Broken Flowers (2005)

As the extremely withdrawn Don Johnston is dumped by his latest woman, he receives an anonymous letter from a former lover informing him that he has a son who may be looking for him. A freelance sleuth neighbor moves Don to embark on a cross-country search for his old flames in search of answers.

Director:

Jim Jarmusch

Writers:

Jim Jarmusch, Bill Raden (inspired by an idea from),

Stars:

Bill Murray, Julie Delpy, Sharon Stone

4 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bill Murray	...	Don Johnston
Julie Delpy	...	Sherry
Heather Simms	...	Mona (as Heather Alicia Simms)
Brea Frazier	...	Rita
Jarry Fall	...	Winston and Mona's Kid (as Jarry)
Korka Fall	...	Winston and Mona's Kid
Saul Holland	...	Winston and Mona's Kid (as Saul)
Zakira Holland	...	Winston and Mona's Kid
Niles Lee Wilson	...	Winston and Mona's Kid
Jeffrey Wright	...	Winston
Meredith Patterson	...	Flight Attendant
Jennifer Rapp	...	Girl on Bus
Nicole Abisinio	...	Girl on Bus
Ryan Donowho	...	Young Man on Bus
Alexis Dziena	...	Lolita

Storyline

The resolutely single Don Johnston has just been dumped by his latest lover, Sherry. Don resigns himself to being alone yet again and left to his own devices. Instead, he is compelled to reflect on his past when he receives by mail a mysterious pink letter. It is from an anonymous former lover and informs him that he has a 19-year-old son who may now be looking for his father. Don is urged to investigate this "mystery" by his closest friend and neighbor, Winston, an amateur sleuth and family man. Hesitant to travel at all, Don nonetheless embarks on a cross-country trek in search of clues from four former flames. Unannounced visits to each of these unique women hold new surprises for Don as he haphazardly confronts both his past and, consequently, his present.

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Plot Keywords:

flowers | neighbor | search | letter | pink | 

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Taglines:

Sometimes life brings some strange surprises.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some graphic nudity and brief drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Bac Films [fr] Universal [us]

Country:

USA France

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 September 2005 (France)

Also Known As:

Dead Flowers

Filming Locations:

Hudson River Stages, Yonkers, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$32,069 (Chile) (7 July 2006)

Gross:

$146,250 (Chile) (28 July 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Focus Features, Five Roses, Bac Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jim Jarmusch finished the script in two and a half weeks.

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Goofs

When Don speaks with the receptionist at Dr Markowski's office, the angle of the laptop relative to the table changes repeatedly between shots.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Sherry: I pretty much have all my stuff.
[picks up mail]
Sherry: Looks like you got a love letter from one of your other girlfriends.

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Crazy Credits

Unusually, bit part players with no spoken lines in this movie are listed in the credits. Normally only speaking parts are listed.

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Connections

References The Maltese Falcon (1941)

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Soundtracks

"Dreams I'll Never See"
by Gregg Allman
Performed by The Allman Brothers Band
Used by permission of EMI Unart Catalog Inc.
Courtesy of The Island Def Jam Music Group under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Pink flower arrangements

Jim Jarmusch returns to the screen with an immensely pleasing film that looks extremely simple, but in fact, it's what is not being said that really is at the center of the picture. Mr. Jarmusch is one director that loves to work with an economy of everything. His films seem to be crying for a set decorator, but that is misleading, because it's the simplicity that seems to work in most cases.

If you haven't seen the film, perhaps you should stop reading here.

At the center of the story is Don Johnston, whose name seems to provoke in most people a recognition by associating it to the actor, Don Johnson. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Don is a taciturn man, who when we meet him is being dumped by his last girlfriend.

Don Johnston, with his deadpan demeanor, appears to be a man that has gone through life on auto pilot. In fact, when he receives the letter that will, in a way, change his life, he doesn't even react. His solution to the problem is to show this letter to his next door neighbor, Winston. Little does Don knows, but Winston maps out a plan to get him involved in the solution of the mystery he is presented. We accompany Don in a trip of discovery to reacquaint himself with former lovers who might have been instrumental in sending the pink letter.

Thus we meet Laura, the closet organizer, a widow now, living with a precocious daughter, Lolita, who seems to have jumped from the Nabokov's book, in all her precociousness. Then, there is Dora, the real estate woman who lives in a development in which all the houses look alike. We meet Carmen, the pet communicator, a sort of animal analyst who has turned her love interest another way. Finally, we are given a glimpse of Penny, who couldn't care less to see Don one more time.

The opening sequence that sets the story in motion is nothing but perfection. We watch the fateful letter at the beginning when it's being dropped in the mail box right up to its delivery through Don's mail slot.

Jim Jarmusch, and his amazing cast have done wonders with this film. Bill Murray is sensational as the jaded Don Johnston. Once again, this actor clearly shows he is at the top of the game. Jeffrey Wright, one of the best young actors working in films and in the theater these days, makes a valuable contribution as Winston. The women in Don's life are fantastic. Sharon Stone, Frances Conroy, Julie Delpy, Tilda Swinton, and Jessica Lange are seen at their best. Finally, two excellent turns by Alexis Dziena as Lolita and Chloe Sevigny as an assistant to Carmen.

Mr. Jarmusch has created a film that says a lot about how modern relationships are being practiced these days.