Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)

A bored suburban housewife, seeking escape from her life, suffers amnesia after an accident, wakes up, and is mistaken for a free-spirited New York City drifter named Susan.

Director:

Susan Seidelman

Writer:

Leora Barish

Stars:

Rosanna Arquette, Madonna, Aidan Quinn

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rosanna Arquette	...	Roberta Glass
Madonna	...	Susan
Aidan Quinn	...	Dez
Mark Blum	...	Gary Glass
Robert Joy	...	Jim
Laurie Metcalf	...	Leslie Glass
Anna Levine	...	Crystal
Will Patton	...	Wayne Nolan
Peter Maloney	...	Ian
Steven Wright	...	Larry Stillman D.D.S
John Turturro	...	Ray
Anne Carlisle	...	Victoria
José Angel Santana	...	Boutique Owner (as Jose Santana)
Giancarlo Esposito	...	Street Vendor
Richard Hell	...	Bruce Meeker

Storyline

Bored Roberta spots a regular personal ad in the paper titled 'Desperately Seeking Susan'. She heads off to New York, following one of the ads, and finds Susan. When Susan sells her jacket, Roberta - trying to emulate her mystery ad writer - buys the jacket and wears it. Little does she know someone is looking for the jacket - and its owner...

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Plot Keywords:

neo screwball comedy | riches to rags | prince and pauper | rags to riches | impostor | 

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Taglines:

Roberta is desperate to be Susan. Susan is wanted by the mob. The mob finds Roberta instead...

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 April 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Desperately Seeking Susan

Filming Locations:

Bleecker Street Cinema, 144 Bleecker Street, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,526,098, 31 March 1985

Gross USA:

$27,398,584

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$27,398,584

Company Credits

Production Co:

Orion Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (original release)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Included among the American Film Institute's 2000 list of the 500 movies nominated for the Top 100 Funniest American Movies.

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Goofs

When Susan picks up The New York Mirror newspaper, the word lotto is spelled Looto on the front page. This is a play on the tendency of New York tabloids (such as the Post) to run short punchy headlines with broad puns ("loot" being a term for money, in case anyone missed that).

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Quotes

Roberta: Gary, you're not listening to me. I'm not a prostitute or a lesbian.
Gary: We'll get professional help. I don't care how much it costs. The important thing is, I want you to come home with me.
Roberta: Why?
Gary: Why? What do you mean, why?
Roberta: I mean, why do you want me to come home with you, Gary?
Gary: [holds up hands] Come on, don't get excited, all right? Don't get excited. What, are you on drugs or something now?
Roberta: God.
[covers her face with her hands]
Roberta: Look at me.
Gary: I looked at you. You look ridiculous.
[...]

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Alternate Versions

Desperately Seeking Susan was intended as an R-rated movie. To address Madonna's very young fan base, the film was trimmed to meet PG-13 criteria. It never received an uncut release.

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Connections

Referenced in The Sweetest Thing (2002)

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Soundtracks

Someday, Someway
Written by Marshall Crenshaw (uncredited)
Performed by Marshall Crenshaw
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records, Inc.
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

Madonna Rocks NYC

This movie has 5 great things going for it: Madonna, Rosanna Arquette, the soundtrack, shot in 1984 and in New York City. Arquette plays Roberta Glass, a bored and ignored housewife who is obsessed with a couple she reads about in the personals, Jim and Susan. Roberta reads that Jim and Susan will meet at Battery Park the following day, and goes down to watch the two. As Jim and Susan part again for a few days, Roberta decides to follow Susan (Madonna) though the streets and into a clothing store, where Susan trades the store-owner her pyramid jacket for some rhinestone boots. When Susan leaves, Roberta buys the jacket, goes home and finds a key in one of the pockets. Roberta then puts an ad in the paper for Susan to meet her at Battery Park to pick up the key she left in the jacket. As Susan gets to the park, she is arrested for short-changing the cab driver, just as a thug who is after Susan mistakes Roberta for her. Roberta knocks herself out cold accidentally and wakes up believing she is Susan. The rest of the film is non-stop comedic confusion and madness, played out by some great talents including Laurie Metcalf as Roberta's sister-in-law, Leslie, and Aidan Quinn, Robert Joy and Mark Blum as the hapless unfortunate love interests of our heroines. Directed by Susan Seidelman ("Smithereens"). Highly recommended.