Separate Lives (1995) User Reviews (10)

Slightly above average

[ODDBear · 6/10 · 18 September 2006]

Former Detective Belushi is hired by his Psychology teacher (Hamilton) to follow her around as she believes she's living a double life. Belushi finds out she is indeed living a double life as his teacher is schizophrenic and her second lifestyle is a dangerous one. In the meantime they fall for each other.

A decent enough story gets mediocre screen treatment, starts off well but loses steam towards the end and the climax is wholly unsatisfying. The actors elevate the film to above average material with convincing performances, Belushi especially good as the widowed former detective. But I must mention that Linda Hamilton, in addition to giving a good performance, has never looked more stunning than here.

With a slightly better script and ending the film could have been very good.

"Do you want me to open the door for you?"

[Bezenby · 6/10 · 14 March 2013]

James Belushi is an ex-cop turned psychology student, hired by his tutor (Linda Hamilton) to monitor her behaviour, since she's been having blackouts. She's more worried about the recent murder of someone she knew, and that the murder weapon has seemingly turned up at her house. Our boy James, a widow with a daughter, sets out to find out the truth.

Well, it turns out the during the day Linda is a proper college professor with morals and such like, but at night she's a scantily clad, chain smoking nympho who hangs around in nightclubs with bad actors with crap accents. She never remembers what happens the next day, so did she kill somebody during one of these blackouts?

Belushi tries to get to the bottom of things, tailing Linda and getting a kicking off some people, introducing himself to the other Linda and such like. The film occasionally slides into giallo territory with a black gloved killer and references to a past trauma, and is all the better for it, and I can't fault Belushi or Hamilton, but a little more action would have been welcome. It's also quite easy to peg what's going on.

Still, for folks that want to see Linda Hamilton in skimpy dresses, putting the moves on people and swearing – this is the film for you. Be warned though - this film sat in my collection for years before I got round to watching it. It's just that kind of film.

Middling fare.

[gridoon · 4/10 · 5 May 2001]

Nothing really noteworthy enough here to comment on; just your ordinary, run-of-the-mill, middling mystery thriller. The mystery plot keeps you watching, but it relies almost exclusively on the all-important Final Revelation of the Childhood Trauma, and when there are almost no thrills along the way, a viewer can get really impatient (even Hitchcock failed that way, in "Marnie"). James Belushi sleepwalks through his role without any zest, but Linda Hamilton gets to show off - on many occasions - her impressively "sculpted" body, and also some moderate acting talent, though the rapid transformations of her character become a little silly in the final 30 minutes. (**)

Where B-list movie stars go to "rest"

[steven.gough · 30 July 2002]

Not so long ago I was watching Terminator 2 on DVD and thinking "Linda Hamilton WAS the sexiest screen actress of the 1990s!". Some Hollywood high-roller obviously agreed, and tragically this unerotic, mediocre thriller was born. There is, it has to be said, a lot to be said for sweat, glycerine and extreme body-sculpting. Re-packaged as a low budget "rock chick" in rubber-band miniskirts and chromed leather jacket, Linda looks disappointingly like a what a middle-aged movie executive's secretary wears in his dreams. And whatever happened to James Belushi? A former Arnie co-star, like Linda, in the 80's he was the dependable face of action movies that couldn't afford Bruce Willis. This predictable pot-boiler is not a career high for either. James is let down by the director, often looking wooden, and Linda's split personality psychotherapist swings from a reprise of "Sarah Connor on Thorazine" in T2 to her unconvincing rock-chick alter-ego. The twist in the tail murderer is obvious from the moment "Laura's" flashbacks begin. I was ill, I was stuck in bed, and this was the most watchable thing on TV last night. Shame on me, I had a book to read, and shame on the TV schedulers too.

Truly tiresome

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 14 September 2020]

One of the most lacklustre psycho thrillers of the era, SEPARATE LIVES is a film that manages to get pretty much everything wrong although not so severely that it moves into so-bad-it's-good territory. Instead it's a lukewarm and half-hearted enterprise in which an overaged and miscast James Belushi plays a former detective now full-time psychology student. His professor is none other than TERMINATOR starlet Linda Hamilton, still playing up to her powerful image but struggling in an underwritten schizophrenic role. The thrills are in extremely short supply in a film which feels like a TV movie (although it isn't) and the half-hearted sex scenes and the like are truly tiresome.

Guilt by Association

[kapelusznik18 · 5/10 · 25 July 2016]

***SPOILERS*** Having just retired from the police at the young age of 40 on a full 100% disability pension Tom Beckwith, James Belushi, who seems to be, from what he goes through in the movie, in the best of health decides to become a psychiatrist to fill in his spear time taking studies at the local collage from psychology professor Lauren Porter, Linda Hamilton, who we soon find out needs to see a psychiatrist herself.

Lauren is suffering from a split personality that resulted 20 years ago when she witnessed her mother being shot to pieces by someone she can't remember and feels that she in fact may have been her mom's murderer! There's also the recent murder on the beach of her friend Jane Weiss, Pat Delany, who may have known who murdered Lauren's mother and was about to go public with it! Beckwith more interest in Lauren then his studies in class takes it upon himself, with Lauren's urging, to find out what makes her tick. That by him following her after classes to find out that Lauren leads a double life as party girl and part time hooker Lena that leads him to be brutally beaten up by her Limey-British-boyfriend Keno Sykes,M.L Chapman, and his friends for sticking his nose where it doesn't belong.

***SPOILERS*** Still trying to get to the bottom of all this Beckwith now fully recovered takes care of business by first tracking down Keno catching him taking a shower and giving him the beating of his life for what he and his boys did to him. It's then on to business in, now as a armature psychiatrist, curing Lauren of her hang ups that have to do with her mom's murder that she somehow feels responsible for. What Beckwith gets is getting Lauren to remember who her mom's real killer was and what he did to screw up her mind in believing that she not he in fact murdered her! No really a big surprise in who really murdered Lauren's mom but a real shock in him showing up just in time, like out of nowhere, to finish off both Lauren and Beckwith, whom he shot, to keep him from being exposed as the killer. Like I said for a man with a 100% disability pension Beckwith had no trouble recovering from a savage beating and then working over one of those who beat him-Keno-so badly to the point where he ended up in traction. Beckwith also was able to recover from a gunshot wound and finish off the person who shot him by tackling him and shoving out of a two story window to his death. As for the now recovered from her guilt feeling Lauren she ended up in a mental asylum to recover from all the trauma, as a both psychology professor and hooker, that she went through in the movie.

People are being too nice - this movie reeked

[romneymeredith · 1/10 · 5 July 2021]

You want a good movie in this genre and time period (1994) to watch? See "The Last Seduction" with Bill Pullman and Linda Fiorentina. This movie is so boring I actually closed my eyes and kicked the recliner up more than a few times so to rest my brain.

Here's the spoiler - Linda Hamilton's character actually does have a split personality and her daddy's the one actually killing people and who Linda witnessed killing his wife and her lover when she was a child, causing the split. Since every possible suspect is already dead you know he's the killer before the final reveal. Belushi kills the daddy by defenestrating him (i.e., he chucks him out a window) and Linda checks into a mental health clinic to heal (and she's actually a psychiatrist!). The End. There, I saved you 1 hour and 40 minutes of red herrings, minor action, a car chase and James Belushi who always has the same fixed expression on his face in this movie no matter the circumstances. But a far better ending would have been to have Linda faking her condition (her alter ego Lena was sex-starved and violent) so she could kill with impunity and get away with it if she turned out to be a psychopath. At least that twist would have been cool.

The setup is insanely stupid - a middle-aged Belushi is taking psych classes from her, having retired from the homicide squad due to mental anguish from having seen his wife shoot herself and plans to be a shrink. Yes, you've read that right. Not only that but Linda, knowing he's an ex-cop, asks him to follow her around at night and film her alter ego. So he does. Much stupidity follows.

Happy ending reveals that Belushi has now rejoined Homicide and has wasted 3 years of study and money since he won't become a shrink now. But it's obvious they'll be hooking up after she gets released from the clinic and Belushi's young daughter of course approves.

Me, I'd run far, far away from a nutcase like Linda - no thanks.

I.

Entertaining B-Movie

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 27 April 2019]

The former police detective Tom Beckwith (James Belushi) leaves the police department to be a psychology student. Tom lives with his daughter Ronni (Elisabeth Moss) and has a crush one his professor, the psychiatrist Lauren Porter (Linda Hamilton). One day, Lauren asks him to follow her during the nights since she has blackouts and might have killed an acquaintance. Tom accepts and discovers that Lauren has another personality, Lena.

"Separate Lives" is an entertaining B-movie with James Belushi and Linda Hamilton. The lack of chemistry between this leading cast is probably one of the greatest flaws of this film. The classes of Lauren Porter are also forgotten. The conclusion is weak. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Dupla Personalidade" ("Double Personality")

Because we were all waiting on the stars of Mr. Destiny to reunite

[utgard14 · 2/10 · 19 November 2020]

This is a real howler. An unintentionally hilarious "psychological thriller" that's bad on just about every level. If the opening two scenes don't make you laugh nothing will. I admit I'm a sucker for anything with Linda Hamilton. I'll even put up with Jim Belushi for her. Hell I've done that twice now and both times it was a miserable experience. Ok that's not fair because this one I at least got some chuckles out of. Anyway this movie is the pits but if you're in the mood to laugh give it a shot. It's so stupid it's beyond belief.

A Superb 90's Psychological Thriller With A Brillant Belushi

[lukem-52760 · 8/10 · 12 March 2022]

Awww the 90's, my era & a beautiful time to into movies. I loved spending ages in Blockbuster looking at all the videos & seeing all the Awesome looking B-movies with all the awesome B-movie stars gracing the covers & i loved finding James Belushi films.

I grew up watching & loving Belushi in Red Heat & K-9 both 80's Cop Classic's & during late 90's & early 2000's i discovered lots of Belushi gems. Yes they were direct-to-video B-movies but Belushi was always great in anything. I remember absolutely loving the direct-to-video sequel K-911 (1999) & watched it countless times. Jim Belushi was always excellent at playing Cops (good or bad) & he's just a damn enjoyable screen presence in any movie. Jim Belushi is hilarious, silly, goofy, sarcastic & alot of fun but he can equally be a dramatic dark force (Retroactive, Gang Related, One Way Out) when needed, he's a damn good actor.

Anyway yes I'm a Jim Belushi fan & have been since the 90's. My favourite Belushi character will always be Mike Dooley from the K-9 films but here in this thrilling suspense film is definitely one of Belushi's best characters & performances.

I discovered this gem in a really cool video shop called Enterprise Video. There they had sections for actors & i found a Robert Patrick section (Another fave actor of mine) & James Belushi & i discovered some Belushi gens such as Separate Lives, Traces of Red, Royce, Retroactive & Mr. Destiny. Belushi was always great at playing Cops & especially during the 90's & here he puts in an excellent performance as Tom Beckwith, an ex-Cop & a psychology student who is asked by his teacher, Professor Lauren Porter (an excellent Linda Hamilton) spy on her as she suffers from a split personality. Linda Hamilton (Terminator 2, Dante's Peak, Shadow Conspiracy) is excellent, she has a very challenging part to play as she has to play two completely different characters in the same body. Hamilton plays the prim 'n' proper Lauren & the wickedly seductive & dangerous Lena. Hamilton nails the roles. Belushi is excellent as Tom, a good man & loving father (some lovely & funny scenes with his little daughter who is hilarious) but he has suffered tragedy after his wife committed suicide a few years earlier. Belushi mostly plays it serious with just a few hints of comedy but really Belushi plays it as it is, a serious & thrilling suspenseful psychological flick with a twist of Noir style. For a low-budget Direct-to-video "Typical cheap B-movie" Separate Lives is pretty excellent. Really well directed by David Madden, a guy who only directed two films ever. The look/cinematography is lovely in all it's cosy 90's style. I loved the music score throughout that went from cheesy Erotic Thriller score to exciting Cop Thriller score & all 90's as it's a product of it's time. Yes there is that Typical 90's Erotic thriller stuff in here as expected for a direct-to-video thriller made in 1995. There's murder, suspense & mystery & what else could you want from a B-movie Thriller.

Separate Lives is very interesting with it's themes of mental health (which is a huge issue now 2022) & the film is kept exciting with Tom's investigating & tracking of Lena. The film is just damn good & so well made with two Knock-out performances as Belushi & Hamilton put in some of their best work into making this thriller really work. Truly one of Belushi's best performances.

A superb 90's mystery thriller with a top performance from the brilliant Jim Belushi.