Commandments
Movie · Comedy · Drama

Why do bad things happen to good people? Courteney Cox (TV's "Friends"; Scream 1,2 & 3), Aidan Quinn (Michael Collins, Legends of the Fall) and Anthony LaPaglia (TV's "Without A Trace"; The Salton Sea) star in this dark, romantic comedy from Executive Producer Ivan Reitman about a decent man who dares to ask, "Why me?" Seth Warner (Quinn) has lost everything in his life that he holds dear - his wife, his job and his home. All of which, he suspects, is neither accident nor coincidence. He feels that he is, for some inexplicable reason, the target of God's wrath. At the end of his rope, Seth is taken in by his sister-in-law, Rachel (Cox), who is trapped in a miserable marriage with her corrupt husband, Harry (LaPaglia). It is in their care that he forms a bizarre plan to seek revenge on the Almighty. By breaking each of the Ten Commandments, he attempts to get even and force an answer from above. What follows is a series of twisted events that leads them to believe that when you have nothing left to lose, you have the strength to risk it all.

1997 · 1h 26m
  • 25%
Starring Amy Sedaris, Aidan Quinn, Courteney Cox
Director Daniel Taplitz

Trailers

  • Commandments
    Comedy

Related

Cast & Crew

  • Amy Sedaris
    Scholar
  • Aidan Quinn
    Seth Warner
  • Courteney Cox
    Rachel Luce
  • Anthony LaPaglia
    Harry Luce
  • Louis Zorich
    Rudy Warner
  • P‌G
    Pamela Gray
    Melissa Murphy
  • P‌M
    Pat McNamara
    Police Chief Warren
  • Robert Aldredge
    Mr. Mann
  • Alice Drummond
    Mrs. Mann
  • Jack Gilpin
    Gordon Bloom
  • D‌T
    Daniel Taplitz
    Director

About

Commandments

Comedy

Why do bad things happen to good people? Courteney Cox (TV's "Friends"; Scream 1,2 & 3), Aidan Quinn (Michael Collins, Legends of the Fall) and Anthony LaPaglia (TV's "Without A Trace"; The Salton Sea) star in this dark, romantic comedy from Executive Producer Ivan Reitman about a decent man who dares to ask, "Why me?" Seth Warner (Quinn) has lost everything in his life that he holds dear - his wife, his job and his home. All of which, he suspects, is neither accident nor coincidence. He feels that he is, for some inexplicable reason, the target of God's wrath. At the end of his rope, Seth is taken in by his sister-in-law, Rachel (Cox), who is trapped in a miserable marriage with her corrupt husband, Harry (LaPaglia). It is in their care that he forms a bizarre plan to seek revenge on the Almighty. By breaking each of the Ten Commandments, he attempts to get even and force an answer from above. What follows is a series of twisted events that leads them to believe that when you have nothing left to lose, you have the strength to risk it all.

25%

TOMATOMETER
Average 5.1
Reviews 16
Fresh 4
Rotten 12

Information

Studio
Focus Features
Released
1997
Run Time
1 hr 26 min
Rated
R for language and sexuality.
Region of Origin
United States
© 1997 Focus Features. All Rights Reserved.

Languages

Original Audio
English
Audio

English (United States) (AAC, ⁨Dolby 5.1⁩)

Subtitles

English (CC)

Accessibility

Closed captions (CC) refer to subtitles in the available language with the addition of relevant non-dialogue information.
  • Español (México)
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Botswana
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Cape Verde
  • Egypt
  • Eswatini
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • India
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Lebanon
  • Mauritius
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Niger (English)
  • Oman
  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka
  • Tajikistan
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uganda
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Zimbabwe

Asia Pacific

  • Australia
  • Cambodia
  • Fiji
  • 香港 (廣東話–繁體)
  • Indonesia (English)
  • 日本
  • Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • 澳門 (廣東話–繁體)
  • Malaysia (English)
  • Micronesia, Federated States of
  • Mongolia
  • New Zealand
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • 대한민국
  • 台灣
  • Thailand
  • Turkmenistan
  • Vietnam

Europe

  • Armenia
  • Österreich
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Cyprus
  • Czechia
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France (Français)
  • Deutschland
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Ireland
  • Italia
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg (English)
  • Malta
  • Moldova, Republic Of
  • Nederland
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal (Português)
  • Россия
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • España
  • Sverige
  • Schweiz
  • Türkiye (English)
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Anguilla
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina (Español)
  • Bahamas
  • Belize
  • Bermuda
  • Bolivia (Español)
  • Brasil
  • Virgin Islands, British
  • Cayman Islands
  • Chile (Español)
  • Colombia (Español)
  • Costa Rica (Español)
  • Dominica
  • República Dominicana
  • Ecuador (Español)
  • El Salvador (Español)
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala (Español)
  • Honduras (Español)
  • México
  • Nicaragua (Español)
  • Panamá
  • Paraguay (Español)
  • Perú
  • St. Kitts and Nevis
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Venezuela (Español)

The United States and Canada

  • Canada (English)
  • Canada (Français)
  • United States
  • Estados Unidos (Español México)

Copyright © 2025 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.

  • Internet Service Terms
  • Apple TV & Privacy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Support
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Botswana
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Cape Verde
  • Egypt
  • Eswatini
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • India
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Lebanon
  • Mauritius
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Niger (English)
  • Oman
  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka
  • Tajikistan
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uganda
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Zimbabwe

Asia Pacific

  • Australia
  • Cambodia
  • Fiji
  • 香港 (廣東話–繁體)
  • Indonesia (English)
  • 日本
  • Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • 澳門 (廣東話–繁體)
  • Malaysia (English)
  • Micronesia, Federated States of
  • Mongolia
  • New Zealand
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • 대한민국
  • 台灣
  • Thailand
  • Turkmenistan
  • Vietnam

Europe

  • Armenia
  • Österreich
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Cyprus
  • Czechia
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France (Français)
  • Deutschland
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Ireland
  • Italia
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg (English)
  • Malta
  • Moldova, Republic Of
  • Nederland
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal (Português)
  • Россия
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • España
  • Sverige
  • Schweiz
  • Türkiye (English)
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Anguilla
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina (Español)
  • Bahamas
  • Belize
  • Bermuda
  • Bolivia (Español)
  • Brasil
  • Virgin Islands, British
  • Cayman Islands
  • Chile (Español)
  • Colombia (Español)
  • Costa Rica (Español)
  • Dominica
  • República Dominicana
  • Ecuador (Español)
  • El Salvador (Español)
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala (Español)
  • Honduras (Español)
  • México
  • Nicaragua (Español)
  • Panamá
  • Paraguay (Español)
  • Perú
  • St. Kitts and Nevis
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Venezuela (Español)

The United States and Canada

  • Canada (English)
  • Canada (Français)
  • United States
  • Estados Unidos (Español México)