In both the novel and the film, the married couple's family name is Rose, and the title is an allusion to the battles between the warring houses of York and Lancaster who were contending for the English throne during the late Middle Ages.
Having grown to resent Oliver's workaholism, controlling nature, and obliviousness to her feelings, she starts a catering company to achieve financial independence.
Oliver takes his revenge by interrupting a dinner that Barbara is hosting for her clients, humiliating her and urinating on the food, leading to a fight in which the pair destroy their furnishings and the antique from their first meeting.
The pair start fighting again, and Barbara retreats to the attic to loosen restraints on the hallway chandelier, intending to drop it on Oliver while he boards up the house to trap them both inside.
Gavin, having recounted their tale to his current client, gives him two options: proceed with divorcing his wife—being as generous as possible so it is resolved quickly—and rebuild his life; or go home and remind himself why he fell in love with her.
This THX certified DVD features director commentary with Danny DeVito, deleted scenes, computer sketches, storyboards, still galleries, 4 theatrical trailers, and 6 TV advertisements.
[7][8] A Blu-ray Filmmakers 'Signature Series' released on September 18, 2012 ports over old bonus features and adds new featurette interviews in HD about revisiting the film and its musical score.
During the film's weekend debut it grossed $9.5 million across 1,259 theaters, finishing number-one at the box office the week ending December 10.
The site's critical consensus reads: "The War of the Roses is a black comedy made even funnier by hanging onto its caustic convictions -- and further distinguished by Danny DeVito's stylish direction.
"[15] Sheila Benson of the Los Angeles Times called it "Biting and vicious, a styptic pencil on the battered face of "civilized divorce."
"[16] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone wrote: "Under the astute direction of Danny DeVito, who does a sly turn as Oliver's attorney, this acid-dipped epic of revenge is killingly funny and dramatically daring.
[21] In June 2024, Ncuti Gatwa, Kate McKinnon, Andy Samberg, Sunita Mani, Zoë Chao, Jamie Demetriou, and Belinda Bromilow also joined the cast.