A cable-TV weather girl who'll do anything to become a celebrity seduces a high school student and convinces him to kill her go-nowhere husband in this black comedy. Gus Van Sant's (MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO, ELEPHANT) sly satire on America's tabloid mentality is loosely adapted from Joyce Maynard's chronicle of the real-life tale of husband-killer Pamela Smart.

Suzanne Stone is a blond, glamorous, ambitious and ruthless TV weatherperson in Little Hope, N.H. She's also completely obsessed with both the notion of celebrity, and with becoming one -- no matter what she has to do. But when Larry, Suzanne's blue-collar husband, naively suggests she give up her career to raise a family, Suzanne realizes that Larry is merely an obstacle on the road to fame. She then comes up with an idea: manipulate three local teens (emotionally and physically) into killing Larry. The resulting tabloid media coverage brings Suzanne the notoriety she's always desired, and she enjoys every moment. But what Suzanne doesn't know is that small-mindedness is about to contribute to her downfall.

Color by Technicolor.

Shown at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival.

Released theatrically in the USA September 27, 1995.

The Boston Society of Film Critics awarded Nicole Kidman Best Actress of 1995.

Excerpt: "You're not anyone in America unless you're on TV." -- Suzanne Stone (NICOLE KIDMAN).

"What's the point of doing something good if nobody's watching." -- Suzanne Stone.

DVD Features:

Region 1
Keep Case
Audio:
(unspecified) - English
Closed Captioned - English
Additional Release Material:
Original Theatrical Trailer
Interactive Features:
Scene Selection
Theatrical Trailer

Distributor Notes: Suzanne Stone (Nicole Kidman) has always dreamed of being on TV and she's dead-set on making that dream come true. But there is just one obstacle: Larry Maretto, her husband (Matt Dillon). So, Suzanne convinces a love-struck teenager (Joaquin Phoenix) to get Larry out of the way for good. TO DIE FOR is the most critically acclaimed comedy of the year.

Source: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Nicole Kidman: Actress, TO DIE FOR
Joaquin Phoenix: American actor, WALK THE LINE
Matt Dillon: American Actor, DRUGSTORE COWBOY (1989)
Illeana Douglas: Granddaughter of Melvyn Douglas
Casey Affleck: Actor - brother of Ben
Alison Folland: Actress
Dan Hedaya: American TV/Film Actor
Wayne Knight: Comedian/Actor
Kurtwood Smith: Star, HARD SCRAMBLED (2006)
Holland Taylor: American supporting actress

Gus Van Sant: American Director/Screenwriter

"...[Kidman is] breathtaking....Kudos to Van Sant..." - Recommended
"...Prime social satire and outrageous fun....Sparked by a volcanically sexy and richly comic performance..."
"...Kidman is like a Roman candle....Directed with comic brightness..." -- Rating: B+
"...TO DIE FOR delivers continuous pinpricks of irreverent humor and subversive cultural commentary. Witty, energetic and splendidly acted..."
"...A smart black comedy that skewers America's fatal fascination with television and celebrity....Told with a panache that extends from the opening credits to its closing frames, TO DIE FOR plays its themes for everything they're worth..."
"...TO DIE FOR is the kind of movie that's merciless with its characters, and Kidman is superb....The film is filled with perfect character studies..."
4 stars out of 5 -- "Like the finest satire, TO DIE FOR is no-prisoners nasty, very funny and both exaggerated and true."
"Nicole Kidman gives a peerless performance....Van Sant's non-linear faux-documentary narrative, with its tabloid-news-style talking heads and sly gags comes up fresh as a daisy after a dozen years."
4 stars out of 5 -- "[The film] showcases some accomplished performances....These combine with some solid direction from Van Sant to result in a juicy little guilty pleasure."