Mortal Thoughts (1991, Demi Moore, Bruce Willis)

Murder mystery suspense in the Jagged Edge mould with Demi Moore as Cynthia Kellog, a young woman questioned by the police over the murder of her best friend’s husband Jim (Bruce Willis). Told in flashback, Jim is an abusive lout who steals from his wife Joyce (Glenne Headly) to buy drink and drugs, and Joyce often talks of doing him in. When Jim does finally die, the two friends begin a cover-up and the interrogations start.

Cynthia and Joyce work in the aptly named ‘Clip ‘n’ Dye’ beauty salon in New Jersey. Cynthia has a boring but safe husband (John Pankow) but Joyce’s spouse is an arrogant and violent oaf who beats his wife, lies to her and steals money from the business’s till. Cynthia is a fascinated witness to the increasing violence of her friend’s husband who, everyone agrees, is a vicious ogre. Joyce, however, appears not to be content with simply complaining about her brute of a man and puts rat poison in the sugar bowl in a vain attempt to do him in. When she tells Cynthia, her friend rushes to save Jim’s life.

But, when the three are together at a carnival, Jim is found murdered and the two friends conspire to hide his body and cover up the death. As the women are questioned by the police it becomes clear that all is not as straightforward as it seems and a series of twists and surprises gradually unfold.

production details
USA | 104 minutes | 1991

Director: Alan Rudolph
Script: William Reilly, Claude Kerven,

cast
Demi Moore as Cynthia Kellogg
Bruce Willis as James Urbanski
Glenne Headly as Joyce Urbanski
Harvey Keitel as Det. John Woods
Frank Vincent as Dominic
John Pankow as Arthur Kellogg
Billie Neal as Det. Linda Nealon
Karen Shallo as Gloria
Marcus Barone as Usher
Marianne Leone Cooper as Aunt Rita