Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)

Directed by

Susan Seidelman

Genre

drama film, romantic comedy, mystery film

Country

United States

Runtime

1h 43m

Rated

PG-13

Rating

6.1 of 10 from 511 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A bored housewife becomes obsessed with a bohemian drifter she reads about in the personal ads. Their lives become entangled when a case of mistaken identity throws them into a chaotic adventure in New York City.

whimsicalplayfulquirkynostalgiclightheartedenergeticstylishcomedic

What happens

Desperately Seeking Susan is a 1985 American screwball comedy film directed by Susan Seidelman and starring Rosanna Arquette, Aidan Quinn and Madonna. Set in New York City, the mistaken identity-type plot involves the interaction between two women – a bored housewife and a bohemian drifter – linked by various messages in the personals section of a newspaper. The film was Madonna's first major screen role and also provided early roles for a number of other well-known performers, such as John Turturro, Giancarlo Esposito, Laurie Metcalf and Steven Wright. The screenplay was written by Leora Barish, and is said to have been given an uncredited rewrite by Craig Bolotin. Desperately Seeking Susan was a commercial success and ended as the 31st-highest-grossing film of the year, grossing $27.3 million in the United States. The film received predominantly positive reviews, and both Arquette's and Madonna's acting were critically acclaimed. Desperately Seeking Susan is noted for its impact on 1980s fashion, especially among the young female audience at that time. The movie's costumery was influenced in part by Madonna's own early style. The film was also noted as a representation of yuppie culture and feminism. Some critics labeled Desperately Seeking Susan as one of the best American films of the year, including Vincent Canby from The New York Times, and eventually, of the decade by publications such as NME and Rolling Stone. Many others have labeled it a cult classic of the 1980s. In 2023, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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