Something Wild (1986)

Director:

Jonathan Demme

Writer:

E. Max Frye (written by)

Release Date:

7 November 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Something Different Something Daring Something Dangerous

Plot:

A free-spirited woman "kidnaps" a yuppie for a weekend of adventure. But the fun quickly takes a dangerous turn when her ex-convict husband shows up.

Plot Keywords:

Reunion | Yuppie | Ex Convict | Motel | Convertible

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Jeff Daniels	...	Charles Driggs
Melanie Griffith	...	Lulu / Audrey Hankel
Ray Liotta	...	Ray Sinclair
George 'Red' Schwartz	...	Counter Man (as George Schwartz)
Leib Lensky	...	Frenchy
Tracey Walter	...	The Country Squire
Maggie T.	...	Country Squire Bulldog
Patricia Falkenhain	...	Charlie's Secretary
Sandy McLeod	...	Graves' Secretary
Robert Ridgely	...	Richard Graves
Buzz Kilman	...	TV Newscaster
Kenneth Utt	...	Dad
Adelle Lutz	...	Rose
Charles Napier	...	Irate Chef
Jim Roche	...	Motel Philosopher
John Sayles	...	Motorcycle Cop
John Waters	...	Used Car Guy
The Texas Kid	...	Hitchhiking Cowboy
Byron D. Hutcherson	...	Hitchhiking Kid
Eleana Hutcherson	...	Hitchhiking Kid
Thomas Cavano	...	Guitar Player
Dorothy Demme	...	Junk Store Gal
Emma Byrne	...	Junk Store Gal
Dana Preu	...	Peaches
Max the Dog	...	Himself
Mary Ardella Drew	...	Donna Penski
Joseph Lee Davis	...	James Williams
Edward Saxon	...	Kevin Stroup
The Feelies	...	The Willies
James Hurd	...	Stylish Reunion Couple
Joanna Kitchen-Hurd	...	Stylish Reunion Couple
Jack Gilpin	...	Larry Dillman
Su Tissue	...	Peggy Dillman
Gary Goetzman	...	Guido Paonessa
Margaret Colin	...	Irene
Chloe Amateau	...	Chloe
Dung Chau	...	Robbery Victim
The Crew	...	Gas Station Rappers
Steven Scales	...	Nelson (as Steve Scales)
John Montgomery	...	Harmonica Slim
Kristin Olsen	...	Tracy
Heather Shaw	...	Choir Girl
Vic Blair	...	Cowboy Maitre d'
D. Stanton Miranda	...	Darlene
Ding-a-Ling	...	Motorcycle Dog
Johnny Marrs	...	Motorcycle Driver
George Henry Wyche Jr.	...	Police Officer
Marilee K. Smith	...	Police Officer
Jeffrey R. Rioux	...	Police Officer
Jeff Herig	...	Police Officer
Gil Lazier	...	Homicide Detective
Anna Levine	...	The Girl in 3F
'Sister' Carol East	...	Dottie (as 'Sister Carol' East)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gary Bishop	...	Civil War Reenactor (uncredited)
Joanna Daniels	...	Joanne (uncredited)
Drummond Erskine	...	Cafe Patron (uncredited)

Directed by
Jonathan Demme

Writing credits
E. Max Frye		(written by)

Produced by
Ronald M. Bozman	....	associate producer (as Ron Bozman)
Jonathan Demme	....	producer
Bill Miller	....	associate producer
Edward Saxon	....	executive producer
Kenneth Utt	....	producer

Original Music by
Laurie Anderson
John Cale

Cinematography by
Tak Fujimoto		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Craig McKay

Casting by
Risa Bramon Garcia		(as Risa Bramon)
Billy Hopkins

Production Design by
Norma Moriceau

Art Direction by
Stephen J. Lineweaver		(as Steve Lineweaver)

Set Decoration by
William F. Reynolds		(as Billy Reynolds)

Makeup Department
Alan D'Angerio	....	hair department head

Production Management
Kenneth Utt	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ronald M. Bozman	....	first assistant director (as Ron Bozman)
James Greenhut	....	second assistant director: New York (as Jim Greenhut)
Dana J. Kuznetzkoff	....	dga trainee (as Dana Kuznetzkoff)
Kyle McCarthy	....	second assistant director
David Sardi	....	second assistant director: New York

Art Department
Richard Adee	....	set dresser (as Rich Adee)
Peter Demme	....	carpenter
Kathleen Dolan	....	assistant props (as Kathy Dolan)
Chuck Esty	....	carpenter
Jim Finguera	....	scenic artist
Clay A. Griffith	....	art department assistant (as Clay Griffith)
Jerry Holt	....	construction supervisor
Winston Ford Lawless	....	assistant props (as Winston 'Ford' Lawless)
Ann Miller	....	property master (as Annie Miller)
Kevin Oates	....	set dresser
Jiggs Walker	....	assistant props (as Lewis 'Jiggs' Walker)
Susan Inge Wood	....	scenic artist (as Susan Wood)
John Dahl	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)
Byron K. Lovelace	....	property master: New York second unit (uncredited)

Sound Department
Louis Bertini	....	sound assistant
Harriet Fidlow	....	adr editor (as Harriet Winn)
Tom Fleischman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Frank Graziadei	....	sound recordist
Les Lazarowitz	....	sound mixer
Michael Moyse	....	sound editor
Linda Murphy	....	boom operator
Yvette Nabel	....	adr assistant
Dan Sable	....	supervising sound editor
Lynn Sable	....	sound assistant
Jill Searchinger	....	sound assistant
Reilly Steele	....	adr recordist
Ann Stein	....	adr editor (as Anne Stein)
Paul Trejo	....	sound editor
Li-Shin Yu	....	sound apprentice (as Li Shin Yu)
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Bill Anagnos	....	stunt double: Ray (as Billy Anagnos)
Debbi A. Davison	....	stunt double
Debbie Ellis	....	stunt double: Lulu (as Debbi Ellis)
Larry Holt	....	stunts
John Robotham	....	stunt coordinator
John Robotham	....	stunt double: Charlie
George Marshall Ruge	....	stunt double: Ray

Camera and Electrical Department
Bob Brennan	....	best boy
Mike DePrez	....	assistant camera: second unit
John Donohue	....	key grip
Gene Engels	....	electrician
S. Karin Epstein	....	still photographer
James W. Finnerty	....	dolly grip (as Jim Finnerty Jr.)
Bill Gerardo	....	assistant camera (as Billy Gerardo)
Vinnie Gerardo	....	assistant camera
Kurt Illinger	....	electrician
Tony C. Jannelli	....	camera operator (as Tony Janelli)
Brian Marshall	....	grip
Jim Meade	....	grip
Charles Meere	....	gaffer (as Charlie Meere)
Tom Schurke	....	video engineer
Don Smetzer	....	still photographer
John Smith	....	best boy

Casting Department
Beth Henley Cavano	....	extras casting (as Beth Cavano)
Heidi Levitt	....	casting assistant
Lisa Peterson	....	casting assistant
Riccardo Bertoni	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugenie Bafaloukos	....	costume supervisor (as Eugenie Bafaloukas)
Rita Barbera	....	wardrobe supervisor
Michael Forcade	....	wardrobe supervisor
Julie Hill-Parker	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Julie Parker)
Jacqueline Pinon	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Reid Burns	....	color timer
Rudy Gaskins	....	assistant editor
J. Kathleen Gibson	....	assistant editor
Howard Gindoff	....	assistant editor
Bill Johnson	....	second assistant editor
Alisa Lepselter	....	apprentice editor
Anne Sawyer	....	apprentice editor (as Ann Sawyer)
Diane Schaub	....	first assistant editor
Camilla Toniolo	....	associate editor

Music Department
Sharon Boyle	....	music supervisor
Gary Goetzman	....	musical consultant
Suzana Peric	....	music editor
Eric Liljestrand	....	score recordist (uncredited)

Transportation Department
John Leonidas	....	transportation coordinator
Dennis Radesky	....	transportation captain
John H. Stephens	....	driver
Timothy Stephens	....	driver: trailers (uncredited)

Other crew
Grace Blake	....	production office coordinator
Vince Burns	....	production assistant
Parnes Cartwright	....	production assistant
Donna Chase	....	production assistant
Diana Chingos	....	assistant production office coordinator
R.W. Dixon	....	production assistant
Robin Fajardo	....	assistant: Ken Utt
Loretta Farb	....	production associate
Richard Guay	....	production auditor
Gus Holzer	....	production associate
Larry Kaplan	....	unit publicist
Bill Largin	....	production assistant
Jacek Laskus	....	creative consultant
Solomon J. LeFlore	....	production financing
Pat MacEnulty	....	assistant production office coordinator
Sandy McLeod	....	script supervisor
Steve Rose	....	location manager: New York (as Steven Rose)
Nancy Savoca	....	assistant auditor
Annie Spiegelman	....	production assistant
Dawn Sydney Steinberg	....	production assistant
Jim Van Voris	....	production assistant
Mark Witzen	....	production assistant
Michelle Hartly	....	coordinator (uncredited)
David H. Kramer	....	adr loop group (uncredited)

Thanks
Irving Azoff	....	thanks
Steve Baker	....	thanks
John 'Tim' Bowling	....	thanks
Jay Chattaway	....	thanks
Percy Chin	....	thanks
Tony Fitzpatrick	....	thanks
Andrea 'Maude' Graham	....	thanks
Jah Life	....	thanks
Jerry Masucci	....	thanks
Kathy Nelson	....	thanks
Chip Taylor	....	thanks
Mark Wolfson	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Religiosa Primitiva

Distributors

• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (1987) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Cecchi Gori Home Video (2005) (Italy) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• GoodTimes Home Video (1990s) (USA) (video)
• HBO/Cannon Video (1987) (USA) (video)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (DVD)
• Orion Pictures Corporation
• Sandrew Film (1998) (Sweden) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Hastings Sound Editorial  sound effects
• J.G. Films  negative matching
• M & Co.  titles
• MCA Records  soundtrack
• Navarro-Bertoni Casting  extras casting
• Optical House, The  opticals
• Sunrise Catering  catering

Also Known As:

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:R | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16 | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Australia:M | Iceland:16 | Spain:13 | France:U | Ireland:18

Filming Locations:

Quincy, Florida, USA

Company:

Religiosa Primitiva

Trivia:

Chris Isaak was up for the role of Ray Sinclair. He dropped out, due to finishing his self-titled second album.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Lulu pulls the pistol out from under the car seat it is a Smith & Wesson model 59 9mm. The pistol she throws into the storm drain a few seconds later is a Berretta model 92FS 9mm.

Quotes:

Charlie Driggs:I may look straight, but deep down, I got what it takes.
Audrey 'Lulu' Hankel:Do you?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Jonathan Demme & Jodie Foster: The Beginning (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

Black Sheep of the Family

A real gem from the 1980s.

Sometimes you have to search high and low, but you really can find some interesting films made in the late 1980s. Though Jonathan Demme's film is not perfect, it still brilliantly outshines most of the crud made back then. Something Wild is the study of two souls who seem to come from different worlds going on a crazy road trip full of sex, violence, and even a high school reunion.

It all begins inside a tiny diner in New York City when openly free-spirited Audrey (Melanie Griffith) notices yuppie Charlie (Jeff Daniels) sneak out on paying his bill. She confronts him outside, and the two of them end up jumping in her car and taking off on a sunny Friday afternoon. At first it would seem that this trip across the state line will merely end in a sexual tryst in a cheap motel, but little does Charlie know, Audrey has all sorts of plans for him that weekend. After some serious hanky-panky, Audrey takes Charlie back to her home town, introduces him to her mother as her husband, and then takes him to her high school reunion. In a development a little bit contrived for this critic's liking, one of Charlie's co-workers also happens to be attending this reunion. This could potentially destroy the facade of the family man on a wild weekend that Charlie is trying to perpetrate. (at this point we learn his wife left him quite a while ago) Further complicating matters is the arrival of Audrey's psychotic ex-husband, played with fearsome intensity by Ray Liotta. From that point on, this film which has largely gone for laughs, becomes rather intense and often violent.

This film scores major points by absolutely keeping the audience guessing. At least until the third act when the film can likely conclude in no other way than it does. The film avoids making Charlie out to be a totally predictable sap who is just along for a wild ride with a crazy woman. Charlie has his own secrets, and a whole hidden side of his own that comes out when it has to. Demme places some marginally famous people in some truly odd cameos, and spends a little bit more time with peripheral characters than some people would. It gives the film a very "human" kind of feeling as we get to know at least a little something about even someone working as a waitress or at a motel. The film maybe meanders a bit here and there, but that is understandable since so much of it plays out like a road trip. The actors are exceptional, and the film is full of color and energy. Highly recommended. 9 of 10 stars.

The Hound.