Skin Deep (1989 film)

Skin Deep

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Blake Edwards
Produced by Tony Adams
Executive Producer:
James G. Robinson
Co-Producer:
Joe Roth
Written by Blake Edwards
Starring John Ritter
Vincent Gardenia
Alyson Reed
Julianne Phillips
Chelsea Field
Music by Don Grady
Henry Mancini
Ivan Neville
Cinematography Isidore Mankofsky
Edited by Robert Pergament
Production
company
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release dates
  • March 3, 1989
Running time
97 minutes
Country United States
Budget $9 million
Box office $19,674,852

Skin Deep is a 1989 American film starring John Ritter, written and directed by Blake Edwards.

Plot

Zachary "Zach" Hutton is a successful author who has a weakness for alcohol and beautiful women. Zach's mistress walks in on him in the process of cheating on her with his attractive hairdresser, followed by his estranged wife Alex discovering him in bed with both women. Following the breakup of those relationships, Zach engages in a long period of binge-drinking and solace-seeking with a string of women. He avoids work, continues to strain relations with his ex-wife and drunkenly attends a formal party dressed in a genie's costume.

Zach's affairs include one with a volatile woman named Molly who deliberately leaves him hooked up too long to a skin-treatment electro-therapy machine that gives his body quivering spasms from head to toe. He also has a one-night stand with a remarkably muscular female bodybuilder named Lonnie, telling her before sex that he feels "like Mrs. Arnold Schwarzenegger."

Perhaps the most memorable scene is shot in total darkness, with Zach wearing a luminous condom as he prepares to have sex with yet another woman he has just met, Amy. When her boyfriend returns similarly equipped, the two men engage in a frantic fight, their glow-in-the-dark attire bouncing crazily across the room. After disrupting his ex-wife's wedding day, it finally dawns on Zach just how out of control his drinking habit has become. He sobers up and begins to write again, and wins back Alex's love as the film ends.

Cast

Reception

Critical Reception

The film received mixed to negative reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 38% "Rotten" rating.[1]

Box Office

Despite negative reviews, the film was a financial success.[2]

Soundtrack

References

  1. Skin Deep at Rotten Tomatoes Accessed 23 Sep 2013
  2. Skin Deep at Box Office Mojo Accessed 16 June 2012

External links