| “ | It wasn't the money. I don't think you have any idea what the Carlsson name means to me. We could have been happy, if only you'd let things be. But it's your father I feel sorry for. He doesn't need this, another tragedy. We'll both mourn you together. I'll be a great comfort to him. | „ |
| ~ Jonathan Corliss detailing his motivation as he prepares to garrote Ellen Carlsson, aka his own wife. |
What's the Work?[]
A Kiss Before Dying is a 1991 remake of the thriller novel of the same name by Ira Levin. Directed by James Dearden and starring Matt Dillon, Sean Young, Max von Syndow, Diane Ladd, and James Russo. It focuses on twins Dorothy and Ellen Carlsson, who are the children of Thor, and they own a powerful family business. When Dorothy is found dead thanks to apparently killing herself and a new man comes to Ellen’s life, it’s up to her to figure out what really happened in time.
Who is Jonathan Corliss and What Has He Done?[]
Jonathan Corliss is a young, charming college student who is first seen as a child overseeing the Carlsson trains from his house. Meeting his currently pregnant girlfriend, Dorothy Carlsson in the present day for a date in a museum via taxi cab, they discuss about the latter's dad. Corliss has suspicions regarding him but Dorothy dismisses them. Corliss then takes Dorothy to another building. Dorothy wants to marry Corliss and please her father. Dorothy sits down near a dangerous place at Corliss' insistence and promises to put her down while he looks up and down her body, but then Corliss Corliss suddenly shoves Dorothy for her to plummet several stories to her demise, murdering her alongside their unborn child and remarks that it's her fault he needed to do this.
Corliss leaves the building and passes it off as a suicide. Dorothy's sister, Ellen and their father Thor demand answers to their already shaky history. Corliss works at a restaurant with his colleague Terry Dieter and they watch the news. Corliss demands that he shut up. Another worker, Joanne approaches him with a question and he answers rudely. Corliss looks at a newspaper back home regarding the Carlsson's and a year later after graduation, his mother tells him to do something with his life after he didn't go to his interview with the bank, and Corliss at first blows her off because her talking is what made dad left them before apologizing later on. Corliss gets on a ride with Jay Faraday to New York City and they get along well immediately as they drive off.
Ellen believes that Dorothy was offed by a killer and questions a acquaintance of Corliss named Patricia Farren, who only tells that Dorothy was dating a guy who was at the school library who was a "hunk" and that Thor had hired a investigator to spy on them. Corliss witnesses this and hides behind a pillar to avoid detection. Ellen finds Tommy Roussell, the date mentioned earlier. Tommy then drops a bombshell that Dorothy had dated another man and that one is the one who got Dorothy impregnated. Tommy exits his car and goes to his residence and warns Ellen to stay inside. Unfortunately, Corliss was tracking him. When Tommy searches his yearbook for his photograph and tries to leave, Corliss kicks him in the balls and proceeds to choke him with a small rope.
Ellen notices Tommy isn't coming back and opens the door only to see his mother, while Corliss makes a note on the computer implicating Tommy for the crime. Ellen and Tommy's mom open the door and witness his corpse hanged on the celling. Ellen is successfully tricked by Corliss in the process. The next day, Ellen gets a phone call from her sweetheart "Jay" and she lets him in. "Jay" tucks Ellen to bed and stares at her sleeping. Ellen doesn't mind however and lets "Jay" cuddle, kiss, and fondle her body. In the morning, Ellen explains her backstory to which "Jay" expresses sympathy and claims that his parents perished in a incident with the Russians. Ellen and "Jay" explore town and offer supplies to customers when they see a passed out Rose. Ellen and "Jay" then gets her to a hospital and Ellen pays for the finances and "Jay" thanks her for it. Ellen and "Jay" take a shower together afterwards.
Ellen explains to her best friend Cathy at a baseball field that she and "Jay" have been going at it for almost an entire year and loves his "strength" and that children look up to him as a inspiration. "Jay", having scored lots of points approaches Ellen with a embrace and they leave so that "Jay" can see Thor for the first time. Ellen peacefully lets the two chat regarding on why "Jay" wants to marry Ellen and get into the Carlsson fortune. "Jay" explains more about his past and that he feels sorry for Thor and that Ellen appreciates him as much as he does. "Jay" details his motivations and that he's committed into changing things for the better. In the night, "Jay" gets a call from Patricia. "Jay" wants Patricia to see Ellen at New York after her flight.. "Jay", not wanting to get convicted, knocks on Patricia's door and attacks her. "Jay" makes her unconscious with his bare hands and viciously chops her to bits with a saw in the bath/shower combination, and quickly walks away with her remains in a suitcase.
"Jay" dances with Ellen in a nightclub and proposes to her there which she happily agrees to. "Jay" disposes of the suitcase in a river and climbs to bed with Ellen again, expressing his love for her before they dream. Ellen and "Jay" finally have their wedding with Thor offering his blessings and wishing them both good luck. Ellen sees Dorothy's shoes and has "Jay" analyze them. "Jay" wants to throw it in the garbage, because the bad times are over and succeeds with a wicked smirk because now he has got rid of crucial evidence. "Jay" goes fishing with Thor and they share a talk regarding how similar "Jay" is to Thor's son, Bobby. Ellen and "Jay" then get into a brief argument regarding him getting a job with Thor and the marriage between Thor and his now deceased wife. Corliss overhears Ellen speaking with Detective Michaelson regarding Patricia's sudden vanishing. "Jay" denies any involvement and Michaelson thanks him for his tried help before closing the door. Ellen then realizes that the killer is still loose but "Jay" yells at her to grow up.
"Jay" notices his mistake and apologizes to Ellen as she's watching television, grabbing his shoulders in a kind gesture. and both schedule a movie session. "Jay" misses it just like the previous times. Ellen and "Jay" have a falling out regarding this and "Jay" suggests quitting her job, much to her indignation. Ellen the next day gets a shock regarding Patricia's mutilated body being found and phones Dan Corelli about that and Tommy, who was booked into a facility regarding his plummeting mental health. "Jay" meanwhile claims phase 3 is going good with computers shipped off next week and arranges a vacation between him and Thor when he views Ellen once again chatting with the police department. "Jay" is surprised regarding Ellen's new makeover with her hair while holding a bouquet of flowers no less, and gains info on Ellen via glancing at her notebook. "Jay" gives her a gift at a restaurant with a love necklace between the two of them much to Ellen's joy. It's here where "Jay" desires for Ellen to go with him on the trip.
But then, "Jay" witnesses Terry recognize him as Corliss. "Jay" attempts everything in his power to dissuade Terry, resorting to hitting him in front of his partner, Pam. "Jay" then reveals his hatred towards Ellen's hair as they go to the theaters and then they rest. Ellen grabs a yearbook copy at the campus' library and it's there when she notices that "Jay" is Corliss the entire time. "Jay" hangs up on Ellen and Ellen proceeds to phone his mother, who claims Corliss had died three years back. "Jay" meets up with Ellen and Ellen drops the phone, with "Jay" having to come by and take care of her due to her having to abandon the shelter for not feeling well. "Jay" compliments her while Ellen goes off and calls the police as she deduces who murdered Dorothy. Ellen visits his mother, who only founded a apology note and clothes.
The mom says that Corliss swam out to sea, never to be seen again out of not wanting to hurt her and lost his will to carry on with his failure of a life with her deeply missing him and explaining to Ellen that his father was a accountant, showing Ellen his room before thanking her for stopping by and Ellen hugging her before the mother drives off. Ellen sneaks back inside, only to find various newspapers of the Carlson family and a lighter among other items in a suitcase. Corliss makes his presence known and justifies that leaving his mother behind and her thinking that he was dead for that long as necessary, revealing he not only offed Dorothy because her having a infant would ruin his claim to ownership for the Carlsson company, but he also disposed of Faraday as he needed a disguise and that nobody would miss him. Corliss remarks that they could live a good life if she left his scheme alone and mocks and taunts that he’ll apologize and mourn for tragically costing another family member as he prepares to get his belt, but Ellen stabs him near his shoulder with a knife, running away as Corliss chases after her to finish the job. Corliss is eventually hit by a train, which ends his life. We then cut to Corliss as a kid viewing the trains as it fades out.
Heinous Standards?[]
For a 90’s thriller, Corliss is just over the baseline. He only has five murders but they are all in gruesome ways. Slicing Patricia’s limbs off? Pushing Dorothy to fall many stories and going kersplat? Strangulation and being hung by the neck, presenting it (alongside Dorothy’s “accident”) as a suicide? Eliminating Farraday, a completely innocent man and use his name and past to hide his sociopathic tendencies? Yeesh. It also helps that two of his victims are literally his girlfriend and her fetus. That and he plans to get Ellen too after tricking her throughout. It all adds up in the end to a rapsheet that I feel is able to make him count.
Mitigating Factors?[]
There’s only two really major ones that I’d like to address: the relationship with his mother, and his backstory. It definitely isn’t the best, as his father is more than implied to have been KIA and his mother had to spend years taking care of him while he grieves about his “failure” of a life, as he even feels bad for her in his writings. Despite all of what I have said, it falls flat for two reasons: 1. He straight-up maroons her as he swims in the river and is demonstrated years later to show no concerns. 2. He decides to go on a brutal killing spree to get to the Carlsson fortune and never mentions his father himself, proving that he lacks any real sympathy to his crimes.
Final Verdict?[]
Solid yes to this adaptational villainy incarnation of such a great bad guy.