Wild at Heart (1990)

Director:

David Lynch

Writers (WGA):

Barry Gifford (novel)
David Lynch (screenplay)

Release Date:

17 August 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

Plot:

Young lovers Sailor and Lula run from the variety of weirdos that Lula's mom has hired to kill Sailor.

Plot Keywords:

Hitman | Lover | Hate | Prison | Car Accident

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Nicolas Cage	...	Sailor Ripley
Laura Dern	...	Lula Fortune
Willem Dafoe	...	Bobby Peru
J.E. Freeman	...	Marcelles Santos
Crispin Glover	...	Dell
Diane Ladd	...	Marietta Fortune
Calvin Lockhart	...	Reggie
Isabella Rossellini	...	Perdita Durango
Harry Dean Stanton	...	Johnnie Farragut
Grace Zabriskie	...	Juana Durango
Sherilyn Fenn	...	Girl in Accident
Marvin Kaplan	...	Uncle Pooch
William Morgan Sheppard	...	Mr. Reindeer (as W. Morgan Sheppard)
David Patrick Kelly	...	Dropshadow
Freddie Jones	...	George Kovich

Also Known As:

David Lynch's Wild at Heart (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

USA:R (cut) | New Zealand:R18 | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-15 (DVD version) | Argentina:16 | Australia:R | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM14 | Japan:R-15 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:18 | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Castle Green Apartments - 99 S. Raymond, Pasadena, California, USA

Company:

PolyGram Filmed Entertainment

Trivia:

Sherilyn Fenn's accident scene came from David Lynch's impression of Fenn as a porcelain doll, and from the idea of seeing a porcelain doll breaking. He kept telling her about that, and that's how the scene was born. Lynch said of the scene, "I just pictured her being able to do this. She's like a broken china doll". Lynch got the same inspiration for the car accident scene in Mulholland Dr. (2001). His direction to actress Laura Harring was to act like a broken porcelain doll.

Goofs:

Continuity: When they are in bed - he has a shirt on in one shot, the other one it's off, and then on again.

Quotes:

Sailor: Man, I had a boner with a capital "O".

Movie Connections:

Spin off Perdita Durango (1997)

Soundtrack:

First Movement

Mesmerizing.

Recipient of the prestigious Palme d'Or award at Cannes, David Lynch's "Wild at Heart" is an amazingly brilliant spectacle for the senses. Bold splashes of deep red, curiously staged musical numbers (Nicolas Cage does his own singing – and he's great!), and the continuous references to "The Wizard of Oz" help create a surreal and dreamlike texture to the narrative. The story in brief: Sailor and Lula (excellent performances from both Nicolas Cage & Laura Dern); two broken souls passionately in love, flee the vengeful wrath of Lula's mother Marietta, who for reasons of her own will stop at nothing to ensure the lovers are kept apart. Diane Ladd practically steals the show in her brave portrayal of Lula's psychopathic mother Marietta. Gut wrenchingly violent in places, hopelessly romantic in others; Lynch has crafted an adult fairy tale worthy of multiple viewings. Recommended to those who enjoy and appreciate abstract methods of film-making – a definite 10/10!