as kind in his review of this film, especially when compared to the 1956 original. He blasts the screenplay and the direction of the film. He wrote: "Though Dearden gets the surface right – the movie looks sleek – he skimps on characterization... [and] Dearden's script fails to provide the raw material that would let him go beyond the stereotype... Dearden merely walks the cast through a gauntlet of film noir cliches." The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 36% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on 14 reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale. Awards Golden Raspberry Awards Worst Actress, Sean Young as Ellen Carlsson; 1991. Worst Supporting Actress, Sean Young as Dorothy Carlsson; 1991. Comparisons to novel While leaving Corliss' character basically unchanged (other than renaming him Jonathan), the film drastically changed the story of the novel. In the film, Corliss fakes his own suicide after murdering Dorothy, and re-emerges as "Jay Faraday" to woo and marry Dorothy's sister, Ellen. In the novel, Corliss does not take on a new identity. Ellen's other sister, Marion, does not appear in either film version of the story. The "Gant" character in the novel was rewritten as a homicide detective who had investigated Dorothy's death. In this film, Corliss meets his end while attempting to kill Ellen after she discovers who he really is; while chasing her down, and for the sake of irony, he is run over by one of her father's trains. Adaptation Baazigar (Translation: Gambler), a 1993 Indian crime thriller film directed by Abbas–Mustan and starring Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Shilpa Shetty in the lead roles. References External links A Kiss Before Dying information site at DVD Beaver (includes images) 1991 films 1990s erotic thriller films American erotic thriller films British erotic thriller films Films scored by Howard Shore Films about identity theft Films based on American novels Films based on crime novels Films based on works by Ira Levin Films directed by James Dearden Films set in 1987 Films set in 1990 Films set in New York City Films set in Philadelphia Films set in Pittsburgh Films set in Virginia Golden Raspberry Award winning films American neo-noir films Universal Pictures films 1990s English-language films 1990s American films 1990s British films