Desperately Seeking Susan Synopsis & Review: Plot Summary

🎯 Quick Overview

😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained

A bored housewife buys a jacket, gets amnesia, becomes Madonna, and then a criminal wants her earrings, because 80s.

🍿 Desperately Seeking Susan: Detailed Plot Synopsis

Bored Housewife Seeks Adventure

Roberta Glass, a bored housewife in suburban New Jersey, is restless in her marriage to Gary. She escapes her mundane life by reading personal ads in the newspaper, particularly those from Jim seeking Susan. Intrigued, Roberta becomes obsessed with this mysterious woman and decides to follow their next rendezvous in New York City.

Mistaken Identity and Amnesia

Roberta witnesses Susan and Jim’s brief meeting in Battery Park. She later buys Susan’s distinctive pyramid jacket at a vintage store. After finding a key in the jacket pocket, Roberta places her own ‘Desperately Seeking Susan’ ad. At the meeting point, she is mistaken for Susan by a man named Nolan, who is after Susan for stealing Egyptian earrings. Roberta hits her head and develops amnesia, further complicating matters.

Living Susan’s Life

With amnesia, Roberta is taken in by Dez, a friend of Jim’s, who believes she is Susan. Roberta unwittingly enters Susan’s world, encountering danger and excitement she never experienced before. She gets a job as a magician’s assistant, further blurring the lines between her old and new identities. All the while, the real Susan is trying to find the woman who has her jacket and her life.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained

🎬 Cast & Characters

• Roberta Glass (Rosanna Arquette): A bored suburban housewife who seeks adventure and finds herself mistaken for the free-spirited Susan, leading to a journey of self-discovery.
• Susan (Madonna): A free-spirited and street-smart drifter who becomes entangled in a web of mistaken identity and criminal pursuit.
• Dez (Aidan Quinn): A kind-hearted movie projectionist and friend of Jim who falls for Roberta, mistaking her for Susan.
• Gary Glass (Mark Blum): Roberta’s oblivious and self-absorbed husband who is more concerned with his business than her emotional needs.
• Wayne Nolan (Will Patton): A dangerous criminal who pursues Susan (and later Roberta) to retrieve stolen Egyptian earrings.
• Jim (Robert Joy): Susan’s boyfriend and a musician who uses personal ads to communicate with her, inadvertently drawing Roberta into their world.

💬 Memorable Quotes

• Leslie: “Oh, go take a Valium… like a normal person!” – Said to Gary when he expresses stress, highlighting her stereotypical suburban mindset.
• Susan: “I forgot my makeup.” – Spoken casually by Susan when she wakes up in a bus station after having slept there.
• Cigarette Girl: “Susan! My God, we all thought you were dead!” – Said by a cigarette girl when she sees Susan, highlighting her mysterious and elusive nature.
• Roberta: “I just wanna stop being invisible.” – Roberta’s explanation to Dez of why she was following Susan.

💰Box Office

• Budget: $4.5M
• Domestic Gross: $27.4M
• Worldwide Gross: $27.4M

💥 Desperately Seeking Susan Reviews

Personal Review

I absolutely love this movie. Rosanna Arquette is fantastic as Roberta, the bored housewife. Madonna, in one of her earliest roles, is effortlessly cool. The whole film is just pure 80s fun. I especially love the scenes set in the Magic Club; they really capture the gritty, vibrant energy of downtown New York at the time. Definitely a must-see for anyone who loves the 80s.

• Who would enjoy:
  • “Fans of 1980s films”
  • “Viewers interested in female-led stories”
  • “Madonna fans”
  • “Those who enjoy quirky comedies with a touch of mystery”
• Content warnings ⚠:
  • “Drug use”
  • “Mild violence”
  • “Suggestive themes”

Professional Reviews

• Indiewire: “Patricia Arquette on ‘Severance’ and David Lynch’s ‘Lost Highway’: I ‘Met My Own Shadow’
• Deadline Film + TV: “Rosanna Arquette, Alexander Skarsgard & Trew Mullen Board Charli XCX-Led Feature ‘The Moment’

Audience Reactions

Rosanna Arquette and Madonna’s performances were amazing.: The film is a stylish and fun time capsule of 1980s New York.

Overall Consensus: A quirky, fun, and stylish 80s film with great performances from Rosanna Arquette and Madonna.

Awards

1. BAFTA Film Award (Best Supporting Actress)- 1986

🛠️ Behind the Scenes

• “Madonna’s role was initially offered to Melanie Griffith.”
• “The film was shot on location in New York City, capturing the vibrant atmosphere of the East Village in the 1980s.”
• “The clothing store where Roberta buys Susan’s jacket, ‘Love Saves the Day’, still exists in the East Village, although it now sells retro toys instead of clothing.”

🖥️ How to Watch Desperately Seeking Susan?

As of October 2024, ‘Desperately Seeking Susan’ is available for rent or purchase on various digital platforms, including Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Vudu. Check your local listings for cable and satellite availability. Physical copies (DVD/Blu-ray) can be purchased through major retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Availability may vary by region.

🎥 Similar Movies

If you enjoyed Desperately Seeking Susan, you might like these similar films:

• Something Wild (1986): Features a similarly transformative journey for a conventional person who gets swept up in the unpredictable world of a free-spirited woman.
• After Hours (1985): Shares the same gritty 1980s New York City setting and a protagonist who gets caught up in a series of increasingly bizarre and surreal events.
• Y Tu Mamá También (2001): Two boys take a road trip with a beautiful older woman and discover unexpected truths about themselves.
• Sliding Doors (1998): Shows two parallel universes based on if the main character made her train or not, leading to different lives.

🛒 Desperately Seeking Susan Related Products

• Desperately Seeking Susan [Blu-ray]: A high-quality Blu-ray edition of the film, perfect for collectors and fans who want to experience the movie in the best possible visual quality. Great for rewatching on movie nights!
• Desperately Seeking Susan – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [Vinyl]: Own a piece of cinematic history with the original soundtrack on vinyl. Featuring 80s hits. The perfect gift for film and music lovers alike.
• 80s Retro Sunglasses: Inspired by the iconic fashion of the 80s. Perfect for adding a touch of retro flair to your style, allowing you to channel your inner Madonna and Rosanna Arquette.
• Desperately Seeking Susan Movie Poster: Add a splash of 80s nostalgia to your room with a vibrant movie poster. High-quality print that captures the spirit of the film. Great for movie lovers and collectors.

🎧 Soundtrack

Desperately Seeking Susan features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:

• “Into the Groove” – performed by Madonna

You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.

🤨 FAQ

🔥 Bonus Content

Madonna – Unauthorized Biography Part 3 – First Album – Desperately Seeking Susan – 1982 to 1985

Ever wonder how Madonna’s early career influenced ‘Desperately Seeking Susan’? This unauthorized bio dives into her first album, marriage, and the movie itself, giving you a peek into the wild ride that made her a star! It’s fascinating to see how it all came together.

CINEMADONNA: “Desperately Seeking Susan”

Want to know if ‘Desperately Seeking Susan’ is *actually* a good movie? Todd in the Shadows breaks down the film with his signature wit and insight. Whether you love it or hate it, his take is definitely worth a watch – it’s pretty spot on!

Madonna Premier of Desperately Seeking Susan (April 1985)

Take a trip back to 1985 and experience the premiere of ‘Desperately Seeking Susan’! This short news clip perfectly captures the vibe of the era. Seriously, the outfits alone make it worth watching!

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