Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)

Director:

Susan Seidelman

Writer:

Leora Barish (written by)

Release Date:

29 March 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | Drama

Tagline:

Roberta is desperate to be Susan. Susan is wanted by the mob. The mob finds Roberta instead...

Plot:

A bored suburban housewife, seeking adventure to her life, accidentally gets hit on the head, wakes up with amnesia, and is mistaken for a free-spirited New York City drifter named Susan.

Plot Keywords:

New York | Housewife | Jacket | Amnesia | New York City

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Rosanna Arquette	...	Roberta Glass
Madonna	...	Susan
Aidan Quinn	...	Dez
Mark Blum	...	Gary Glass
Robert Joy	...	Jim
Laurie Metcalf	...	Leslie Glass
Anna Levine	...	Crystal
Will Patton	...	Wayne Nolan
Peter Maloney	...	Ian
Steven Wright	...	Larry Stillman D.D.S
John Turturro	...	Ray
Anne Carlisle	...	Victoria
José Angel Santana	...	Boutique Owner (as Jose Santana)
Giancarlo Esposito	...	Street Vendor
Richard Hell	...	Bruce Meeker

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:L | Argentina:13 | New Zealand:M | Australia:M | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

8th Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Orion Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Diane Keaton was briefly considered for the part of Roberta, while Goldie Hawn was considered for the part of Susan. A combination of Orion Pictures wanting to keep the budget under $5 million and director Susan Seidelman wanting to work with newcomers ultimately led to the casting of Rosanna Arquette and Madonna.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Susan walks dripping wet from the swimming pool to the poolside chair, her path is already wet from previous takes.

Quotes:

Susan: [answering Gary Glass's phone] Glass house!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Desperately Seeking Helen (1999)

Soundtrack:

YOU BELONG TO ME

Madonna Rocks In This One!

Seidelman's 'Desperately Seeking Susan' is quite a funny, albeit contrived and incoherent, movie about a young housewife who takes a fascination towards a street hustler's lovelife. The story jumps from one event to another and there are plot holes but there's a certain nostalgia about it. The music, the fashion, the language are very 80s and that's what I liked about it. The performances by the two woman only made it more entertaining. Madonna is brilliantly suitable for the title role. She's carefree, flamboyant, cool and carries off the don't-mess-with-me attitude naturally. Rosanna Arquette is cute and likable but it is her pop star costar who steals the show. The men in this movie are clearly overshadowed although notice John Torturro who is great in an early almost bit role. I liked the soundtrack too as it includes some very popular classic pop numbers that remind me of the 80s. 'Desperately Seeking Susan' has its flawed but it still managed to stay a fun flick that I enjoyed.