Loosely based on the true story of Frances Toto and her four unsuccessful attempts to kill her cheating husband, Anthony Toto, in Allentown, Pennsylvania in 1984. Anthony spent four days in bed after being drugged and shot by Frances and her friends; who spent four years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted murder. The Turner Classic Movies website states that this movie's "story was inspired by events in the lives of Anthony and Frances Toto and Barry Giacobe."
Dame Joan Plowright's husband, Sir Laurence Olivier died shortly before filming ended. When told he was deathly ill, she filmed her remaining scenes in one day and flew back to England.
First time co-starring for River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves, who forged a strong friendship the previous year when Reeves was making Parenthood (1989), in which he played alongside Phoenix's off-screen girlfriend Martha Plimpton and his younger brother Joaquin Phoenix. Reeves and Phoenix began talks with Gus Van Sant during filming and subsequently starred in My Own Private Idaho (1991).
Kevin Kline requested that his wife, Phoebe Cates, take a small role in this movie. She appeared in the bar/disco scene as the girl Joey picks up at the bar. She did this as a cameo and as a favor to her husband. She was also filming Drop Dead Fred (1991) at the time of her cameo, which is why her hair looked the same in both movies.
This is the second time that Kevin Kline and Jonathan Kasdan have played father and son. The first was in The Big Chill (1983).
Phoebe Cates: Uncredited, as the girl Joey picks up at the disco. Joey is played by Kevin Kline, who is married to Cates in real life.