Desperately Seeking Susan
Poster for the film, featuring a photograph by Herb Ritts
Directed by	Susan Seidelman
Produced by	Sarah Pillsbury Midge Sanford
Written by	Leora Barish
Starring	Rosanna Arquette Madonna Aidan Quinn
Music by	Thomas Newman
Cinematography	Edward Lachman
Editing by	Andrew Mondshein
Distributed by	Orion Pictures
Release date(s)	March 29, 1985 U.S. release
Running time	104 min.
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$4,500,000 (estimated)
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Desperately Seeking Susan is a 1985 film directed by Susan Seidelman and starring Rosanna Arquette and Madonna. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (487x755, 59 KB)Desperately Seeking Susan This image is of a movie poster, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the movie or the studio which produced the movie in question. ... ... Susan Seidelman (born December 11, 1952, Philadelphia) is an American movie director. ... Rosanna Lauren Arquette (born August 10, 1959) is a Golden Globe-nominated American actress, film director, and film producer. ... Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16, 1958), better known as simply Madonna, is a six-time Grammy[1] and one-time Golden Globe award winning American pop singer, songwriter, record and film producer, dancer, actress, author and fashion icon. ... Aidan Quinn (born March 8, 1959 Rockford, Illinois, USA) is an Irish-American actor. ... Thomas Montgomery Newman (born October 20, 1955 in Los Angeles, California) is an American film score composer. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... is the 88th day of the year (89th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // Back to the Future, starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson Rambo: First Blood Part II, starring Sylvester Stallone Rocky IV, starring Sylvester Stallone The Color Purple, starring Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover, Oprah Winfrey, Margaret Avery, Rae Dawn Chong, Adolph Caesar Out of Africa, starring Meryl Streep and... // Back to the Future, starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson Rambo: First Blood Part II, starring Sylvester Stallone Rocky IV, starring Sylvester Stallone The Color Purple, starring Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover, Oprah Winfrey, Margaret Avery, Rae Dawn Chong, Adolph Caesar Out of Africa, starring Meryl Streep and... Susan Seidelman (born December 11, 1952, Philadelphia) is an American movie director. ... Rosanna Lauren Arquette (born August 10, 1959) is a Golden Globe-nominated American actress, film director, and film producer. ... Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16, 1958), better known as simply Madonna, is a six-time Grammy[1] and one-time Golden Globe award winning American pop singer, songwriter, record and film producer, dancer, actress, author and fashion icon. ...

Arquette plays Roberta, a bored suburban housewife living in Fort Lee, New Jersey who is fascinated with a woman she only knows about by reading messages to and from her in the personals section of a New York City tabloid. This fascination reaches a peak when one such ad with the headline "Desperately Seeking Susan" proposes a rendezvous in Battery Park with the man who seeks her. Roberta goes to Battery Park too, and gets a glimpse of the woman, played by Madonna, whose life so fascinates her. In a series of events involving mistaken identity, amnesia, and other farcical elements Roberta goes from voyeur to participant in an Alice in Wonderland-style plot, ostensibly motivated by the search for a pair of stolen earrings. Illustration of the backyards of a surburban neighbourhood Suburbs are inhabited districts located either on the outer rim of a city or outside the official limits of a city (the term varies from country to country), or the outer elements of a conurbation. ... Map highlighting Fort Lees location within Bergen County. ... A personal or personal ad is an item or notice traditionally in the newspaper, similar to a classified ad but personal in nature. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Battery Park (to New Yorkers, The Battery) is a 21-acre (8. ... Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16, 1958), better known as simply Madonna, is a six-time Grammy[1] and one-time Golden Globe award winning American pop singer, songwriter, record and film producer, dancer, actress, author and fashion icon. ... Mistaken Identity may refer to albums: Mistaken Identity (Kim Carnes album) Mistaken Identity (Delta Goodrem album) This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... For other uses, see Amnesia (disambiguation). ... Look up farce in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... “Alice in Wonderland” redirects here. ... A MacGuffin (sometimes McGuffin or Maguffin) is a plot device that motivates the characters and/or advances the story, but has little other relevance to the story. ...

The film captures the feel of the underground Bohemian/New Wave scene of the early to mid-1980s New York City, a scene that in real life helped Madonna get her big break in the music business. Bold text New Wave in the late 1970s and early 1980s was inspired by the punk rock. ...

Madonna's role in the film remains one of her most acclaimed along with Evita.^{[citation needed]} Evita is the movie adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webbers stage musical Evita, based on the life of Argentinas Eva Perón. ...

Her song "Into the Groove" was a huge success but strangely was not included on the film's soundtrack. The music video for "Into the Groove" is entirely composed of clips from the film.

Stage musical

The film has been developed into a theatrical musical which will receive its world premiere at London's Novello Theatre on 15 November 2007, following previews from 16 October 2007. It features music and lyrics by Blondie and Deborah Harry with book and concept by Peter Michael Marino, direction from Angus Jackson, sets and costumes by Tim Hatley. The Novello Theatre is a theatre on Aldwych in the West End of London. ... Blondie is the name of an American rock band that first gained fame in the late 1970s and early 1980s. ... Debbie Harry on the cover of her collection Most of All: Best Of Deborah Harry (born July 1, 1945) is a Miami-born American rock and roll musician who originally gained fame as the frontwoman for New Wave band Blondie, which originated in the late 1970s and achieved commercial success...

Produced by Susan Gallin, Ron Kastner, Mark Rubinstein and Old Vic productions, the musical will star Emma Williams as Susan and Kelly Price as Roberta. The Old Vic is a theatre in the Waterloo area of London. ... Emma T.R. Williams Vyssotsky was an American astronomer. ...

The producers planned to have Madonna attend the opening night as a tribute for her role as Susan.

Awards

Arquette won a BAFTA Award for her portrayal of Roberta; the fact that the award was for a "supporting role" reflected the surge in popularity that Madonna was experiencing at the time, since in terms of billing, number of scenes, lines of dialog, and plot, Arquette was actually the film's star. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), is a British organization that hosts annual awards shows for film, television, childrens film and television, and interactive media. ...

Golden Globe Nominee - Best Actress (Comedy/Musical) - Rosanna Arquette. The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and television programs, given out each year during a formal dinner. ... Rosanna Lauren Arquette (born August 10, 1959) is a Golden Globe-nominated American actress, film director, and film producer. ...

The film also received a nomination for a César Award for Best Foreign Film. César Award for Best Foreign Film: 1976: Scent of a Woman (Italy), directed by Dino Risi 1977: We All Loved Each Other So Much (Italy), directed by Ettore Scola 1978: A Special Day (Italy), directed by Ettore Scola 1979: The Tree with the Wooden Clogs (Italy), directed by Ermanno...

The New York Times critic Vincent Canby named the film as one of the 10 best films of 1985 [1]. The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. ... Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – September 15, 2000) was an American film critic. ...

Trivia

• The Statue of Liberty can be seen in the film when it is still covered in scaffolding during its two year renovation.
• The poster for the film features a photograph by Herb Ritts.
• Madonna recorded a song for the movie, titled "Desperately Seeking Susan". It ended up not being used in the film, and a demo she just finished at the time called "Into the Groove" was used instead. The demo version can only be heard in the movie.
• The DVD commentary track for the film (recorded in 1996) noted that after Madonna's first screen test, the producers asked her to take four weeks of acting lessons and get screen-tested again. Although the second screen test wasn't much of an improvement, the director still wanted her for the role, as much for her presence and sense of style as for anything else.
• Some of the scenes were filmed in Danceteria, a club that Madonna frequented and which gave her a start in the music business.
• Susan's last name is Dexter.
• Ellen Barkin was almost cast as Susan.
• Costume designer Santo Loquasto designed Susan's pyramid jacket.
• The film was inspired in part by the 1974 film Céline et Julie vont en bateau (Céline and Julie Go Boating).
• The film also has an alternative ending, where the duo, Susan and Roberta, are invited to Egypt after helping to return the earrings. They are depicted next to the pyramids on camels. The director cut this scene from the end saying that it was unnecessary and audiences at the test screenings thought the film should have already ended much earlier.
• The 1964 sci-fi movie The Time Travelers is playing in scenes 6 and 23 (melts at the end of the movie).
• The movie was originally filmed in the summer of 1984 (When Madonna was still just an up and coming star.) and was intended to be an R rated feature. However after Madonna had the smash hits in the fall and winter of 1984/85 with Like a Virgin and Material Girl the film was trimmed in content by Orion Pictures in order to receive a PG-13 rating in order for Madonna's teenage fanbase to be able to see it.
• A line in the film rather accurately dates it: "take a Valium like a normal person": the film was issued towards the end of Valium's popularity as it was found to be addictive.
• The interior / exterior shots of The Magic Club were filmed in Harlem.
• A live theatrical version of the film is due to open in late 2007.

For other monuments to freedom, see Monument of Liberty. ... ... The Danceteria was a notable nightclub located in New York City which operated from 1982 until 1986. ... Céline et Julie vont en bateau (Celine and Julie Go Boating) is a 1974 movie directed by Jacques Rivette. ... The Time Travelers is a 1964 science fiction film by B-movie director Ib Melchior that inspired the 1966 TV series The Time Tunnel. ... Like a Virgin is the second studio album by singer Madonna. ... Audio sample Material Girl is a song written by Peter Brown and Robert Rans for American singer Madonnas second album, Like a Virgin. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Cast

For other uses, see Actor (disambiguation). ... The term role in the performing arts is usually taken to mean an actors interpretation of a fictional character written in a script that culminates in a unique performance of that character. ... Rosanna Lauren Arquette (born August 10, 1959) is a Golden Globe-nominated American actress, film director, and film producer. ... Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16, 1958), better known as simply Madonna, is a six-time Grammy[1] and one-time Golden Globe award winning American pop singer, songwriter, record and film producer, dancer, actress, author and fashion icon. ... Aidan Quinn (born March 8, 1959 Rockford, Illinois, USA) is an Irish-American actor. ... Robert Joy (born August 17, 1951, Montréal, Québec) is a Canadian actor. ... Lauren Laurie Ophelia Metcalf (born June 16, 1955) is an Emmy Award-winning American actress. ... The actress, Anna Levine, was a cast member of The Tracey Ullman Show, she played himself and other various characters. ... Will Patton (born June 14, 1954) is an American actor. ... f u ... John Michael Turturro (born February 28, 1957) is an Emmy Award-winning American actor noted for his performances in To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), The Color of Money (1986), Five Corners (1987), Men of Respect (1991), Monday Night Mayhem (1999), Secret Window (2004), The Bronx is Burning... Anne Carlisle (born 1956) is an actress, performance artist, acting teacher, and model. ... Giancarlo Esposito (b. ... Richard Hell (born October 2, 1949) is the stage name of Richard Meyers, an American singer, songwriter, bass guitarist and writer. ... Ann Magnuson (January 4, 1956) is an American actress, performance artist, and nightclub performer who first gained prominence in the 1985 film Desperately Seeking Susan. ...

Soundtrack and music video

Madonna recorded a song for the movie, titled "Desperately Seeking Susan". It ended up not being used in the film, and a demo she just finished at the time called "Into the Groove" was used instead. The demo version can only be heard in the movie. The song was a huge commercial success but was not included on the film's soundtrack, despite being heard in the film. Like a Virgin (non-US release) track listing Love Dont Live Here Anymore (5) Into the Groove (6) Dress You Up (7) You Can Dance track listing Over and Over (5) Into the Groove (6) Wheres the Party (7) The Immaculate Collection track listing Crazy for You (6...

The music video for "Into the Groove" consists of clips from the film compiled by Doug Dowdle of Parallax Productions.

Awards

Arquette won a BAFTA Award for her portrayal of Roberta; the fact that the award was for a "supporting role" reflected the surge in popularity that Madonna was experiencing at the time, since in terms of billing, number of scenes, lines of dialog, and plot, Arquette was actually the film's star. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), is a British organization that hosts annual awards shows for film, television, childrens film and television, and interactive media. ...

Rosanna Arquette was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical. Rosanna Lauren Arquette (born August 10, 1959) is a Golden Globe-nominated American actress, film director, and film producer. ... The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and television programs, given out each year during a formal dinner. ...

The film also received a nomination for a César Award for Best Foreign Film. César Award for Best Foreign Film: 1976: Scent of a Woman (Italy), directed by Dino Risi 1977: We All Loved Each Other So Much (Italy), directed by Ettore Scola 1978: A Special Day (Italy), directed by Ettore Scola 1979: The Tree with the Wooden Clogs (Italy), directed by Ermanno...

The New York Times film critic Vincent Canby named the film as one of the 10 best films of 1985. ^[1] The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. ... Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – September 15, 2000) was an American film critic. ...

Stage musical

The film has been developed into a theatrical musical which will receive its world premiere at London's Novello Theatre on 15 November 2007, following previews from 12 October 2007. It features music and lyrics by Blondie and Deborah Harry with direction from Angus Jackson, book and concept by Peter Michael Marino, and sets and costumes by Tim Hatley. The Novello Theatre is a theatre on Aldwych in the West End of London. ... Blondie is the name of an American rock band that first gained fame in the late 1970s and early 1980s. ... Debbie Harry on the cover of her collection Most of All: Best Of Deborah Harry (born July 1, 1945) is a Miami-born American rock and roll musician who originally gained fame as the frontwoman for New Wave band Blondie, which originated in the late 1970s and achieved commercial success...

Produced by Susan Gallin, Ron Kastner, Mark Rubinstein and Old Vic productions, the musical will star Emma Williams as Susan and Kelly Price as Roberta. The Old Vic is a theatre in the Waterloo area of London. ... Emma T.R. Williams Vyssotsky was an American astronomer. ...

The producers planned to have Madonna attend the opening night as a tribute for her role as Susan.

References

1. ^ [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070816/ANSWERMAN/70817006/1023 Ebert, Roger; Movie Answer Man; rogerebert.suntimes.com; August 16, 2007.

is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

External links

• Desperately Seeking Susan at the Internet Movie Database
• Desperately Seeking Susan - The Musical