Who's That Girl (1987)

The life of an uptight tax lawyer turns chaotic when he is asked to escort a young woman newly released from prison, who persuades him to help prove her innocence.

Director:

James Foley

Writers:

Andrew Smith (story), Andrew Smith (screenplay)

Stars:

Madonna, Griffin Dunne, Haviland Morris

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Madonna	...	Nikki Finn
Griffin Dunne	...	Loudon Trott
Haviland Morris	...	Wendy Worthington
John McMartin	...	Simon Worthington
Bibi Besch	...	Mrs. Worthington
John Mills	...	Montgomery Bell (as Sir John Mills)
Robert Swan	...	Detective Bellson
Drew Pillsbury	...	Detective Doyle
Coati Mundi	...	Raoul
Dennis Burkley	...	Benny
James Dietz	...	Buck
Cecile Callan	...	Sandy - Wendy's Friend
Karen Elise Baldwin	...	Heather - Wendy's Friend (as Karen Baldwin)
Kimberlin Brown	...	Rachel - Wendy's Friend
Crystal Carson	...	Denise - Wendy's Friend

Storyline

Four years unjustly jailed haven't dampened the spirits or determination of Nikki Finn (Madonna). The spunky parolee sets out to clear her name, and sets the Big Apple spinning in deliriously funny ways.

---

Plot Keywords:

new york city | rainforest | frame up | neo screwball comedy | 1980s | 

---

Taglines:

A funny thing happened on the way to the bus station.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Music | Romance

---

Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Initially, Madonna wanted to ask Sean Penn to play Detective Bellson. Penn was serving a sixty-day jail term for violating the probation he received in 1986, after assaulting a friend of Madonna and attacking an extra on the set of At Close Range (1986).

---

Goofs

In the parking garage, Loudon is driving erratically because he is not wearing his glasses, after he parks off the side of the building, Loudon is swinging on the door, hovering over the water, without his glasses on, the next scene he appears with his glasses on.

---

Quotes

Nikki Finn: Hey, a mall! Ha ha!... As long as we're here, can we go in for a few seconds? I can't go back to Philly without any presents for my mom - she thinks I've been shopping.
Loudon Trott: For four years?
Nikki Finn: Mm-hmm. So I can't exactly go back empty-handed, 'cause it isn't very nice.

---

Crazy Credits

An animated Nikki Finn opens up the Warner Bros logo and steps out. She then sets off a musical number ("Causing a Commotion") that covers the opening credits and recaps the events that put Nikki in prison.

---

Alternate Versions

The BBFC in 1987 cut the film both for cinema release and domestic video, with cuts totaling 1 min 43 secs, to the scene where Madonna is shopping with Griffin Dunne in the record store and can be seen putting cassettes into her own pockets and into a shoplifter's pocket to frame him, cuts were waived on the 07/03/2006 with a PG cert, although the Uncut version played on television channels in the early 90's

---

Connections

Referenced in This Life: Who's That Girl? (1997)

---

Soundtracks

Turn It Up
Performed by Michael Davidson
Written by Michael Davidson and Frederic Mercier
Produced by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken & Pete Waterman (as Stock Aitken Waterman)
Courtesy of SIRE Records

User Reviews

All right, look. I know nobody likes it...

...but I am sorry. I dig this movie. I cannot help it. I admire Madonna greatly for her staying power; by some people's standards, Madonna has been around forever, and EVERYONE knows who she is. My take is this: kooky Nikki Finn dragging pathetically straightlaced Louden Trott all around the city on her own agenda, right after she's gotten out of the joint, is FUNNY. Is this movie immature? Yeah, sometimes. Is it predictable? Yeah, sometimes. Is it a fluffy little film that's regarded by some as a cheesy classic of the eighties? Yep. As Madonna said later, "Why don't you just deal with it?" :)

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 August 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Slammer

Filming Locations:

West 57th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$17,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,548,205, 9 August 1987

Gross USA:

$7,305,209

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$7,305,209

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Guber-Peters Company, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1