Evie Summers
In the 1991 film *Sleeping with the Enemy*, Laura, played by Julia Roberts, is trapped in an abusive marriage to Martin, a successful Boston investment counsellor. After nearly four years of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, Laura stages her own death by drowning and flees to Cedar Falls, Iowa, where she adopts a new identity as Sarah Waters and starts a relationship with Ben Woodward, a local college drama professor. However, Martin discovers that Laura is alive and sets out to find her. In the climax of the film, Laura kills Martin, and she is finally free from his abusive grasp.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Laura's escape plan | Faking her own death by pretending to drown |
| Laura's new identity | Sara Waters |
| Laura's new location | Cedar Falls, Iowa |
| Laura's new love interest | Ben Woodward, a drama teacher |
| Martin's discovery | He finds out Laura is alive and sets out to kill her |
| Final confrontation | Laura kills Martin |
| Ending | Laura and Ben embrace and wait for the police |
Explore related products
![Sleeping With The Enemy [1990] [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61rqUSldpqL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
What You'll Learn
Laura fakes her own death
In the 1991 film Sleeping with the Enemy, Laura Burney (played by Julia Roberts) is trapped in an abusive marriage to Martin Burney, a successful Boston investment counsellor. Martin is obsessive and controlling, and physically, emotionally, and sexually abusive towards Laura.
Laura finally escapes her husband by faking her own death. Knowing that Laura is afraid of water and cannot swim, Martin accepts their neighbour John's invitation for an evening sail. Laura breaks one of the public lights next to Martin's mansion on the shore to aid her escape. During the trip, a severe storm rolls in, and Laura is swept overboard in the chaos. After an extensive Coast Guard search, Laura is presumed dead from drowning as her life jacket is found. Laura, however, had secretly taken swimming lessons and swims to safety.
After faking her death, Laura travels from Cape Cod to Cedar Falls, Iowa, to be closer to her mother, Chloe, who Martin believes is dead. Laura rechristens herself as Sara Waters, rents a house, finds a job, and settles into a new life. She also cuts her long hair, which she had kept long to please Martin. In Iowa, Laura meets and begins a relationship with Ben Woodward, a local college drama professor.
Martin, however, soon discovers that Laura is alive and travels to Chloe's nursing home, pretending to be a detective. He learns that Chloe's "nephew" has recently visited and is determined to find Laura.
The Evolution of Speed Bumps: Sleeping Policemen's Past and Present
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Laura moves to Iowa
Laura moves to Cedar Falls, Iowa, and starts a new life under the name of Sarah Waters. She rents a house, finds a job, and settles into her new identity. Her neighbour, Ben Woodward, a young drama teacher at the local college, is attracted to her, although he suspects she has a chequered past. They go on a date and kiss, but Laura resists taking things further and demands that Ben leave. She later admits to him that she escaped an abusive marriage.
Laura chose to move to Iowa to be closer to her mother, Chloe, who is blind, in a wheelchair, and living in a nursing home. Martin believes her mother is dead, but when he discovers she is alive, he visits the nursing home, pretending to be a detective. Laura had previously told Martin that her mother had died, and secretly moved her to the nursing home in Iowa.
Laura's new life in Iowa is threatened when Martin discovers that she is alive. He learns that Laura had been taking swimming lessons, which makes him suspect that she did not drown. This is confirmed when he finds Laura's wedding ring in the toilet, which she had believed had been flushed away.
Staying Awake: The Science Behind Sleep Deprivation
You may want to see also
Explore related products
![Underworld / Underworld: Evolution - Vol / Underworld Awakening / Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans - Vol - Set / Underworld: Blood Wars - Set [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81VT8WdsDML._AC_UY218_.jpg)
![Underworld (2003) / Underworld Awakening / Underworld Evolution / Underworld: Blood Wars / Underworld: Rise of the Lycans - Set [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/815JdFSnTVL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
Laura starts a new relationship
Laura fakes her own death to escape her abusive marriage to Martin. She moves from Massachusetts to Cedar Falls, Iowa, where she starts a new life under the name Sarah Waters. She rents a house, finds a job, and settles into her new life. She also moves closer to her mother, Chloe, who Martin believes is dead. Laura had previously told Martin that her mother had died, but in reality, she had moved her to a nursing home in Iowa.
Laura meets her neighbour, Ben Woodward, a young drama teacher at the local college, and they begin a relationship. Ben is attracted to Laura, despite knowing she is keeping secrets from him. They go on a date, and when a kiss becomes more intimate, Laura resists and asks Ben to leave. She later admits to him that she had escaped an abusive marriage.
However, Martin discovers that Laura is alive and travels to her mother's nursing home, pretending to be a detective. He learns that Chloe's "nephew" has recently visited and becomes determined to find Laura. Despite starting a new relationship with Ben, Laura's past with Martin continues to haunt her, and she must confront him once again.
Expired Sleep Medicine: What Are the Risks?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
![The Last Knights [Blu-ray + Digital HD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51CuqgiP7nL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
Martin discovers Laura is alive
Martin then travels to Laura's mother's nursing home, pretending to be a detective. He learns that a 'nephew' has recently visited, and he stops at nothing to find Laura and kill her. Laura, now living under the name 'Sara Waters' in Cedar Falls, Iowa, has begun a relationship with Ben Woodward, a local college drama professor. Martin's discovery of Laura being alive sets the stage for a climactic confrontation, where Laura manages to kill Martin, shooting him multiple times.
Martin's discovery of Laura's survival shatters any sense of safety and anonymity she had found in her new life as Sara Waters. It brings to the fore the obsessive and violent tendencies that had plagued their marriage. Laura's staged death and disappearance were meticulously planned to escape Martin's abusive control. However, his relentless pursuit of her, even after discovering her deception, underscores the depth of his obsession and the lengths he is willing to go to possess and control her.
The revelation of Laura's survival also heightens the tension and suspense in the narrative. It sets in motion a cat-and-mouse game between the two characters, where Martin becomes increasingly unhinged in his pursuit, and Laura finds herself once again fighting for her life and freedom. This discovery serves as a pivotal moment that propels the story towards its violent and dramatic conclusion, where Laura ultimately triumphs over her abusive husband.
Stay Warm: What to Wear Inside Your Sleeping Bag
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Martin is killed
In the 1991 film *Sleeping with the Enemy*, Laura is trapped in an abusive marriage to Martin, a successful Boston investment counsellor. Laura decides to stage her own death by drowning and flees to Cedar Falls, Iowa, where she reinvents herself as Sara Waters. She finds a job and starts a relationship with Ben Woodward, a local college drama professor.
Martin, however, refuses to believe that Laura is dead. He discovers that Laura had been secretly taking swimming lessons, leading him to suspect that she faked her death. Martin's suspicions are confirmed when he finds Laura's wedding ring in the toilet. He then travels to Laura's mother's nursing home, pretending to be a detective, and learns that his wife is still alive.
Determined to carry out his promise of never letting Laura go, Martin tracks her down. In a climactic confrontation, Martin, wounded, seizes Laura by the hair and grabs a gun, intending to kill her. However, the gun is empty, and he dies from his wounds. Laura and Ben embrace and wait for the police to arrive.
The ending of *Sleeping with the Enemy* sees Martin meet his end at Laura's hands, providing a sense of closure and justice for Laura, who has endured years of abuse and control at the hands of her husband. This conclusion empowers Laura, allowing her to finally break free from her abusive marriage and start a new life, free from fear and violence.
Choosing the Right Sleeping Bag for Peru
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Laura is trapped in an abusive marriage to a controlling man named Martin. She is able to escape by faking her own death and moving to Iowa where she learns to live and love again. However, her husband eventually finds her and tries to kill her.
In the end, Laura kills her husband, Martin.
Yes, Laura stages her own death and flees to Cedar Falls, Iowa, where she adopts a new identity as Sara Waters.
Martin stops at nothing to find and kill Laura. He tracks her down to her mother's nursing home and threatens to kill anyone who might be helping her.
Yes, Laura kills Martin.
