"Twin Peaks" Pilot (1990)

Director:

David Lynch

Writers:

Mark Frost (written by) &
David Lynch (written by)

TV Series:

"Twin Peaks" (1990)

Original Air Date:

8 April 1990 (Season 1, Episode 1)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Romance | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

A Mystery That Holds Its Secret To The Very End

Plot:

Twin Peaks, 1990. A popular teenage girl in a strange town is murdered, and a stranger FBI agent is sent in to investigate.

Plot Keywords:

Agent | FBI | Murder | Investigation | One Armed Man

Awards:

Won 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Kyle MacLachlan	...	Special Agent Dale Cooper
Michael Ontkean	...	Sheriff Harry S. Truman
Mädchen Amick	...	Shelly Johnson (as Madchen Amick)
Dana Ashbrook	...	Bobby Briggs
Richard Beymer	...	Benjamin Horne
Lara Flynn Boyle	...	Donna Hayward
Sherilyn Fenn	...	Audrey Horne
Warren Frost	...	Dr. Will Hayward
Peggy Lipton	...	Norma Jennings
James Marshall	...	James Hurley
Everett McGill	...	Big Ed Hurley
Jack Nance	...	Pete Martell
Ray Wise	...	Leland Palmer
Joan Chen	...	Jocelyn Packard
Piper Laurie	...	Katherine Martell

Runtime:

94 min | USA:113 min (video version) | 90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Norwegian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Ireland:15 | South Korea:18 | Spain:T | UK:15 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

North Bend, Washington, USA

Company:

Lynch Entertainment

Trivia:

This movie was originally a pilot episode for "Twin Peaks" (1990) but since it was unsure whether they would create a whole series, the ending was rewritten to create an individual movie. (The major change was that it was revealed who the killer was.) This way, they could profit on it by selling it as a self-contained movie even if the full series was never made. When the series was in fact made, it became so popular that it was decided to release the movie anyway.

Goofs:

Continuity: Not long after the class scene where Donna starts to cry and James breaks his pencil when they have a premonition about Laura Palmer being dead, Principal Wolchezk makes an announcement. With the previous scene in mind, he tells about Laura Palmer as their classmate, whilst actually the announcement is meant for the whole school.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Pete Martell: She's dead. Wrapped in plastic.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Otesánek (2000)

Soundtrack:

The Nightingale

A True Masterpiece

Twin Peaks for me is the pinnacle of television. It is masterfully crafted, superbly acted, and enthralling from the first minute to the very end.

It is a deep, rich story filled with quirky characters and imaginative plot that demands and draws your full attention. It's only failing was finishing too soon, but like many other great TV programs, that only makes the episodes created even more valuable.

Time will show Twin Peaks to be a powerful influence on many subsequent programs, and a masterpiece in it's own right. It's a must see for anyone who appreciates quality television or film.