The 2003 Coen Brothers film “Intolerable Cruelty” depicts the twisted, money-driven courtship process between golddigger Marilyn Rexroth and divorce lawyer Miles Massey. Marilyn first encounters Miles when she files for a divorce from her husband Rex Rexroth. Marilyn, who only took interest in Rex because of his money, had hired a private investigator to capture video footage of Rex cheating on her. Marilyn plans on using the video to her advantage in court, but crafty, clever Miles manages to find someone who can testify that Marilyn only married Rex for his money. As a result, Marilyn is left broke and desperate. She gets engaged to a man she claims to be an oil millionaire and asks Miles to create a prenup for them. However, Howard rips up the prenup at the wedding and Marilyn divorces him a few months later, supposedly acquiring his fortune. Miles, who is very attracted to Marilyn, marries her on a whim but creates a prenup so Marilyn won’t think he is simply marrying her for her money. However, Marilyn destroys the prenup. Miles soon learns that the “oil millionaire” she married was simply a hired actor and therefore Marilyn has no money. Because Marilyn destroyed the prenup, Miles is now vulnerable to losing his money. He hires a hit man to kill Marilyn, but then discovers that Rex Rexroth has died, leaving Marilyn a fortune in his will. Miles sets out to save Marilyn, but she has craftily hired the hit man to kill Miles instead. In the ensuing confusion, the hit man accidentally kills himself. When Marilyn and Miles meet to discuss the terms of their divorce, Miles asks for a second chance, signing a prenup to demonstrate his good intentions. Marilyn agrees to stay with him, and proceeds to tear up the prenup.
“Intolerable Cruelty” certainly adheres to various conventions of the classical screwball comedy genre. It illustrates a female-dominated courtship process, and depicts the lives of the wealthy. However, the movie is ultimately a revisionist screwball comedy, not a traditionalist screwball comedy because it does not promote the institution of marriage. The movie highlights the monetary benefits of divorce, whereas a classical screwball comedy emphasizes the emotional rewards of marriage. Because “Intolerable Cruelty” does not promote marriage, a crucial quality of the classical screwball comedy, it is a revisionist interpretation of the screwball comedy genre.
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