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Poison Ivy
Poison Ivy film poster
Directed by	Katt Shea
Produced by	Andy Ruben
Written by	Melissa Goddard (story) Andy Ruben (screenplay)
Starring	Drew Barrymore Sara Gilbert Tom Skerritt Cheryl Ladd
Music by	David Michael Frank
Cinematography	Phedon Papamichael
Editing by	Gina Mittelman
Distributed by	New Line Cinema
Release date(s)	May 8, 1992 (USA)
Running time	93 min. (unrated version)
Language	English
Budget	$3,000,000, (estimated)
Followed by	Poison Ivy II: Lily
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Poison Ivy is a 1992 thriller and drama film directed by Katt Shea. Andy Ruben (who also produced the film) transformed Melissa Goddard's story into the screenplay. It stars Drew Barrymore, Sara Gilbert, Tom Skerritt and Cheryl Ladd. The original music score is composed by David Michael Frank. This film was shot in Los Angeles, California.

It was nominated for the 1992 Grand Jury prize of Best Film at the Sundance Festival. Sara Gilbert was nominated for Best Supporting Female at the 1993 Independent Spirit Awards.

Although it did not fare well at the box office with its limited release, it did become a success on cable and video. The film has spawned two sequels and is marketed with the tagline "What Ivy wants, Ivy gets."

Set in Seattle, Washington, this film follows the lives of a wealthy but dysfunctional American family. Sylvie Cooper (Sara Gilbert) is a misanthropic student at a private high school for the privileged. She befriends Ivy (Drew Barrymore), a poor but intelligent and seductive girl attending the school on a scholarship. Sylvie thinks Ivy is sweet but very different and they became best friends after wondering home one school day. Ivy's actual name is unknown, as Sylvie based it on a tattoo on Ivy's leg that depicts a crucifix covered with ivy. Clearly, Ivy becomes seduced by Sylvie's wealthy and privileged home life and sets out to derail her family one by one. Ivy, naturally, steals the affections of Sylvie’s mother Georgie (Cheryl Ladd), to gain her trust. Georgie is convinced she is dying, and constantly spends her timed cooped up in her bedroom. It is Ivy that tells her that life is better lived.

It is then implied that Ivy has moved out of her disruptive home life and moved in with Sylvie. Before an important party, Ivy receives a call for Sylvie over her weekly musical lessons. Ivy, knowing it’s her father Darryl's (Tom Skerritt) party, schedules the musical lessons for that exact day. This causes tension between daughter and father. During the party, Ivy openly flirts with Darryl — wearing Georgie's red sequined dress. While in the kitchen after the party, Ivy is caught by Darryl dancing seductively, and Ivy and Darryl fall into a passionate embrace. They are then caught by Georgie, and Ivy dismisses it as a sympathy hug for Darryl, who was upset. Ivy then takes Georgie upstairs and gives her the medication. Georgie then falls asleep, and Ivy and Darryl felate each other in front of an unconscious Georgie. After this, Darryl and Ivy begin an intense love affair. After a few weeks, Ivy finds Georgie attempting her suicide on the edge of a balcony in her bedroom. Ivy, knowing Georgie has attempted suicide for weeks, pushes Georgie off the edge, killing her. After her funeral, it is implied that Ivy and Sylvie have a relationship bordering lesbianism. While driving Ivy home in the rain, Darryl and Ivy make love on the top of Darryl's Mercedes-Benz for the very first time in the rain.

In the weeks that follow, Ivy and Sylvie go for a ride in her mother's old Chevrolet Corvette. Ivy begins humming a tune that sounds eerily similar to the music that was playing in Georgie's room the day she allegedly committed suicide. Sylvie then naturally questions over whether or not she was there and what she said. To avoid the potentially threatening conversation, Ivy crashes the car, causing Sylvie to be knocked unconscious. Ivy then places Sylvie in the driver’s seat to indicate to Darryl that Sylvie was driving without a license. When it becomes clear what Ivy has done, Sylvie is in hospital. She escapes, fearing Ivy may have gotten to Darryl. Upon returning, Sylvie finds Ivy and Darryl stimulating each other anally on the piano. Darryl chases after Sylvie to stop her from running away, yet slips. Ivy then follows Sylvie and asks her to be a "whole new family". Sylvie and Ivy struggle on the edge of the balcony where Ivy pushed her mother, and Sylvie pushes Ivy to the ground, killing her.

• Sara Gilbert - Sylvie Cooper
• Drew Barrymore - Ivy
• Tom Skerritt - Darryl Cooper
• Cheryl Ladd - Georgie Cooper
• Alan Stock - Bob
• Jeanne Sakata - Isabelle
• Leonardo DiCaprio - Guy

• Poison Ivy II: Lily
• Poison Ivy: The New Seduction

• Poison Ivy at the Internet Movie Database
• Poison Ivy at All Movie Guide
• Poison Ivy at Rotten Tomatoes
• Poison Ivy at Box Office Mojo