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

Director:

David Lynch

Writers:

Barry Gifford (novel), David Lynch (screenplay)
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Popularity
2,279 ( 63)
Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins & 11 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nicolas Cage ... Sailor Ripley
Laura Dern ... Lula
Willem Dafoe ... Bobby Peru
J.E. Freeman ... Santos
Crispin Glover ... Dell
Diane Ladd ... Marietta Fortune
Calvin Lockhart ... Reggie
Isabella Rossellini ... Perdita
Harry Dean Stanton ... Johnnie Farragut
Grace Zabriskie ... Juana
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
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Storyline

Lula's psychopathic mother goes crazy at the thought of Lula being with Sailor, who just got free from jail. Ignoring Sailor's probation, they set out for California. However their mother hires a killer to hunt down Sailor. Unaware of this, the two enjoy their journey and themselves being together... until they witness a young woman dying after a car accident - a bad omen. Written by Tom Zoerner <Tom.Zoerner@informatik.uni-erlangen.de>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

A Love Story See more »


Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

David Lynch: [singers] John Lurie See more »

Goofs

(at around 10 mins) Lula talks about her Uncle Pooch dying in a car accident while vacationing in Myrtle Beach. As she speaks,a car is shown crashing down a mountainous ravine and bursting into flames. The goof: Myrtle Beach is a flat seaside town and there are no mountains or ravines like those shown for hundreds of miles around. See more »

Quotes

Bobby Peru: My name's Bobby Peru, like the country.
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Crazy Credits

The ending credits play over footage of Sailor singing "Love Me Tender" to Lula, rather than a black screen. See more »

Alternate Versions

To avoid an X-rating in the USA, David Lynch added a smoky haze and spark impact to the shots where Bobby Peru (Willem Dafoe) shoots himself with a shotgun and blows his head off. The second shot has the same smoky haze on it to hide the chunk of his head flying though the air. The effect made the removal of his head from his body less clear and muted the blood and gore and got the movie an "R" rating. The uncut version was released outside the USA, but since the David Lynch-approved DVD came out in the U.S. (the shot was altered there), the censored transfer has been used on worldwide DVD releases as well, while most of the versions with the bloodier version of the scene have gone out of print. Oddly enough, the more graphic version is still shown in TV airings in the U.S. on the Sundance Channel. See more »

Connections

Featured in The Celluloid Closet (1995) See more »

Soundtracks

Slaughter House
Written by Joel DuBay, Jeffrey Litke & Adrian Liberty
Performed by Powermad
Published by Cosmic Lug Publishing (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Reprise Records
by Arrangement with Warner Special Products
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User Reviews

 
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!


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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Release Date:

17 August 1990 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

David Lynch's Wild at Heart See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$9,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,913,764, 19 August 1990

Gross USA:

$14,560,247

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$14,561,425
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Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See full technical specs »

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