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The War of the Roses (1989) movie poster

Plot Summary

The War of the Roses (1989) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
1989 · 116 min · English
Starring
Michael Douglas, Danny DeVito, Kathleen Turner

A once-strong marriage between Barbara and Oliver Rose deteriorates into a destructive and comedic fight for their luxurious home. Their children are caught in the crossfire as the couple’s conflict intensifies. A shrewd lawyer attempts to mediate, but the situation spirals further out of control, revealing the deep-seated resentments and escalating animosity between Barbara and Oliver.

On this page (7)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 The book behind the movie
  5. 5 Movie threads
  6. 6 Movies like The War of the Roses
  7. 7 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch The War of the Roses (1989)

Where can you watch The War of the Roses? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in The War of the Roses: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of The War of the Roses (1989) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

Harvard Law student Oliver Rose, played by Michael Douglas, encounters Barbara, portrayed by Kathleen Turner, when they both vie for the same antique at an auction. Their immediate chemistry quickly blossoms into passion, leading to a relationship that culminates in marriage and the growth of their family, complete with two children and a spacious home in Washington, D.C. As the years roll on, Oliver devotes himself to climbing the corporate ladder and accumulating wealth, while Barbara tirelessly transforms their house into a pristine sanctuary filled with material possessions.

However, as their children prepare to leave for college, Barbara begins to feel a sense of emptiness, reflecting on the sacrifices she made for her family. She develops resentment towards Oliver's overwhelming dedication to work, his controlling demeanor, and his unawareness of her emotional struggles. In pursuit of independence, she starts her own catering business.

When Oliver experiences a serious health scare, suspected to be a heart attack, he pours his hidden feelings into a love note for Barbara in case he doesn't make it. Yet, upon his return home, an unbothered Barbara, instead of showing concern, reveals that the thought of him dying brought her joy and a feeling of freedom. She candidly admits her contempt for Oliver and expresses her desire for a divorce. Realizing the gravity of their situation, Oliver reluctantly concurs.

In a meeting with Barbara's lawyer, the atmosphere thickens as she declares her desire for nothing more than the house and its furnishings. The lawyer seizes Oliver's note, arguing that he owes Barbara everything, deepening the rift. While Barbara feels pangs of regret for sharing the letter, Oliver aggressively insists he will never let her have the house. Stuck at home, he exploits a legal loophole suggested by his less-than-reputable colleague Gavin d'Amato.

As attempts to reconcile crumble due to his adamant refusal to acknowledge any wrongdoing, Oliver tries to bribe Barbara with cash in exchange for the house—a move she spurns as she begins to flirt with Gavin for support. Facing the reality of his situation, Gavin counsels Oliver to concede and move on, prompting Oliver to dismiss Gavin as his lawyer.

After an unfortunate incident where Oliver accidentally runs over Barbara's cat, tensions escalate. Barbara retaliates by trapping him in the sauna to suffocate. Their toxic relationship hits a new low when Oliver interrupts one of Barbara's client dinners, leading to a humiliating spectacle where he urinates on their food, which sparks a violent confrontation that ravages both the furnishings and their memories, including the cherished antique that first connected them.

While their children embark on their college journeys and their housekeeper Susan departs, Oliver and Barbara are left alone, brewing further animosity. During a tense dinner invitation that Barbara extends, her desperation clashes with Oliver's refusal to face reality, resulting in Barbara’s chilling remark about using their dead dog for a dish. In a fit of chaos, they physically assault each other, ultimately reaching a climactic moment in the attic as Barbara attempts to loosen the chandelier to drop it on Oliver.

When Susan innocently enters, she is met with a chaotic scene of their intense conflict, prompting her to seek help from Gavin. By the time he arrives, their feud has escalated to hanging precariously from the chandelier, creating an impactful scene where Oliver confesses that, despite their tumultuous relationship, he has always loved Barbara. However, her silence signifies the finality of their estrangement. The chandelier's cable gives way, dropping them to the ground. In their last moments, as Oliver reaches out to Barbara, she vigorously pushes his hand away, thus sealing their fate with a haunting declaration of hatred even in what appears to be death.

After recounting the tumultuous saga of the Roses to a new client, Gavin presents two paths: pursue a generous and quick divorce to facilitate rebirth, or return and remember the love that once bound. With the client departing, Gavin, transformed by the Roses’ experiences, takes a moment to call his wife, voicing his love and intent to return home.

Last updated: November 08, 2024 at 16:20

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Plot questions answered

The War of the Roses Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about The War of the Roses (1989): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why does Barbara want the house so badly in The War of the Roses?

Barbara's attachment to the house goes beyond mere property, it represents her life's work and sacrifices. She dedicated years to transforming it into a perfect sanctuary, filling it with material possessions while Oliver pursued his career. The house is the one tangible thing she feels owed after giving up her own ambitions for the family. When she asks for nothing but the house and furnishings, she's claiming what she sees as compensation for her unfulfilled dreams.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes show Barbara meticulously decorating and maintaining the home, establishing it as her primary identity and accomplishment.

  • Barbara Rose
  • house
  • divorce
  • property
  • marriage
Q2

What was in the love note Oliver wrote during his health scare?

Oliver wrote a heartfelt love note to Barbara during his suspected heart attack, expressing his deep feelings for her in case he didn't survive. This note became crucial during the divorce proceedings when Barbara's lawyer used it to argue that Oliver owed Barbara everything. The irony is that Barbara responded to his potential death with joy and relief rather than grief, revealing the depths of her resentment.

Foreshadowing: The note's existence is first hinted at when Oliver is hospitalized, and its contents are revealed during the lawyer meeting.

  • love note
  • heart attack
  • letter
  • divorce lawyer
Q4

Why does Barbara trap Oliver in the sauna?

Barbara traps Oliver in the sauna in retaliation for him accidentally running over her cat. This extreme act demonstrates how far their relationship has deteriorated, they've moved past verbal conflicts into attempting to harm each other physically. The sauna incident marks a significant escalation in their cycle of revenge, where each harmful act triggers a proportionate or excessive response from the other.

Foreshadowing: The cat incident directly precedes the sauna attack, establishing the escalating pattern of violence.

  • sauna
  • cat
  • violence
  • revenge
  • escalation
Q5

What happens to the antique in The War of the Roses?

The antique, the item that first brought Oliver and Barbara together at the auction, is destroyed during their violent confrontation. This destruction symbolizes the complete annihilation of whatever love and positive memory once existed between them. The same object that sparked their romance becomes collateral damage in their war, representing the futility of their battle over material possessions.

Foreshadowing: The antique is introduced in the opening scene as the symbol of their initial connection and chemistry.

  • antique
  • auction
  • destruction
  • symbolism
Q6

Why does Barbara push Oliver away at the end?

As they lay dying after falling from the chandelier, Oliver reaches out to Barbara in what could be seen as a final attempt at reconciliation or connection. Barbara vigorously pushes his hand away, declaring her hatred even in their final moments. This act solidifies the complete irretrievable breakdown of their relationship, her refusal to accept any form of reconciliation, even on the brink of death, demonstrates that her contempt for Oliver has completely overtaken any lingering love or affection.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, when Oliver confesses his love while they dangle from the chandelier, Barbara's silence already indicates her unwillingness to reciprocate.

  • chandelier
  • death
  • reconciliation
  • rejection
Q7

Why does Oliver urinate on the dinner food?

Oliver interrupts one of Barbara's catering client dinners and humiliates both himself and her by urinating on the food. This act of public degradation represents a new low in their conflict, a deliberate attempt to sabotage Barbara's new business venture and publicly shame her. It's a culmination of his frustration and inability to cope with the collapse of his marriage and his loss of control over the situation.

Foreshadowing: The dinner scene follows their escalating pattern of retaliation, where each action becomes more extreme than the last.

  • urination
  • dinner
  • humiliation
  • catering business
Q8

What happens after Oliver runs over Barbara's cat?

Oliver accidentally runs over Barbara's cat, which triggers an extreme retaliation from Barbara. This incident becomes a turning point that escalates their conflict into physical violence. The death of the cat represents the final straw in their relationship, not because of the pet itself, but because it gives Barbara a justification for her next extreme act against Oliver, and Oliver a moment of guilt that doesn't prevent further retaliation.

Foreshadowing: The timeline marks this as an event that directly leads to Barbara's revenge in the sauna.

  • cat
  • accident
  • escalation
  • revenge
Q9

What is Gavin's role in The War of the Roses?

Gavin d'Amato is Oliver's colleague who suggests the legal loophole Oliver uses to try keeping the house. He serves as both advisor and reluctant mediator throughout the conflict. After Oliver dismisses him as his lawyer, Gavin continues to be drawn into their chaos, ultimately arriving at the house to find Oliver and Barbara dangling from the chandelier. At the end, Gavin recounts their story to a new client, using it as a cautionary tale about divorce, which prompts him to call his own wife and declare his love.

Foreshadowing: Gavin's transformation is hinted at throughout as he witnesses the destructive marriage firsthand.

  • Gavin d'Amato
  • lawyer
  • advisor
  • mediation
Q10

What happens to the Rose children during the conflict?

The Rose children leave for college as their parents' conflict intensifies. They are effectively abandoned as both Oliver and Barbara become consumed by their war over the house. Their departure marks the beginning of Oliver and Barbara being truly alone together, which accelerates the escalation of their conflict into violence. The children represent what was once worth protecting, but their absence removes any remaining reason for the couple to maintain civility.

Foreshadowing: The empty nest is what triggers Barbara's initial dissatisfaction with her marriage.

  • children
  • college
  • abandonment
  • family
Q11

Why does Barbara ask for a divorce after Oliver's health scare?

Barbara asks for divorce after Oliver's health scare because his near-death experience revealed to her that she'd be relieved rather than grieve if he died. She admits she feels freedom at the thought of his death and expresses long-held contempt for Oliver. Her desire for divorce isn't just about the marriage failing, it's about finally claiming independence and escaping what she sees as years of neglect and control, with the house as her primary demand.

Foreshadowing: Barbara's resentment has been building since the empty nest period, when she reflected on her sacrifices and Oliver's work obsession.

  • divorce
  • health scare
  • freedom
  • resentment
  • independence

Movie threads

More Movies Like The War of the Roses, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes The War of the Roses tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Dark Comedies About Toxic Couples Like The War of the Roses

Stories where intimate relationships curdle into venomous, farcical conflict. If you enjoyed the vicious battle between Barbara and Oliver Rose, you'll find similar movies here. These films feature couples whose relationships dissolve into darkly funny and spiteful conflict, often centered on materialism and deeply buried resentment.

  • bitter
  • spiteful
  • uncomfortable
  • absurd
  • tense
  • caustic
  • Tone: dark, caustic, tense
  • Pacing: steady escalation
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories in this thread typically follow a linear escalation, beginning with a seemingly stable partnership that unravels due to long-simmering issues. The plot is driven by a series of increasingly petty and destructive retaliatory acts, transforming a personal relationship into a high-stakes, often ludicrous, competition with no winners.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped by their unique blend of high-tension drama and caustic, satirical humor. They share a steady, relentless pacing as the conflict deepens, a dark tone that finds comedy in cruelty, and a heavy emotional weight stemming from the tragic destruction of a family unit.

Movies About Claustrophobic Domestic Conflict Like The War of the Roses

Films where the home becomes a psychological prison of escalating resentment. Explore films similar to The War of the Roses, where a luxurious home becomes the center of a bitter and destructive war. These stories capture the intense, uncomfortable feeling of being trapped in a conflict within the very walls that were meant to provide safety.

  • claustrophobic
  • tense
  • uncomfortable
  • bitter
  • psychological
  • spiteful
  • Tone: tense, bleak, uncomfortable
  • Pacing: steady, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern focuses on characters who are physically or emotionally trapped in a shared environment. The conflict is internal and intimate, fed by proximity and shared history. The plot unfolds through a series of confrontations and power struggles within the confined space, leading to a bleak realization of inescapable mutual harm.

Why they belong together: These films share a potent mix of high intensity and a steady, methodical pacing that makes the tension feel inescapable. The mood is consistently tense, bitter, and claustrophobic, driven by a dark tone and themes of psychological cruelty and materialism within a domestic setting.

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Every angle

The War of the Roses (1989) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about The War of the Roses in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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