Drowning Mona | Rotten Tomatoes

Drowning Mona

PG-13

Released Mar 3, 2000

1 hr. 35 min.

Comedy

List

29%

77 Reviews

Tomatometer

47%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

The recently deceased Mona Dearly (Bette Midler) was many things: an abusive wife, a domineering mother, a loud-mouthed neighbor and a violent malcontent. So when her car and corpse are discovered in the Hudson River, police Chief Wyatt Rash (Danny DeVito) immediately suspects murder rather than an accident. But, since the whole community of Verplanck, N.Y., shares a deep hatred for this unceasingly spiteful woman, Rash finds his murder investigation overwhelmed with potential suspects.

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Critics Consensus

A whodunnit that stacks its lists of suspects with wasted character actors, Drowning Mona is a twee farce that will prompt audiences to tune out before the mystery is solved.

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Audience Member

This was made too early. The humor plays a lot better now

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/13/24

Full Review

Funny Not F

I really loved this movie, and was shocked when I googled it and saw it's reviews. My mom had found it on dvd at a random store a while back (I don't know when) and she showed it to me yesterday and I loved it a lot.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/22/24

Full Review

Brenda N

I must be crazy, but I loved "Drowning Mona." The cast was great, the music was better, and who doesn't love a comedy murder mystery with a happy ending? It was a lot of ridiculousness, but it was like "Happiness," just not as dark.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/05/23

Full Review

Rick R

I like this movie. I thought the movie was quite entertaining. good acting, funny, well written.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/14/23

Full Review

Tom S

Not sure why this movie gets poor ratings. It's funny. Maybe not knee-slapping hilarious, but funny throughout. The writing is very good and actors and great. Gets two thumbs up from me.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

22 years after the initial release I watched this movie with low or no expectations and I enjoyed it. Good performances...the movie is cute and at time quite funny.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

Full Review

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Nick Gomez

Director

Danny DeVito

Chief Wyatt Rash

Bette Midler

Mona Dearly

Neve Campbell

Ellen Rash

Jamie Lee Curtis

Rona Mace

Casey Affleck

Bobby Calzone

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Talented cast wasted in an awful movie.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 22, 2010

Full Review

Globe and Mail

Rated: 1.5/4

Mar 19, 2002

Full Review

Nell Minow

Movie Mom

There are a couple of funny lines, and the cast is game, but it just doesn't work.

Rated: 2/5

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Mark Halverson

Sacramento News & Review

Rated: 2/5

Aug 7, 2008

Full Review

Betsy Bozdech

Reel.com

So determined to be wacky and offbeat that it overshoots its goal and winds up cartoonish and ridiculous instead.

Rated: 1.5/4

Sep 1, 2006

Full Review

Film Threat

Rated: 2/5

Dec 6, 2005

Full Review

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Synopsis

The recently deceased Mona Dearly (Bette Midler) was many things: an abusive wife, a domineering mother, a loud-mouthed neighbor and a violent malcontent. So when her car and corpse are discovered in the Hudson River, police Chief Wyatt Rash (Danny DeVito) immediately suspects murder rather than an accident. But, since the whole community of Verplanck, N.Y., shares a deep hatred for this unceasingly spiteful woman, Rash finds his murder investigation overwhelmed with potential suspects.

Director: Nick Gomez
Executive Producer: Danny DeVito, Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher, Jonathan Weisgal
Screenwriter: Peter Steinfeld
Distributor: Columbia Tristar, Destination Films
Production Co: Jersey Shore, Neverland Films
Rating: PG-13 (Mature Themes|Language|Brief Sexuality)
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 3, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 25, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $15.4M
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS, Surround

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