Jane (Jennifer Aniston), is the hidden villainess in the film Derailed (2005), is initially presented as Lucinda Harris, a unhappily married financial advisor with a daughter. She is quite deceptive and cunning villainess with a late reveal in the story. Her seemingly chance encounter with protagonist Charles Schine (Clive Owen) leads to a web of blackmail, betrayal, and murder.
Appearance and Personality[]
Lucinda is depicted as stylish and sophisticated—smart, chic, who seems oppressed under the strain of a dull marriage. She initiates Charles’s interest by offering him fare on a commuter train, wearing black heels and a polished outfit—an image designed to be alluring and edgy. Underneath that surface, she is highly manipulative, intelligent, and coldly calculating—willing to orchestrate a violent scam against Charles for her personal gain.
History and Plot Occurrence[]
Charles meets Lucinda on his daily train to work, after he gets in trouble paying his fare. She helps him out by buying him a ticket and they strike up a conversation. The following days they continue to meet again at the train and soon build a connection, sharing similarly troubled marriages. A while later they begin to date and start having an affair.
At one point they rendezvous at a seedy hotel. There, an armed robber, Philippe LaRoche (Vincent Cassel), bursts in—beating Charles, robs them and seemingly rapes Lucinda. However oddly enough Lucinda persuades Charles not to contact the police, supposedly only to further conceal their affair.
But then LaRoche starts blackmailing Charles, first demanding $20,000, later even $100,000. Charles struggles to gather the money, even embezzling funds from his employer. And when he tries to outwit the situation, his accomplice Winston is killed. Meanwhile Lucinda seemingly having the same trouble and stress as Charles, continues begging him to play along and keep doing what their blackmailer tells them to do.
Then however Charles uncovers that “Lucinda” was an alias; the real Lucinda Harris is someone else entirely and his mysterious lover has actually been a temp named “Jane,” who fabricated stories about a non-existing daughter. The photograph she shared of her was a stock image from a brochure.
He then follows her, noticing her meetings with other men—including a new target. At the same hotel, Charles intervenes when LaRoche and his partner Dexter arrive. A violent shootout ensues; where Jane dies along with everyone else except Charles.
Quotes[]
- “Kiss me?" [...] “Okay. Let me see the twenty.”
- ― to Charles in the bar, in response to his $20 bet.
- "I think... I want to fuck you."
- ― to Charles in the hotel ( only in the unrated version).
- "You’re kinda funny, aren’t you?"
- ― in conversation with Charles.
Trivia[]
- Jennifer Aniston is well-known for her lighter, comedic roles—most prominently Friends—but Derailed casts her against this stereotype as a sinister, villainous seductress. This makes the film a notable departure in her career.
- One of her other rare appearances as a villainess is her role as Dr. Julia Harris in Horrible Bosses (2011)
Gallery[]
