The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag (1992)
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8% of critics liked it
(12 reviews) -
26% of users liked it
(1,404 ratings)
Penelope Ann Miller's delightful performance as the shy, part-time librarian Betty Lou Perkins is the saving grace of this comedy from Touchstone Pictures. Betty Lou is the neglected wife of small-town police detective Alex Perkins (Eric Thal). She soon feels even more neglected when Alex… More Penelope Ann Miller's delightful performance as the shy, part-time librarian Betty Lou Perkins is the saving grace of this comedy from Touchstone Pictures. Betty Lou is the neglected wife of small-town police detective Alex Perkins (Eric Thal). She soon feels even more neglected when Alex can't make their anniversary dinner because he has to investigate a brutal motel room slaying. Taking her dog for a walk, Betty Lou finds a gun by the river's edge that just happens to be the missing murder weapon in Alex's murder investigation. In order to get some attention, she announces that she was the one who committed the murder. Hauled behind bars, Betty Lou gets some quick assertiveness training from her cell-mate, hard-boiled prostitute Reba Bush (Cathy Moriarty). She also becomes an instant media celebrity, with crowds clamoring around her and television news reporters elevating her to legendary status. But Alex doesn't believe she committed the murder (she tells him the dead man was her lover) and continues investigating the crime. Her husband is not the only one who's suspicious -- the FBI wants to use her to lure crime lord Beaudeen (William Forsythe), who they suspect actually committed the murder, out into the open. It turns out the FBI is right; Beaudeen killed the motel room victim because he planned to blackmail him with an incriminating cassette. Beaudeen is convinced that Betty Lou has the tape and musters his forces to get it from her one way or another. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Directed By
- Allan Moyle
- Genres
- Comedy
- In Theaters
- Aug 21, 1992 Wide
Critic Reviews
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Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com
A terrible picture, absent rhythm and purpose, straining hard to remain charismatic and mysterious while it engages in pure nonsense, crudely arranged by Moyle in a career-killing feature.
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Alex Sandell, Juicy Cerebellum
A little bit overrated, but fairly fun comedy.
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Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
So darn innocuous it almost disappears.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Penelope Ann Miller
as Betty Lou Perkins
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Eric Thal
as Alex Perkins
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Alfre Woodard
as Ann
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Julianne Moore
as Elinor
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Cathy Moriarty
as Reba
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Andy Romano
as Herrick
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Ray McKinnon
as Frank
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William Forsythe
as Beaudeen
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Xander Berkeley
as Marchat
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Michael O'Neill
as Jergens
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Christopher John Fields
as Brown
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Paul Bates
as Officer Finney
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Reathel Bean
as Bob Barnes
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Laura Boenheim
as Autograph Girl
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Ralph Braseth
as Reporter
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Lesha Campbell
as Teenage Girl
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Bernard Canepari
as Mayor
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M.J. Etua
as Reporter
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Ann Fisher-Wirth
as Young Matron
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Ruddy L. Garner
as FBI Wiretapper
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Nash Germany
as Teenage Boy
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Lida Burris Gibson
as Lydia Williams
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Margaret Graham
as Perm
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Faye Grant
as Charleen
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Barry Hannah
as Court Clerk
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Merrill Healy
as Gary
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Billy Holcomb
as Farmer
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Cordell Jackson
as Bathroom Lady
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Karen Robert Jackson
as Irate Man
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Christine Joyce
as Reporter
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Catherine Keener
as Suzanne
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Suzanne Kent
as Townsperson
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Gale Mayron
as Pearl
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Kay McDuffie
as Perm
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Ellen McElduff
as Joan
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Meat Loaf
as Larry
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Marisa Miller
as April
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Dianna Miranda
as Chiropractor
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Bill Mullen
as Officer George
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Billie Neal
as Gail
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Jeff O'Haco
as Bar Fighter
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Barton Segal
as Barton
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Marian Seldes
as Margaret Armstrong
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Adam Shankman
as Timid Man
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Jane Smithwick
as Freckled Girl
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Deborah Spector
as Cashier
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Charles Treas
as Old Man
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Red West
as Judge
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Amanda Zenil
as Radical Girl
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Mark Magill
as Glen
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John McCauley
as Farmer
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Don Keith Opper
as Dell
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Frank Welker
as Scarlet
- Billy Hopkins
- Suzanne Smith
