Frank Chambers (Jack Nicholson) drifts into a dusty town in rural California, looking for a good meal. At a diner there he finds Cora (Jessica Lange), a beautiful woman who is married to an old Greek immigrant named Nick (John Colicos). Frank and Cora have a passionate affair. Cora's stuck in a rut, and she wants to start over. They could start a new life together if they could just get rid of Nick. Can Frank and Nora get away with it?
Directed by Bob Rafelson, featuring a screenplay by David Mamet, and released in 1981, this second English language film adaptation of The Postman Always Rings Twice is best remembered for Nicholson and Lange's table scene.note
Compare the 1946 version with Lana Turner. Both the 1946 and 1981 versions are currently owned by Warner Bros., with the 1946 version being part of the Turner Entertainment library, and the 1981 version being inherited from Lorimar.
Tropes used by the film:
- Downer Ending: They aren't caught, but Cora is killed in a car accident soon after being acquitted. In the book, however, Frank is convicted for Cora's murder; in this adaptation they left that out.
- Hotter and Sexier: The 1946 version couldn't feature sex scenes; this one could and did.
- The Remake: Of the 1946 film.
- Very Loosely Based on a True Story: Of the Snyder-Gray
murder.
