She-Devil (1989): Witchy movies to get you in the Halloween spirit

It’s the end of August, and Starbucks has *already* released the pumpkin spice … so let’s start counting down to Halloween, shall we?

Movies help get me in the spirit, so I’m going to start posting my favorites.

First up: The comedy “She-Devil,” which came out in 1989 — and is streaming free for Amazon Prime members as of this writing.

This was Roseanne Barr’s film debut, and Meryl Streep was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance as the pink-obsessed romance novelist.

As I re-watched it recently, I wondered why the filmmakers didn’t just call Ruth, the underappreciated main character, a witch? She flexes some major witch energy, which is why I’m including “She-Devil” in my Halloween countdown.

The title is explained a bit more in this summary from Wikipedia:

A loose adaptation of the 1983 novel The Life and Loves of a She-Devil by British writer Fay Weldon, She-Devil tells the story of Ruth Patchett, a dumpy, overweight housewife, who exacts devilish revenge after her philandering husband leaves her and their children for glamorous, best-selling romance novelist Mary Fisher.

Why I love it: It’s hilarious, for one. Ruth (Roseanne) as the narrator cracks me up every time. I’m not a huge proponent of revenge (the Rule of Three, afterall) … but I appreciate Ruth’s radical focus, as she methodically works to destroy each asset of her cheating husband: His home, his family, his career, and his freedom. Most importantly, I dig the sisterhood and solidarity themes toward the end of the movie, when Ruth works with other downtrodden women to start an employment agency. Years after I first watched the film, I still think about the “Vesta Rose” brooches that Ruth gives to all the women … it showed me the empowering, connecting — almost mystical — role of jewelry.

Want more movies to help get you in the spirit? My witchy Halloween countdown continues with:

• Halloweentown (1998)
• “High Spirits” (1988)