Broken Flowers
The movie poster.
Directed by	Jim Jarmusch
Produced by	Jon Kilik Stacey Smith
Written by	Jim Jarmusch (Inspired by an idea from Bill Raden and Sara Driver)
Starring	Bill Murray Jeffrey Wright Sharon Stone Tilda Swinton Frances Conroy Julie Delpy Alexis Dziena
Cinematography	Frederick Elmes
Editing by	Jay Rabinowitz
Distributed by	Focus Features
Release date(s)	August 5, 2005
Running time	105 min.
Country	US
Language	English
Official website
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Broken Flowers is a 2005 comedy-drama film directed and written by Jim Jarmusch and produced by Jon Kilik and Stacey Smith. It stars Bill Murray, Jeffrey Wright, Jessica Lange, Sharon Stone, Frances Conroy, Julie Delpy, and Mark Webber. It opened August 5, 2005 in limited release. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2694x3947, 960 KB)Broken Flowes film poster This is a copyrighted poster. ... Jim Jarmusch Jim Jarmusch (born January 22, 1953 in Akron, Ohio) is a noted American independent film director. ... Jim Jarmusch Jim Jarmusch (born January 22, 1953 in Akron, Ohio) is a noted American independent film director. ... Sara Driver at the Miami International Film Festival Sara Driver is an independent filmmaker long associated (onscreen and off) with director Jim Jarmusch. ... William James Bill Murray (b. ... Jeffrey Wright as Jean-Michel Basquiat in the 1996 film Basquiat. ... Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning American actress, producer, and former fashion model. ... Katherine Mathilda Swinton (born November 5, 1960), better known as Tilda Swinton, is a Golden Globe Award-nominated British actress known for both arthouse and mainstream films. ... Frances Conroy as Ruth Fisher in Six Feet Under. ... Julie Delpy at press conference for Before Sunrise at the 1995 Berlinale (photo by Michael Weiner) Julie Delpy (born December 21, 1969) is a French/American actress and Academy Award-nominated screenwriter. ... Alexis Dziena in Invasion. ... Frederick Elmes, also known as Fred Elmes, is a cinematographer. ... Focus Features is the art house films division of Universal Pictures, and acts as both a producer and distributor for its own films and a distrubutor for foreign films. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... August 5 is the 217th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (218th in leap years), with 148 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Much like American popular music, American cinema has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... This is a list of film-related events in 2005. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Film is a term that encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. ... Jim Jarmusch Jim Jarmusch (born January 22, 1953 in Akron, Ohio) is a noted American independent film director. ... William James Bill Murray (b. ... Jeffrey Wright as Jean-Michel Basquiat in the 1996 film Basquiat. ... Jessica Lange in The Glass Menagerie (2005) Jessica Phyllis Lange (born April 20, 1949 in Cloquet, Minnesota) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American actress. ... Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning American actress, producer, and former fashion model. ... Frances Conroy as Ruth Fisher in Six Feet Under. ... Julie Delpy at press conference for Before Sunrise at the 1995 Berlinale (photo by Michael Weiner) Julie Delpy (born December 21, 1969) is a French/American actress and Academy Award-nominated screenwriter. ... Mark Webber and Emmanuelle Chriqui in Paramounts Snow Day. ... August 5 is the 217th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (218th in leap years), with 148 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 2005 Cannes Film Festival, the film was nominated for "Golden Palm" Award and won "Grand Prize of the Jury". 2005 Festivals poster The 2005 Cannes Film Festival started on May 11 and ran until May 22. ... Palme dOr The Palme dOr (Golden Palm) is the highest prize given to a film at the Cannes Film Festival. ...

The film is dedicated to French director Jean Eustache. In an interview, Jarmusch said he felt close to Eustache for his commitment to making films in a unique and independent fashion. Jean Eustache (November 30, 1938 - November 4, 1981) was a famous French filmmaker, whose best known feature film was the 210 minute film The Mother and the Whore. ...

• Tagline: Sometimes life brings some strange surprises.

A tagline is a variant of a branding slogan typically used in marketing materials and advertising. ...

Plot

The main character, Don Johnston (Bill Murray), receives an anonymous letter, allegedly from an unnamed former girlfriend, informing him that he has a 19-year-old son who may be looking for him. At the same time, his current girlfriend Sherry (Julie Delpy) moves out. Don has lived the life of an archetypal womanizer, a "Don Juan", and any one of several former girlfriends may have written the letter. He initially doesn't intend to do anything with the information, but his friend and neighbor Winston (Jeffrey Wright), a mystery and detective enthusiast, convinces him to visit the four possible mothers: William James Bill Murray (b. ... Julie Delpy at press conference for Before Sunrise at the 1995 Berlinale (photo by Michael Weiner) Julie Delpy (born December 21, 1969) is a French/American actress and Academy Award-nominated screenwriter. ... Don Juan with his sword in Don Giovanni, by Chopin Don Juan is a legendary fictional libertine, whose story has been told many times by different authors. ... Jeffrey Wright as Jean-Michel Basquiat in the 1996 film Basquiat. ...

• Laura (Sharon Stone) works as a closet and drawer organizer and is the widow of a race car driver. She has a "jailbait" daughter, Lolita (Alexis Dziena), who flirts with Don and walks around the house completely nude in front of him.
• Dora (Frances Conroy) is a realtor who hasn't yet let go of her past; once a flower child of the 60s, she appears very brittle and on the verge of exploding out of her confining life. Her controlling husband, Ron (Christopher McDonald), invites Don to an awkward dinner.
• Carmen (Jessica Lange) works as an "animal communicator." Don recalls how she was formerly so passionate about becoming a lawyer, among other things. But "passion is a funny thing," she says. There are also hints that she may be involved in a lesbian relationship with her receptionist (Chloë Sevigny).
• Penny (Tilda Swinton) lives in the country amongst blue-collar motorcycle enthusiasts. Having left Don years ago, she has no desire to reconcile with him now. When Don asks her whether she has a son, she gets upset; Don is beaten up by her friends as a result. He awakens the next morning in his rental car in the middle of a field. He has a nasty cut around his left eye as a result of the confrontation.

After the beating, Don stops at a florist to buy flowers from a friendly and attractive young woman named Sun Green (Pell James) who bandages his wounds. He leaves the flowers at the grave of another former girlfriend, Michelle Pepe, who Don originally thought might be the mother before finding out she had died five years prior. Earlier Don told Winston he had loved Michelle — his only mention of love throughout the film. As he kneels at her gravestone he softly says "Hello, beautiful." Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning American actress, producer, and former fashion model. ... A widow is a woman whose spouse has died. ... Auto racing (also known as automobile racing or autosport) is a sport involving racing automobiles. ... The slang term jailbait denotes a sexually desirable younger person, usually female, who has not yet reached the age of consent. ... Alexis Dziena in Invasion. ... Frances Conroy as Ruth Fisher in Six Feet Under. ... Realtor is a U.S. registered trademark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and subscribes to its Code of Ethics. ... Flower child originated as a synonym for hippie, for their custom of wearing flowers to symbolize peace and love. ... For other uses, see Christopher McDonald (disambiguation) Christopher McDonald (b. ... Jessica Lange in The Glass Menagerie (2005) Jessica Phyllis Lange (born April 20, 1949 in Cloquet, Minnesota) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American actress. ... Animal communication is any behaviour on the part of one animal that has an effect on the current or future behaviour of another animal. ... Chloë Stevens Sevigny (born November 18, 1974) is an Academy Award and Golden Globe-nominated American actress. ... Katherine Mathilda Swinton (born November 5, 1960), better known as Tilda Swinton, is a Golden Globe Award-nominated British actress known for both arthouse and mainstream films. ... A blue-collar worker is a working class employee who performs manual or technical labor, such as in a factory or in technical maintenance trades, in contrast to a white-collar worker, who does non-manual work generally at a desk. ... A variety of parked motorcycles A motorcycle or motorbike is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle powered by an engine. ... Floristry is most often understood as referring to the cultivation of flowers as well as their arrangement, rather than to the business of selling them. ... Pell James (born April 30, 1977) is an American actress. ...

Disillusioned, Don returns home where he meets a young man in the street (Mark Webber) who he suspects may be his son. He buys him food, but when he remarks that the young man may wonder whether Don is his father, the young man becomes upset and flees. As Don looks on, he notices a Volkswagen Beetle drive past. The young man in the passenger seat (played by Homer Murray, son of lead actor Bill Murray)^[1] is listening to music to which Don himself has listened throughout the movie. This "Kid in Car" holds unblinking eye contact with Don while the car drives on and away. Don is left standing in the middle of the road. Mark Webber and Emmanuelle Chriqui in Paramounts Snow Day. ... This article is about the original Volkswagen Beetle. ...

Controversy

Screenwriter Reed Martin sued Jarmusch in March 2006, claiming that the director stole the film's concept from a very similar script that had circulated among several people eventually involved in the production. The outcome of the case is still pending, and Jarmusch denies the charges. However, Jarmusch told MovieMaker magazine that he believes that "Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration ... And don't bother concealing your thievery – celebrate it if you feel like it."^[2]

Soundtrack

Music from Broken Flowers
Soundtrack by various artists
Released	August 2, 2005
Genre	Jazz, rock, pop, soul, reggae, classical
Length	38:01
Label	Decca
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link

The soundtrack to the film features an eclectic mix of music, chiefly using instrumentals by Ethiopian jazz artist Mulatu Astatke as the main score, mixed with garage rock (The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Greenhornes), stoner metal (Sleep), soul (Marvin Gaye), rocksteady reggae (The Tennors), classical (Gabriel Fauré's Requiem) and easy-listening pop music (Holly Golightly). Image File history File links Brokenflowerssoundtrackalbumcover. ... // In film formats, the sound track is the physical area of the film which records the synchronized sound. ... August 2 is the 214th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (215th in leap years), with 151 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Jazz is a musical art form that originated in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States around the start of the 20th century. ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... For popular forms of music in general, see Popular music. ... For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... Classical music is a term with three distinct meanings: The European tradition of music which is associated with high culture, as distinct from popular or folk forms (including works in this tradition in non-European countries). ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... It has been suggested that Decca Music Group be merged into this article or section. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 3. ... Jazz is a musical art form that originated in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States around the start of the 20th century. ... Mulatu Astatke (var. ... Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that enjoyed its original period of wide success in the United States and Canada, from 1963 to 1967. ... The Brian Jonestown Massacre (frequently abbreviated as BJM or The BJM) is a psychedelic rock band founded in San Francisco, California in the early 1990s, led by Anton Newcombe. ... The Greenhornes are a rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio, featuring Craig Fox on lead vocals and guitar, Jack Lawrence on bass, and Patrick Kealer on drums. ... Stoner music, stoner metal and stoner rock are interchangeable terms describing a sub-genre of rock music. ... Sleep was an influential band from San Jose, California which played a fusion of Stoner metal and Doom metal. ... For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ... Marvin Gaye (born Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. ... Rocksteady is the name given to a style of music popular in Jamaica between 1966 and 1968. ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... Classical music is a term with three distinct meanings: The European tradition of music which is associated with high culture, as distinct from popular or folk forms (including works in this tradition in non-European countries). ... Gabriel Urbain Fauré (May 12, 1845 – November 4, 1924) was a French composer, organist, pianist, and teacher. ... Cover of the vocal score to the Requiem, published by Oxford University Press Gabriel Fauré composed his Requiem in D minor, Op. ... Easy listening music is a style of popular music which emerged in the mid-20th century. ... For popular forms of music in general, see Popular music. ... Holly Golightly (born Holly Golightly Smith) is an English singer-songwriter. ...

Track listing

1. "There Is an End" (Holly Golightly with The Greenhornes) - 3:05
2. "Yegelle Tezeta" (Mulatu Astatke) - 3:14
3. "Ride Yu Donkey" (The Tennors) - 2:03
4. "I Want You" (Marvin Gaye) - 3:57
5. "Yekermo Sew" (Mulatu Astatke) - 4:03
6. "Not if You Were the Last Dandy on Earth" (The Brian Jonestown Massacre) - 2:49
7. "Tell Me Now So I Know" (Holly Golightly) - 2:02
   • Written by Ray Davies
8. "Gubèlyé" (Mulatu Astatke) - 4:35
9. "Dopesmoker" (Sleep) - 3:57
   • Abridged version of 63:31-minute track.
10. Requiem in D minor, Op. 48 ("Pie Jesu") (Oxford Camerata) - 3:30
    • Composed by Gabriel Fauré, fourth of seven-movement work.
11. "Ethanopium" (Dengue Fever) - 4:38
    • Instrumental, composed by Mulatu Astatke
12. "Unnatural Habitat" (The Greenhornes) - 2:08

Holly Golightly (born Holly Golightly Smith) is an English singer-songwriter. ... The Greenhornes are a rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio, featuring Craig Fox on lead vocals and guitar, Jack Lawrence on bass, and Patrick Kealer on drums. ... Mulatu Astatke (var. ... The Tennors were a Jamaican rocksteady and reggae vocal group in the 1960s and 70s. ... I Want You was a 1976 hit for American soul icon Marvin Gaye. ... Marvin Gaye (born Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. ... Give It Back! is an album by The Brian Jonestown Massacre, released in 1997. ... The Brian Jonestown Massacre (frequently abbreviated as BJM or The BJM) is a psychedelic rock band founded in San Francisco, California in the early 1990s, led by Anton Newcombe. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Dopesmoker is an album and song by the stoner metal band Sleep. ... Sleep was an influential band from San Jose, California which played a fusion of Stoner metal and Doom metal. ... Cover of the vocal score to the Requiem, published by Oxford University Press Gabriel Fauré composed his Requiem in D minor, Op. ... Gabriel Urbain Fauré (May 12, 1845 – November 4, 1924) was a French composer, organist, pianist, and teacher. ... Dengue Fever is a six-member band from Los Angeles that combines Cambodian pop music and lyrics with psychedelic rock. ...

Others songs in the film

Several songs in the film but are not on the soundtrack album. They include:

• "Dreams" by The Allman Brothers Band
• "El Bang Bang" by Jackie Mittoo
• "Playboy Cha-Cha" by Mulatu Astatke
• "Mascaram Seteba" by Mulatu Astatke
• "Aire" (Pavan A 5 in C Minor) composed by William Lawes, performed by Fretwork
• "Fantasy" (A 6 in F Major) composed by William Lawes, performed by Fretwork
• "Alone in the Crowd" by Mulatu Astatke

Track listing Dont Want You No More Its Not My Cross To Bear Black Hearted Woman Trouble No More Every Hungry Woman Dreams Whipping Post Personnel Duane Allman: slide guitar and lead guitar Gregg Allman: vocals, organ Dickey Betts: lead guitar, Berry Oakley: bass guitar, backing vocals Butch... The Allman Brothers Band is a band from Macon, Georgia, labeled by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as the principal architects of Southern rock. ... Jackie Mittoo (March 3, 1948–December 16, 1990), born in Browns Town, Saint Ann, Jamaica), was a Jamaican pianist. ... Mulatu Astatke (var. ... Mulatu Astatke (var. ... William Lawes (1602–1645) was an English composer and musician. ... Fretwork is a consort of viols based in England, United Kingdom. ... William Lawes (1602–1645) was an English composer and musician. ... Mulatu Astatke (var. ...

Trivia

• In writing what would be on the pink letter, Jim Jarmusch asked each of the four female leads to write a version of the letter from the point of view of their respective characters, and used an amalgamation of those four letters in the finished film.

• In one scene Don Johnston complains that his friend Winston had hired him a simple Ford Taurus instead of something more formidable, but in several scenes the Chrysler logo can be seen on the back of the automobile, contradicting his earlier statement.

• Bill Murray's son, Homer Murray, plays the young man who appears briefly right near the end of the movie.

• "Sun Green," the name of the florist played by Pell James, is also the name of a female character in Neil Young's album (and stage play of the same name) "Greendale." Director Jim Jarmusch has done a full-length documentary on Neil Young and Neil Young did the entire SoundTrack for Jarmusch's movie "Dead Man."

Amalgamation, meaning to combine or unite into one form, has several uses: In chemistry, mining and dentistry, amalgamation is the blending of mercury with another metal or alloy to produce an amalgam. ... The Ford Taurus is a mid-size, front wheel drive car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in North America. ...

Cast

Don Johnston with Laura (Sharon Stone).

• Bill Murray – Don Johnston
• Jeffrey Wright – Winston
• Sharon Stone – Laura Daniels Miller
• Frances Conroy – Dora Anderson
• Christopher McDonald – Ron Anderson
• Jessica Lange – Dr. Carmen Markowski
• Tilda Swinton – Penny
• Julie Delpy – Sherry
• Alexis Dziena – Lolita Miller
• Chloë Sevigny – Carmen's Assistant
• Pell James – Sun Green
• Mark Webber – The Kid

Image File history File links Broken Flowers File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Broken Flowers File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... William James Bill Murray (b. ... Jeffrey Wright as Jean-Michel Basquiat in the 1996 film Basquiat. ... Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning American actress, producer, and former fashion model. ... Frances Conroy as Ruth Fisher in Six Feet Under. ... Christopher McDonald Christopher McDonald (born February 15, 1955 in New York City, New York, USA) is an American actor. ... Jessica Lange in The Glass Menagerie (2005) Jessica Phyllis Lange (born April 20, 1949 in Cloquet, Minnesota) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American actress. ... Katherine Mathilda Swinton (born November 5, 1960), better known as Tilda Swinton, is a Golden Globe Award-nominated British actress known for both arthouse and mainstream films. ... Julie Delpy at press conference for Before Sunrise at the 1995 Berlinale (photo by Michael Weiner) Julie Delpy (born December 21, 1969) is a French/American actress and Academy Award-nominated screenwriter. ... Alexis Dziena in Invasion. ... Chloë Stevens Sevigny (born November 18, 1974) is an Academy Award and Golden Globe-nominated American actress. ... Pell James (born April 30, 1977) is an American actress. ... Sun Green is the name of a Neil Young song from the Greendale album, and also the name of a character played by Pell James in the 2004 Jim Jarmusch film Broken Flowers. ... Mark Webber and Emmanuelle Chriqui in Paramounts Snow Day. ...

References

1. ^ Homer Murray at Internet Movie Database (retrieved on December 14, 2006).
2. ^ Kahn, Joseph P. July 3, 2006. "Shattered dreams", Boston Globe (retrieved via International Herald Tribune on December 14, 2006).

The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Broken Flowers

• Official site
• Broken Flowers at the Internet Movie Database
• Broken Flowers at Rotten Tomatoes
• Broken Flowers at Box Office Mojo
• Article on Jarmusch and Broken Flowers Alternate Takes