Sleeping with the Enemy – 30th Anniversary

By Reggie's Take on February 7, 2021

Sleeping with the Enemy, a film that failed with critics, loved by the audience and is celebrating its 30^th anniversary.

Based on the 1987 novel of the same name written by Nancy Price, Sleeping with the Enemy was released to theaters on February 8, 1991. Starring Julia Roberts, Patrick Bergin and Kevin Anderson, Roberts plays Laura Burney a woman who escapes from her abusive husband.

Laura leaves Cape Cod and moves to Iowa, where she adopts a new identity of Sara Waters and begins dating a local teacher, Ben Woodward (Kevin Anderson). Martin, unearths evidence suggesting that Laura is really not dead, and when her mother confirms this, he tracks her down in Iowa. Martin, finds Laura and Ben confronting them both and forcing her to fight for her life.

The movie received plenty of negative reviews from critics, but plenty of love from the public earning $175 million world-wide on a production budget of just $19 million. The movie at the time would break the highest domestic opening for a female centric film, grossing $13 million on its opening weekend beating the previous record held by the movie Alien, which grossed $10 million on its opening weekend. Sleeping with the Enemy also ended Home Alone’s twelve weeks atop the box office.

Cast of Sleeping with the Enemy

Julia Roberts as Laura Williams Burney / Sara Waters

Patrick Bergin as Martin Burney

Kevin Anderson as Ben Woodward

Elizabeth Lawrence as Chloe Williams

Harley Venton as Garber

Sandi Shackelford as Edna

Bonnie Johnson as Mrs. Neppert