Bed of Roses is a 1996 American romance drama film. It was written and directed by Michael Goldenberg. The movie stars Christian Slater and Mary Stuart Masterson.
Plot
Lisa Walker, also known as Mary Stuart Masterson, is a business leader who has become accustomed to living alone but does not enjoy it. She was left behind by her birth parents and spent much of her childhood being raised by Stanley, a foster father named S.A. Griffin. Stanley did not truly care for Lisa after her adopted mother passed away.
One morning, after finishing a business meeting, Lisa learns that Stanley has died. Alone in her apartment, she tries to feed her deceased pet fish and then cries uncontrollably. The next day at work, Lisa receives a surprise delivery of flowers from a secret admirer. She asks the delivery person for information about the sender, but he says the person wishes to remain anonymous. Lisa asks her friends for help and visits the flower shop, but she finds no answers.
Later, the florist reveals that he sent the flowers. Lewis, whose real name is Christian Slater, owns a flower shop and often walks around the neighborhood at night, trying to forget memories of his late wife and child. He saw Lisa crying from her window and hoped the roses would bring her comfort. Soon, Lisa and Lewis begin a relationship, but both must deal with personal emotional challenges before their story can end happily.
Cast
- Christian Slater as Lewis Farrell
- Mary Stuart Masterson as Lisa Walker
- Pamela Adlon as Kim (listed as Pamela Segall)
- Josh Brolin as Danny
- Debra Monk as Mrs. Farrell
- Mary Alice as Alice
- Desiree Casado as Amelia
- Kenneth Cranham as Simon
- Ally Walker as Wendy
- Nick Tate as Bayard
- S.A. Griffin as Stanley
Reception
Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 19% rating based on reviews from 16 critics. Roger Ebert scored the film 2 stars out of 4 and described the main characters as "sad sacks." On the other hand, Gene Siskel, Ebert's on-screen partner, said the film was unusual but included some heartfelt scenes. He gave it 3 stars. Jack Mathews of the Los Angeles Times criticized the film's predictable story but complimented the acting.