True Stories (1986)

Director:

David Byrne

Writers:

David Byrne (writer)
Beth Henley (writer)

Release Date:

10 October 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Musical | Comedy

Tagline:

"It's a completely cool, multi-purpose movie."

Plot:

David Byrne of Talking Heads fame visits a typical (and fictional) Texas town, on the eve of the town's celebration of the state's sesquicentennial...

Plot Keywords:

Texas | Sesquicentennial | Pathological Liar | Music Video | Extraterrestrial Intelligence

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

David Byrne	...	Narrator / Lip-Syncher / Talking Heads singer
John Goodman	...	Louis Fyne
Annie McEnroe	...	Kay Culver
Jo Harvey Allen	...	The Lying Woman
Spalding Gray	...	Earl Culver
Alix Elias	...	The Cute Woman
Roebuck 'Pops' Staples	...	Mr. Tucker
Tito Larriva	...	Ramon (as Humberto 'Tito' Larriva)
John Ingle	...	The Preacher
Matthew Posey	...	The Computer Guy
Swoosie Kurtz	...	Miss Rollings
Freeman Beatty	...	Lip-Syncher
Evelyn Box	...	Hey Now Kid
Kevin Box	...	Hey Now Kid
Amy Buffington	...	Linda Culver

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Iceland:L | Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:PG | UK:PG | West Germany:6 (f)

Filming Locations:

Dallas, Texas, USA

Company:

True Stories Venture

Trivia:

Most of the commercials seen before and during the Love for Sale musical number were genuine TV ads of the day, including Victor Kiam's famous Remington shaver ad with its slogan "I liked it so much, I bought the company!" According to Byrne, many of the characters in this film were inspired by actual supermarket tabloid stories.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The movie supposedly takes place in the town of Virgil, Texas. However, in one scene where little children in 4-H shirts are dancing in a field, a water tower is briefly visible in the background that clearly says "RED OAK".

Quotes:

Narrator: Excuse me, Mr. Culver. I forget what these peppers represent.

Movie Connections:

Features Aluminum on the March (1956)

Soundtrack:

The Celebration Begins

"True" Is Stranger Than Fiction

David Byrne creates a surreal musical in "True Stories." He acts as narrator on a tour of the small town of Virgil, Texas, which is preparing for the Texas Sesquicentennial with its "Celebration of Specialness." The town is full of strange but amiable characters, such as Louis Fyne, a lovelorn Varicorp employee; Mr. and Mrs. Culver, a happily married couple who never speak directly to each other; and Miss Rollings, a lazy rich woman who never gets out of bed. Also eye-catching are the weird visuals, like at the fashion show at the mall. Think of the whole thing as an oddball version of "Our Town." You may not understand it, but you'll probably enjoy it!