.” LAT writer Patrick Goldstein pointed to three recent films in addition to Indecent Proposal that dealt with the theme of women being sold or bartered, including Pretty Woman (1990), Mad Dog and Glory (1993), and Honeymoon in Vegas (1992, see entries) suggesting that the “latest high-concept twist” in Hollywood films was “Woman as Door Prize.”
The 13 Sep 1995 HR reported that novelist Jack Engelhard was suing Paramount with claims that he had not been paid the two percent of the film’s net profits that he was owed. However, Paramount alleged that, “despite $250 million in worldwide ticket sales,” the studio had only netted $35.7 million, partly due to the gross profit participation that had been paid to Lansing, Lyne, Harrelson, lead actress Demi Moore, and Redford. HR alleged that Redford alone had earned roughly $20 million for the film.
End credits include the following statement: "The producers gratefully acknowledge the following for their assistance and cooperation: Las Vegas Hilton Hotel; selected wardrobes by Cerruti 1881 Paris; Mr. Dennis Washington, owner of the Motor Yacht Attessa; Cartier; Frances Klein Estate Jewels; Murray's Iron Works; selected home furnishings by Thomas W. Morgan, Inc., Los Angeles; Capitol Records, Inc. and Ill-Eagle Enterprises, Ltd.; horseracing footage courtesy of NBC Sports."
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An Adrian Lyne Film
New York opening: week of 7 April 1993
In Los Angeles, California, architect David Murphy his wife Diana, a real estate agent, struggle to make ends meet . High school sweethearts who were married at nineteen, David and Diana sometimes bicker but enjoy a passionate and supportive relationship. After Diana finds a piece of land in Santa Monica, California, where David can build his dream home, she and David buy it. However, a recession hits, causing Diana’s income to severely decrease. Soon, their lawyer, Jeremy, tells the couple that they are in danger of losing the property. One night, after borrowing $5,000 from his father, David gets the idea to gamble the money in Las Vegas, Nevada, in hopes of winning enough cash to pay off their debts, and Diana agrees to go. Hours later, in a Las Vegas casino, David wins some money at a slot machine then moves to a craps table, while Diana roams into a clothing shop. Outside the shop, billionaire John Gage notices Diana stealing chocolates and admiring an expensive evening gown. Gage offers to buy the dress for Diana; however, she senses that Gage is trying to buy her affections and rejects his offer. Diana finds David at the craps table, and when she realizes that Gage is watching from afar, she kisses David passionately. After winning $25,040 in the casino, David and Diana retire to their hotel room. Diana excitedly rolls around in piles of cash on the bed, and she and David make love. The next day, David and Diana continue gambling but lose almost all of their winnings. With only $4,100 remaining, Diana suggests they flip a coin to decide whether or not to continue. After the ... + −
In Los Angeles, California, architect David Murphy his wife Diana, a real estate agent, struggle to make ends meet . High school sweethearts who were married at nineteen, David and Diana sometimes bicker but enjoy a passionate and supportive relationship. After Diana finds a piece of land in Santa Monica, California, where David can build his dream home, she and David buy it. However, a recession hits, causing Diana’s income to severely decrease. Soon, their lawyer, Jeremy, tells the couple that they are in danger of losing the property. One night, after borrowing $5,000 from his father, David gets the idea to gamble the money in Las Vegas, Nevada, in hopes of winning enough cash to pay off their debts, and Diana agrees to go. Hours later, in a Las Vegas casino, David wins some money at a slot machine then moves to a craps table, while Diana roams into a clothing shop. Outside the shop, billionaire John Gage notices Diana stealing chocolates and admiring an expensive evening gown. Gage offers to buy the dress for Diana; however, she senses that Gage is trying to buy her affections and rejects his offer. Diana finds David at the craps table, and when she realizes that Gage is watching from afar, she kisses David passionately. After winning $25,040 in the casino, David and Diana retire to their hotel room. Diana excitedly rolls around in piles of cash on the bed, and she and David make love. The next day, David and Diana continue gambling but lose almost all of their winnings. With only $4,100 remaining, Diana suggests they flip a coin to decide whether or not to continue. After the coin flip indicates they should gamble more, the couple bets the last of their money and loses it. Devastated, they walk through the casino, but David stops when he sees a crowd formed around a high-limit poker table. There, John Gage is on a losing streak, betting with $10,000 chips. Seeing Diana in the crowd, Gage leaves the table and asks David if Diana can sit with him for luck. David defers to Diana, who reluctantly agrees. However, when Gage ascertains that Diana prefers craps over poker, he asks a casino worker for one million dollars in chips. At a craps table, Gage instructs Diana to bet all of the chips, reminding her to kiss the dice before she throws them. Diana rolls a total of 11, and they rejoice along with a crowd of onlookers as Gage wins one million dollars. Gage offers to treat David and Diana to a room for the night, telling them to charge anything they want to the room. Soon after, Mr. Shackleford, Gage’s assistant, knocks on the door of their lavish hotel room, delivering a gift from Gage and inviting David and Diana to a gathering at Gage’s suite that night. Inside the gift box is the dress Diana was admiring the day before; shocked, Diana reveals that the dress cost $5,000. At Gage’s party that night, Gage plays billiards with David while Diana watches. He brings up the subject of happiness, and points out that, despite his superior wealth, David has something Gage does not have: Diana. Although Gage believes that everything can be bought, Diana insists that money cannot buy love. Gage asks David what he would say if Gage offered him $1 million for one night with Diana. Diana responds that David would tell him to “go to hell,” and David agrees. When Gage announces that the offer is real, David sticks to his answer of ‘no.’ Back in their hotel room, a restless Diana asks David if he secretly wants her to go through with Gage’s arrangement. David promises he does not, while Diana admits that she would do it, but only for him. In the morning, David calls Jeremy, tells him about Gage’s offer, and asks him to draw up a legal contract. Jeremy excitedly writes up the terms, rushes to Las Vegas, and obtains Gage’s signature. With $1 million to be delivered to their casino account the following morning, David and Diana part ways so that Diana can spend the night with Gage. However, he soon panics and decides to stop his wife, but she has left the room by the time David returns. After taking a helicopter ride to Gage’s yacht, Diana finds a dress laid out for her and puts on makeup. On the deck, Gage bets Diana that she will enjoy spending the night with him and promises that nothing will happen that she does not choose. The next morning, Diana returns to the hotel room where David nervously awaits her. After smearing off Diana’s red lipstick, David kisses her passionately. Back in Los Angeles, Diana and David are disheartened when they attempt to pay off the overdue mortgage on their Santa Monica property and learn that the bank repossessed and sold it to another buyer. Back at home, David obsesses over Diana’s night with Gage; searching her purse, he finds a business card with Gage’s phone number and confronts her about it, although Diana claims she has never seen it. Hoping to improve their relationship, Diana uses a connection in the real estate business to find out who purchased the Santa Monica property so that she can buy it back; however, she is furious when she discovers that Gage bought it. Diana finds Gage at a business lunch and embarrasses him by shouting at the table. Back at home, David begs Diana to tell him about her night with Gage, and she tearfully admits that they had pleasurable sex. Infuriated, David takes refuge at Jeremy’s apartment, and Diana calls Jeremy to relay the message that David can have their million dollars. Soon after, Gage finds Diana at her office and pretends to be shopping for a home. At the behest of her boss, Diana shows Gage a series of mansions for sale while he flirts with her. Finally, Gage admits he is not buying a home and shows Diana his mansion, saying that he wants her to live there. Sometime later, David moves into a smaller house and Diana takes a second job teaching citizenship. Gage stops in on one of her classes, and although Diana tries to make him leave, her students insist that he stay. Gage takes Diana back to his house and shows her two dogs that he bought to make the house cozier for her. Gage tells Diana about a secret crush he had as a boy, and says he never wants unrequited love to happen to him again. Before she leaves, Diana kisses him. One night, David sees Diana and Gage stepping out of Gage’s limousine in the rain. Drunk, David accosts Gage and attempts to punch him. The next day, David sobers up and decides to take a job as a professor. After attending one of David’s lectures, Jeremy tells him that Diana wants a divorce and is leaving all of their shared assets, including the million dollars, to him. At an outdoor charity auction, Gage bids $50,000 for a real hippopotamus that Diana said she liked, but David appears and offers $1 million, winning the animal. Gage allows Diana and David a moment alone, and a sudden downpour sends the other benefit goers running. David tells Diana that he regrets his decision in Las Vegas and admits that he thought Gage might be a better man than him. However, David now realizes that Gage only had more money. After signing the divorce papers, he leaves. Riding away from the auction, Diana asks Gage to talk, but Gage interrupts, telling Shackleford that Diana is the best of the “million-dollar club,” and revealing that he has entered into countless similar arrangements with other women. Smiling, Diana asks Shackleford to stop the car, kisses Gage, and thanks him. After she runs away from the car, Gage admits to Shackleford that he lied to end their relationship, knowing that Diana would never love him like she loved David. Diana goes to the Paradise Cove pier where David proposed marriage to her. Finding David there, she tells him she loves him and they hold hands. + −
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