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| language = English
| language = English
| budget = $5 million<ref name="Quart">{{harvnb|Quart|1989|p=65}}</ref>
| budget = $5 million<ref name="Quart">{{harvnb|Quart|1989|p=65}}</ref>
| gross = $27.3 million <small>(US)</small><ref name=boxoffice>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=desperatelyseekingsusan.htm |title=Desperately Seeking Susan |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=February 4, 2015}}</ref>
| gross = $99.3 million <small></small><ref name=boxoffice>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=desperatelyseekingsusan.htm |title=Desperately Seeking Susan |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=February 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}
}}


'''''Desperately Seeking Susan''''' is a 1985 American [[comedy-drama]] film directed by [[Susan Seidelman]] and starring [[Rosanna Arquette]], [[Aidan Quinn]] and [[Madonna]]. Set in New York City, the 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.
'''''Desperately Seeking Susan''''' is a 1985 American [[comedy-drama]] film directed by [[Susan Seidelman]] and starring [[Rosanna Arquette]], [[Aidan Quinn]] and [[Madonna]]. Set in New York City, the 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 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]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=March 1985: Madonna Goes Hollywood with 'Desperately Seeking Susan' |url=https://totally80s.com/article/march-1985-madonna-goes-hollywood-desperately-seeking-susan |access-date=2022-10-10 |website=Totally 80's}}</ref> ''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.<ref name="Rettenmund"/> The film received predominantly positive reviews,<ref name="Rettenmund">{{harvnb|Rettenmund|1995|p=48}}</ref> and both Arquette and Madonna's acting were critically acclaimed.<ref name="King">{{harvnb|King|1991|p=99}}</ref>
The screenplay was written by Leora Barish, and is said to have been given an uncredited rewrite by [[Craig Bolotin]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=March 1985: Madonna Goes Hollywood with 'Desperately Seeking Susan' |url=https://totally80s.com/article/march-1985-madonna-goes-hollywood-desperately-seeking-susan |access-date=2022-10-10 |website=Totally 80's}}</ref> ''Desperately Seeking Susan'' was a commercial success and ended as the 31st highest grossing film of the year grossing $55.3 million in the United States.<ref name="Rettenmund"/> The film received predominantly positive reviews,<ref name="Rettenmund">{{harvnb|Rettenmund|1995|p=48}}</ref> and both Arquette's and Madonna's acting were critically acclaimed.<ref name="King">{{harvnb|King|1991|p=99}}</ref>


''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 [[Madonna wannabe|early style]]. The film was also noted as a representation of [[yuppie]] culture and [[Feminist film|feminism]]. Some critics labeled ''Desperately Seeking Susan'' as one of the best US 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.
''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 [[Madonna wannabe|early style]]. The film was also noted as a representation of [[yuppie]] culture and [[Feminist film|feminism]]. Some critics labeled ''Desperately Seeking Susan'' as one of the best US 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".<ref name="NFR"/>

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".<ref name="NFR"/>


== Plot ==
== Plot ==
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summary should be between 400 to 700 words. -->
⚫
Roberta Glass, an unfulfilled housewife from [[Fort Lee, New Jersey]], is fascinated by the messages between lovers Susan Thomas and Jim Dandy in the [[Personal advertisement|personals section]] of a [[New York City]] tabloid. She's particularly drawn to a section from Jim with the headline "Desperately Seeking Susan," which seeks a rendezvous in [[The Battery (Manhattan)|Battery Park]]. Meanwhile, in an [[Atlantic City, New Jersey|Atlantic City]] hotel, the itinerant Susan reads the section after a tryst with mobster Bruce Meeker. She steals a pair of ornate Egyptian earrings from his coat before departing. The sinister Wayne Nolan notices Susan's embellished tuxedo jacket as she leaves. Arriving in New York City, Susan dons one of the earrings and stashes the other in her suitcase in a [[Port Authority of New York and New Jersey|Port Authority]] locker. She asks to stay with her friend Crystal, a magician's assistant at the Magic Club, and learns that Meeker was killed at the hotel.
Roberta Glass, an unfulfilled housewife from [[Fort Lee, New Jersey]], is fascinated by the messages between lovers Susan Thomas and Jim Dandy in the [[Personal advertisement|personals section]] of a New York City tabloid. She is particularly drawn to Jim's ad for Susan with the headline "Desperately Seeking Susan", which proposes a rendezvous in [[The Battery (Manhattan)|Battery Park]].

⚫
Meanwhile, in an [[Atlantic City, New Jersey|Atlantic City]] hotel, the itinerant Susan reads the section after a tryst with mobster Bruce Meeker. She steals a pair of ornate Egyptian earrings from his coat before departing. The sinister Wayne Nolan notices Susan's embellished tuxedo jacket as she leaves. Arriving in New York City, Susan dons one of the earrings and stashes the other in her suitcase in a [[Port Authority of New York and New Jersey|Port Authority]] locker. She asks to stay with her friend Crystal, a magician's assistant at the Magic Club, and learns that Meeker was killed at the hotel.


Hoping to spot the lovers, Roberta goes to Battery Park and sees Jim reunite with Susan before leaving with his band for [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]]. Later, Roberta follows Susan to a vintage store and watches her trade in her jacket before losing sight of her. Roberta buys the jacket and finds Susan's locker key in its pocket. She posts another "Desperately Seeking Susan" column to meet with Susan and return the key. Meanwhile, Jim becomes concerned about the column and Susan's connection to Meeker's death. He asks his best friend Dez to check on her.
Hoping to spot the lovers, Roberta goes to Battery Park and sees Jim reunite with Susan before leaving with his band for [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]]. Later, she follows Susan to a vintage store and watches her trade in her jacket before losing sight of her. Roberta buys the jacket and finds Susan's locker key in its pocket. She posts another "Desperately Seeking Susan" column to meet with Susan and return the key. Meanwhile, Jim becomes concerned about the column and Susan's connection to Meeker's death. He asks his best friend Dez to check on her.


Waiting for Susan at Battery Park and wearing her jacket, Roberta is accosted by Nolan, who mistakes her for Susan because she's blonde and wearing the distinctive jacket. Susan spots Roberta, but can't reach her as police chase her for not paying her taxicab fare. Dez arrives on a moped and rescues Roberta, who falls and hits her head, causing her to lose her memory and her bag. Dez believes she is Susan and finds the locker key, taking her to the Port Authority to collect Susan's suitcase. There, Roberta finds the other earring, and Dez offers her to stay at his apartment for one night.
Waiting for Susan at Battery Park and wearing her jacket, Roberta is accosted by Nolan, who mistakes her for Susan as she is blonde and wearing the distinctive jacket. Susan spots Roberta, but cannot reach her as police detain her for not paying her taxi fare. Dez arrives on a moped and rescues Roberta, who falls and hits her head, causing her to lose her memory and her bag. He believes she is Susan and finds the locker key, taking her to the Port Authority to collect Susan's suitcase. There, Roberta finds the other earring, and Dez offers the couch at his apartment for one night. When they arrive, they find Dez's ex-girlfriend, Victoria, and her new partner taking most of the apartment items, leaving him with practically nothing, including no couch.


Believing that she must be Susan, Roberta retraces Susan's steps with Nolan in pursuit. She eventually arrives at the Magic Club, narrowly missing Susan who has been released from jail and discovered that her suitcase is gone. Roberta is then hired as Crystal's replacement. After Roberta's disastrous first performance, Nolan attacks her, demanding the earrings. He manages to escape as the police arrive. Roberta hits her head again, but this time, she regains her memory. Unfortunately, she's mistaken for a prostitute and arrested.
Believing she is Susan, Roberta retraces Susan's steps with Nolan in pursuit. She and Dez attempt to have breakfast at a diner where the jacket she is wearing gets her recognized as Susan. She and Dez are physically ejected from the diner, but Nolan picks up a postcard for the Magic Club she drops. Roberta eventually arrives at the Magic Club, narrowly missing Susan who has been released from jail and discovered her suitcase is gone. Roberta is then hired as Crystal's replacement. After her disastrous first performance, Nolan attacks her, demanding the earrings. He escapes as the police arrive. Roberta hits her head again, this time regaining her memory. However, she is mistaken for a prostitute and arrested.


Meanwhile, Gary, Roberta's husband who is revealed to be in the midst of a casual affair, searches for her. He finds his way to the vintage store and is put in touch with Susan. She believes that Roberta and Dez are connected to Meeker's death and want to frame her. Susan arranges to meet Gary at a dance club and accompanies him home where they get high. Roberta calls from jail, but hangs up when Susan and Gary answer. After calling Dez to bail her out, they discover that his apartment has been ransacked by Nolan. Roberta and Dez end up sleeping together.
Meanwhile, Roberta's husband Gary, who is revealed to be in the midst of a casual affair, searches for her. He finds his way to the vintage store and is given Susan's number. She believes that Roberta and Dez are connected to Meeker's death and want to frame her. Susan arranges to meet Gary at a nightclub and accompanies him home, where they get high. Roberta calls from jail, but hangs up when Susan and Gary answer. After calling Dez to bail her out, they discover his apartment has been ransacked by Nolan. Roberta and Dez end up sleeping together, with Dez believing he is sleeping with his best friend's girl.


At Gary's house, Susan sees a television report about Meeker and Nolan stealing the earrings, which once belonged to [[Nefertiti]]. She realizes the truth from Roberta's diary and posts a column to meet her at the Magic Club. Dez attacks an intruder in his apartment who turns out to be Jim. He confesses to his relationship with "Susan" as Roberta slips away. She reads the column, as do Jim and Dez. They arrive at the Magic Club along with Gary, his sister Leslie, and Nolan. During her act, Roberta recognizes Nolan, who escapes backstage. Dez leaves as Roberta tries to explain the events of her disappearance to Gary, finally voicing her unhappiness and ending their marriage. Nolan threatens Susan at gunpoint, but is knocked out by Roberta. There, Roberta and Susan finally meet each other for the first time.
At Gary's house, Susan sees a television report about Meeker and Nolan stealing the earrings, which once belonged to [[Nefertiti]]. She realizes the truth about Roberta from her diary and posts a column to meet her at the Magic Club. Dez attacks an intruder in his apartment who turns out to be Jim. He confesses to his relationship with "Susan" as Roberta slips away. She reads the column, as do Jim and Dez. They arrive at the Magic Club along with Gary, his sister Leslie, and Nolan.


Later, Roberta finds Dez in a projection booth at the movie theater where he works. She introduces herself once again, and they kiss as Jim and Susan reunite in the theater below. In the closing frames, Roberta and Susan are celebrated as heroes in the newspaper and credited with returning the stolen earrings.
During her act, Roberta recognizes Nolan, who escapes backstage. Dez leaves as Roberta tries to explain the events of her disappearance to Gary, finally voicing her unhappiness and ending their marriage. Nolan threatens Susan at gunpoint, but is knocked out by Roberta. Roberta and Susan finally meet each other for the first time. Later, Roberta finds Dez in his projection booth at the movie theater where he works. She introduces herself properly, and they kiss as Jim and Susan watch the film below. Roberta and Susan are celebrated as heroes in the newspaper, credited with returning the stolen earrings.


== Cast ==
== Cast ==
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== Production ==
== Production ==
[[Orion Pictures|Orion]] chairman [[Mike Medavoy]] initially campaigned for [[Barbra Streisand|Barbara Streisand]] to play the title role.<ref name=Yahoo>{{Cite web |date=March 27, 2015 |title=Desperately Seeking Susan' Turns 30: An Oral History of the Downtown Classic |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/desperately-seeking-susan-turns-30-an-oral-114699999372.html |publisher=Yahoo!}}</ref> The filmmakers initially wanted [[Diane Keaton]] and [[Goldie Hawn]] to play Roberta and Susan, but the director decided to cast newcomers Arquette and Madonna instead and the studio wanted the movie to have younger actors in order to appeal to younger filmgoers. [[Bruce Willis]] was up for the role of Dez and [[Melanie Griffith]] was up for the role of Susan.<ref name="MentalFloss"/> Madonna obtained the role over [[Ellen Barkin]] and [[Jennifer Jason Leigh]]. [[Suzanne Vega]] also auditioned for the role.<ref name="CashBox">{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1985/CB-1985-04-20.pdf|title=Madonna Launches Second Career In"Desperately Seeking Susan''|magazine=[[Cash Box (magazine)|Cash Box]]|access-date=September 17, 2023|date=April 20, 1985|pages=21, 39}}</ref>
[[Orion Pictures|Orion]] chairman [[Mike Medavoy]] initially campaigned for [[Barbra Streisand]] to play the title role.<ref name=Yahoo>{{Cite web |date=March 27, 2015 |title=Desperately Seeking Susan' Turns 30: An Oral History of the Downtown Classic |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/desperately-seeking-susan-turns-30-an-oral-114699999372.html |publisher=Yahoo!}}</ref> The filmmakers initially wanted [[Diane Keaton]] and [[Goldie Hawn]] to play Roberta and Susan, but the director decided to cast newcomers Arquette and Madonna instead and the studio wanted the movie to have younger actors in order to appeal to younger filmgoers. [[Bruce Willis]] was up for the role of Dez and [[Melanie Griffith]] was up for the role of Susan.<ref name="MentalFloss"/> Madonna obtained the role over [[Ellen Barkin]] and [[Jennifer Jason Leigh]]. [[Suzanne Vega]] also auditioned for the role.<ref name="CashBox">{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1985/CB-1985-04-20.pdf|title=Madonna Launches Second Career In ''Desperately Seeking Susan''|magazine=[[Cash Box (magazine)|Cash Box]]|access-date=September 17, 2023|date=April 20, 1985|pages=21, 39}}</ref> The [[Statue of Liberty]] can be seen in the movie when it was still covered in scaffolding during its two-year renovation. Costume designer [[Santo Loquasto]] designed Susan's distinctive jacket (supposedly first worn by [[Jimi Hendrix]]), basis of the plot of mistaken identity.


⚫
The movie was inspired in part by the movie ''[[Celine and Julie Go Boating|Céline et Julie vont en bateau]]'' (''Céline and Julie Go Boating'') (1974).<ref name="Austin">{{harvnb|Austin|1996|p=64}}</ref> It also has an alternate ending included on the DVD, in which Susan and Roberta are invited to Egypt after helping return the earrings. They are depicted next to the [[Egyptian pyramids|pyramids]] on camels. Seidelman cut this scene, saying that it was unnecessary and audiences at the test screenings thought the film should have already ended much earlier (as explained on the DVD). The science fiction film ''[[The Time Travelers (1964 film)|The Time Travelers]]'' (1964) is playing in scenes 6 and 23 (melts at the movie's ending). All the scenes featuring Dez working as a projectionist were filmed at [[Bleecker Street Cinema]]. The scene with Roberta and Gary in their kitchen shows Roberta watching [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s ''[[Rebecca (1940 film)|Rebecca]]'' (1940). The interior and exterior shots of The Magic Club were filmed at the [[Audubon Ballroom]] in Washington Heights.<ref>{{cite AV media |last1=Peyser|first1=Michael|title=Desperately Seeking Susan 25: Sarah Pillsbury & Michael Peyser on the Magic Club|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIglclqwVm0 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309062048/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIglclqwVm0 |archive-date=2016-03-09 |url-status=dead|publisher=[[YouTube]]|date=September 24, 2010}}</ref> Some scenes were filmed at [[Danceteria]], a club that Madonna frequented and which gave her a start in the music business. Separated-at-birth triplets [[Three Identical Strangers|Robert Shafran, Eddy Galland and David Kellman]] have a cameo role, reportedly at Madonna's personal invitation.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Stewart|first1=Sara|title=These Triplets Were Separated at Birth for a Sick Scientific Experiment|url=https://nypost.com/2018/01/23/these-triplets-were-separated-at-birth-for-a-sick-scientific-experiment/|newspaper=[[New York Post]]|date=January 23, 2018}}</ref>
The [[Statue of Liberty]] can be seen in the movie when it was still covered in scaffolding during its two-year renovation. Costume designer [[Santo Loquasto]] designed Susan's distinctive jacket (supposedly first worn by [[Jimi Hendrix]]), basis of the plot of mistaken identity.

⚫
The movie was inspired in part by the movie ''[[Celine and Julie Go Boating|Céline et Julie vont en bateau]]'' (''Céline and Julie Go Boating'') (1974).<ref name="Austin">{{harvnb|Austin|1996|p=64}}</ref> It also has an alternate ending included on the DVD, in which Susan and Roberta are invited to Egypt after helping return the earrings. They are depicted next to the [[Egyptian pyramids|pyramids]] on camels. Seidelman cut this scene, saying that it was unnecessary and audiences at the test screenings thought the film should have already ended much earlier (as explained on the DVD). The science fiction film ''[[The Time Travelers (1964 film)|The Time Travelers]]'' (1964) is playing in scenes 6 and 23 (melts at the movie's ending). All the scenes featuring Dez working as a projectionist were filmed at [[Bleecker Street Cinema]]. The scene with Roberta and Gary in their kitchen shows Roberta watching [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s ''[[Rebecca (1940 film)|Rebecca]]'' (1940).

The interior and exterior shots of The Magic Club were filmed at the [[Audubon Ballroom]] in Washington Heights.<ref>{{cite AV media |last1=Peyser|first1=Michael|title=Desperately Seeking Susan 25: Sarah Pillsbury & Michael Peyser on the Magic Club|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIglclqwVm0 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309062048/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIglclqwVm0 |archive-date=2016-03-09 |url-status=dead|publisher=[[YouTube]]|date=September 24, 2010}}</ref> Some scenes were filmed at [[Danceteria]], a club that Madonna frequented and which gave her a start in the music business.

Separated-at-birth triplets [[Three Identical Strangers|Robert Shafran, Eddy Galland and David Kellman]] have a cameo role, reportedly at Madonna's personal invitation.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Stewart|first1=Sara|title=These Triplets Were Separated at Birth for a Sick Scientific Experiment|url=https://nypost.com/2018/01/23/these-triplets-were-separated-at-birth-for-a-sick-scientific-experiment/|newspaper=[[New York Post]]|date=January 23, 2018}}</ref>


== Soundtrack ==
== Soundtrack ==
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The soundtrack, composed by [[Thomas Newman]], was released on both vinyl and CD together with the soundtrack to another Seidelman film, ''[[Making Mr. Right]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Thomas-Newman-Chaz-Jankel-Desperately-Seeking-Susan-Making-Mr-Right-The-Films-Of-Susan-Seidelman-Ori/release/11691870|website=Discogs|title= Thomas Newman / Chaz Jankel* – Desperately Seeking Susan / Making Mr. Right (The Films of Susan Seidelman: Original Motion Picture Soundtracks) }}</ref> The soundtrack does not feature any of the other songs in the film. The film captures the feel of the underground Bohemian/[[New wave music|new wave]] scene of the early to mid-1980s New York City, a scene that helped Madonna get her big break in the music business.
The soundtrack, composed by [[Thomas Newman]], was released on both vinyl and CD together with the soundtrack to another Seidelman film, ''[[Making Mr. Right]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Thomas-Newman-Chaz-Jankel-Desperately-Seeking-Susan-Making-Mr-Right-The-Films-Of-Susan-Seidelman-Ori/release/11691870|website=Discogs|title= Thomas Newman / Chaz Jankel* – Desperately Seeking Susan / Making Mr. Right (The Films of Susan Seidelman: Original Motion Picture Soundtracks) }}</ref> The soundtrack does not feature any of the other songs in the film. The film captures the feel of the underground Bohemian/[[New wave music|new wave]] scene of the early to mid-1980s New York City, a scene that helped Madonna get her big break in the music business.


Madonna recorded a song for the movie, titled "Desperately Seeking Susan". It ended up not being used in the film, and a demo she had just finished, "[[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 due to licensing restrictions that prohibited Madonna's songs from being mixed in with those of other artists.{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}} In some territories, it was included on a 1985 reissue of ''[[Like a Virgin (album)|Like a Virgin]]'', but in the United States it was only released as a [[double A-side]] 12″ single with "[[Angel (Madonna song)|Angel]]". The song's music video consists of clips from the film, edited by Doug Dowdle of Parallax Productions.
Madonna recorded a song for the movie, titled "Desperately Seeking Susan". It ended up not being used in the film, and a demo she had just finished, "[[Into the Groove]]", was used instead. Only the demo version can be heard in the movie. The song was a huge commercial success. In some territories, it was included on a 1985 reissue of ''[[Like a Virgin (album)|Like a Virgin]]'', but in the United States it was only released as a [[double A-side]] 12″ single with "[[Angel (Madonna song)|Angel]]". The song's music video consists of clips from the film, edited by Doug Dowdle of Parallax Productions.


{{track listing
{{track listing
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The film was released on March 29, 1985 in the United States, and grossed $1,526,098 in its first weekend. It was a commercial success of its time,<ref>{{cite web|title=Desperately Seeking Susan and She-Devil: absurd 80s comedies ripe for redemption|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/apr/28/desperately-seeking-susan-and-she-devil-absurd-80s-comedies-ripe-for-redemption|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=April 28, 2020|access-date=March 7, 2023|first=Isabella|last=Trimboli}}</ref> making $27,398,584 in the United States.<ref name=boxoffice/> The film was released on September 6, 1985 in the United Kingdom, and grossed £1,175,133 in its first weekend. Its total gross in the United Kingdom was £2,331,907.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Desperately Seeking Susan |url=https://www.saltypopcorn.co.uk/movies/desperately_seeking_susan |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225185106/https://www.saltypopcorn.co.uk/movies/desperately_seeking_susan |archive-date=February 25, 2021 |website=Saltypopcorn.co.uk}}</ref> It also became the most successful Orion Pictures film in Europe at that point.<ref name="Orion">{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1985/BB-1985-10-12.pdf|title=Videlips Help WEA Push: 'Madonna Month' in Europe|magazine=Billboard|date=October 12, 1985|access-date=April 28, 2022|volume=97|number=41|page=9}}</ref>
The film was released on March 29, 1985 in the United States, and grossed $1,526,098 in its first weekend. It was a commercial success of its time,<ref>{{cite web|title=Desperately Seeking Susan and She-Devil: absurd 80s comedies ripe for redemption|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/apr/28/desperately-seeking-susan-and-she-devil-absurd-80s-comedies-ripe-for-redemption|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=April 28, 2020|access-date=March 7, 2023|first=Isabella|last=Trimboli}}</ref> making $27,398,584 in the United States.<ref name=boxoffice/> The film was released on September 6, 1985 in the United Kingdom, and grossed £1,175,133 in its first weekend. Its total gross in the United Kingdom was £2,331,907.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Desperately Seeking Susan |url=https://www.saltypopcorn.co.uk/movies/desperately_seeking_susan |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225185106/https://www.saltypopcorn.co.uk/movies/desperately_seeking_susan |archive-date=February 25, 2021 |website=Saltypopcorn.co.uk}}</ref> It also became the most successful Orion Pictures film in Europe at that point.<ref name="Orion">{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1985/BB-1985-10-12.pdf|title=Videlips Help WEA Push: 'Madonna Month' in Europe|magazine=Billboard|date=October 12, 1985|access-date=April 28, 2022|volume=97|number=41|page=9}}</ref>


===Critical reception ===
=== Critical reception ===


''Desperately Seeking Susan'' garnered mostly critical acclaim from film critics.<ref name="Morton">{{harvnb|Morton|2008|p=80}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2007/BB-2007-10-13.pdf#page=38|title=Power Players: Madonna|magazine=Billboard|date=October 13, 2007|page=38|access-date=September 17, 2023}}</ref> {{Rotten Tomatoes prose|84|6.7|33|''Desperately Seeking Susan'' works with its fairy tale depiction of New York and the fun, frothy chemistry generated by its two leads.|access-date={{RT data|access date}}}} <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/desperately_seeking_susan |title=''Desperately Seeking Susan'' |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[Fandango Media]] |location=San Francisco, California |access-date=August 29, 2021 }}</ref> On [[Metacritic]] it has a score of 71% based on reviews from 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web |title=Desperately Seeking Susan |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/desperately-seeking-susan |publisher=[[Metacritic]] }}</ref>
''Desperately Seeking Susan'' garnered mostly critical acclaim from film critics.<ref name="Morton">{{harvnb|Morton|2008|p=80}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2007/BB-2007-10-13.pdf#page=38|title=Power Players: Madonna|magazine=Billboard|date=October 13, 2007|page=38|access-date=September 17, 2023}}</ref> {{Rotten Tomatoes prose|86|6.8|35|''Desperately Seeking Susan'' works with its fairy tale depiction of New York and the fun, frothy chemistry generated by its two leads.|access-date={{RT data|access date}}}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/desperately_seeking_susan |title=''Desperately Seeking Susan'' |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[Fandango Media]] |location=San Francisco, California |access-date=September 5, 2024}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]] it has a score of 71% based on reviews from 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web |title=Desperately Seeking Susan |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/desperately-seeking-susan |publisher=[[Metacritic]] }}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] of ''The Chicago Sun Times'' gave the film three stars out of a possible four, saying it was essentially a [[screwball comedy]], which "bopped around New York, introducing us to unforgettable characters".<ref name="Ebert" />


Both Rosanna Arquette and Madonna received generally critical acclaim for their portrayal of Roberta and Susan respectively.<ref name="King"/><ref name="Ebert">{{cite web |date=March 29, 1985 |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |title=Desperately Seeking Susan |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/desperately-seeking-susan-1985 |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|via=RogerEbert.com |access-date=December 18, 2021 }}</ref> In ''Costume and Cinema'' (2001), professor of [[film studies]], [[Sarah Street]] estimated it as arguably "Madonna's best film performance" further explaining that clothes had an important role.<ref name="Street">{{harvnb|Street|2001|p=56}}</ref> In similar remarks, film critics such as [[James Monaco]] deemed it "Madonna's best role", playing a character "loosely based on herself".<ref name="Monaco">{{harvnb|Monaco|1991|p=346}}</ref> In her review for ''[[The New Yorker]]'', critic [[Pauline Kael]] referred to Madonna as "an indolent, trampy goddess."<ref name="Amis">{{harvnb|Amis|2011|p=online}}</ref><ref name="Taraborrelli">{{harvnb|Taraborrelli|2001|p=86}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] of ''The Chicago Sun-Times'' gave the film three stars out of a possible four, saying it was essentially a [[screwball comedy]], which "bopped around New York, introducing us to unforgettable characters".<ref name="Ebert" />
Both Rosanna Arquette and Madonna received generally critical acclaim for their portrayal of Roberta and Susan respectively.<ref name="King"/><ref name="Ebert">{{cite web |date=March 29, 1985 |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |title=Desperately Seeking Susan |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/desperately-seeking-susan-1985 |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|via=RogerEbert.com |access-date=December 18, 2021 }}</ref> In ''Costume and Cinema'' (2001), professor of [[film studies]], [[Sarah Street]] considered Madonna's role as Susan as arguably her "best film performance".<ref name="Street">{{harvnb|Street|2001|p=56}}</ref> In similar remarks, film critics like [[James Monaco]] deemed it as "Madonna's best role", playing a character "loosely based on herself".<ref name="Monaco">{{harvnb|Monaco|1991|p=346}}</ref> In her review for ''[[The New Yorker]]'', critic [[Pauline Kael]] referred to Madonna as "an indolent, trampy goddess."<ref name="Amis">{{harvnb|Amis|2011|p=online}}</ref><ref name="Taraborrelli">{{harvnb|Taraborrelli|2001|p=86}}</ref>


=== Accolades ===
=== Accolades ===
{|class="wikitable"
Arquette won the [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role]] for her portrayal of Roberta and achieved a nomination for [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical|Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical]] in the [[Golden Globe]]s.<ref>{{cite web|title=Actress in a Supporting Role in 1986|publisher=[[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]]|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1986/film/actress-in-a-supporting-role}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Rosanna Arquette|publisher=[[Golden Globe]]|url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/person/rosanna-arquette}}</ref> The movie won the Most Riveting Film at the [[Record Mirror|''Record Mirror'' Readers Poll]] in 1985.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Record-Mirror/80s/85/Record-Mirror-1985-12-21-I.pdf|title=Record Mirror Readers Poll 1985|pages=66–69|last=Culp|first=Nancy|magazine=[[Record Mirror]]|date=December 21, 1985|access-date=September 14, 2023}}</ref>
|-
! Award
! Year
! Category
! Recipient
! Result
|-
| [[British Academy Film Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Actress in a Supporting Role in 1986|publisher=[[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]]|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1986/film/actress-in-a-supporting-role}}</ref>
| 1986
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role|Best Actress in a Supporting Role]]
| Rosanna Arquette
| {{won}}


|-
⚫
Some critics labeled ''Desperately Seeking Susan'' one of the best US films of the year, and eventually, the decade.<ref name="Smith"/> ''[[The New York Times]]'' film critic [[Vincent Canby]] from ''[[The New York Times]]'' include it among the 10 best films of 1985,<ref>{{cite news|first=Roger|last=Ebert|author-link=Roger Ebert|date=August 16, 2007|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070816/ANSWERMAN/70817006/1023|title=Movie Answer Man|newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|via=RogerEbert.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930070716/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20070816%2FANSWERMAN%2F70817006%2F1023 |archive-date=September 30, 2007}}</ref> while the ''[[New York Post]]'' called "the most entertaining new movie of the year".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GlWJlNAF1uIC&q=Desperately+Seeking+Susan|title=Desperately Seeking Susan|page=9|work=[[Publishers Weekly]]|date=1985|access-date=September 17, 2023}}</ref> In 2022, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' ranked the film among their 100 Greatest Movies of the 1980s, calling it "a classic of its particular era".<ref>{{cite magazine|date=March 2, 2022|title=The 100 Greatest Movies of the 1980s |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-lists/100-greatest-movies-of-the-1980s-1277869/desperately-seeking-susan-1985-2-1287377/|access-date=March 2, 2022|first1=David|last1=Fear|first2=Andy|last2=Greene|first3=Kory|last3=Grow|first4=Katie|last4=Rife|first5=Tim|last5=Grierson|first6=Robert|last6=Daniels|first7=Scott|last7=Tobias|first8=Noel|last8=Murray|first9=Guy|last9=Lodge|first10=Stephen|last10=Garret|first11=Jason|last11=Bailey}}</ref> In 2011, ''[[NME]]'' also ranked the film as one of the 25 Greatest '80s Movies.<ref>{{cite web|date=April 8, 2011|title=The 25 Greatest '80s Movies|work=[[NME]]|url=https://www.nme.com/photos/the-25-greatest-80s-movies-1411880|access-date=March 2, 2022|first=Sarah|last=Anderson}}</ref> ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]'' ranked it as one of the 100 Best Feminist Films of All Time in 2022.<ref>{{cite web|date=March 8, 2022|title=The 100 best feminist films of all time|work=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]|url=https://www.timeout.com/film/best-feminist-movies-of-all-time|access-date=March 7, 2023|first1=Joshua|last1=Rothkopf|first2=Abbey|last2=Bender}}</ref>
| [[Casting Society of America]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.castingsociety.com/awards/artios/1986|title=1986 Artios Awards|publisher=[[Casting Society of America]]|access-date=September 22, 2024|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621165703/https://www.castingsociety.com/awards/artios/1986|archive-date=June 21, 2015}}</ref>
| 1986
| [[Artios Award for Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Big Budget Feature (Comedy)]]
| ''Desperately Seeking Susan''
| {{nom}}

|-
| [[César Awards]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=89QjAAAAIBAJ&dq=susan&pg=PA38&article_id=5184,6019815|title='Purple Rose' wins top French award|page=38|author=United Press International (UPI)|newspaper=[[The Deseret News]]|date=February 14, 1986|access-date=September 22, 2024}}</ref>
| 1985
| [[César Award for Best Foreign Film|Best Foreign Film]]
| ''Desperately Seeking Susan''
| {{nom}}

|-
| [[Golden Globe]]s<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/person/rosanna-arquette|title=Rosanna Arquette|publisher=[[Golden Globe]]}}</ref>
| 1985
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical|Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical]]
| Rosanna Arquette
| {{nom}}

|-
| [[National Film Registry]]<ref name="NFR"/>
| 2023
| Preservation
| ''Desperately Seeking Susan''
| {{won}}

|-
| [[Norwegian International Film Festival]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lz0sAAAAIBAJ&dq=desperately+seeking+susan&pg=PA30&article_id=5042,6922218|title=World Digest: Norwegian Film Festival|page=30|agency=Associated Press|work=[[Spartanburg Herald-Journal]]|date=August 22, 1985|access-date=September 22, 2024}}</ref>
| 1985
| Spreader of Joy
| ''Desperately Seeking Susan''
| {{won}}

|-
| [[Record Mirror|''Record Mirror'' Readers Poll Awards]]<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Record-Mirror/80s/85/Record-Mirror-1985-12-21-I.pdf|title=Record Mirror Readers Poll 1985|pages=66–69|last=Culp|first=Nancy|magazine=[[Record Mirror]]|date=December 21, 1985|access-date=September 14, 2023}}</ref>
| 1985
| Most Riveting Film
| ''Desperately Seeking Susan''/Madonna
| {{won}}
|}

⚫
Some critics labeled ''Desperately Seeking Susan'' one of the best US films of the year, and eventually, the decade.<ref name="Smith"/> ''[[The New York Times]]'' film critic [[Vincent Canby]] from ''[[The New York Times]]'' include the movie among the 10 best films of 1985,<ref>{{cite news|first=Roger|last=Ebert|author-link=Roger Ebert|date=August 16, 2007|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070816/ANSWERMAN/70817006/1023|title=Movie Answer Man|newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|via=RogerEbert.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930070716/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20070816%2FANSWERMAN%2F70817006%2F1023 |archive-date=September 30, 2007}}</ref> while the ''[[New York Post]]'' called "the most entertaining new movie of the year".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GlWJlNAF1uIC&q=Desperately+Seeking+Susan|title=Desperately Seeking Susan|page=9|work=[[Publishers Weekly]]|date=1985|access-date=September 17, 2023}}</ref> In 2022, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' ranked the film among their 100 Greatest Movies of the 1980s, calling it "a classic of its particular era".<ref>{{cite magazine|date=March 2, 2022|title=The 100 Greatest Movies of the 1980s |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-lists/100-greatest-movies-of-the-1980s-1277869/desperately-seeking-susan-1985-2-1287377/|access-date=March 2, 2022|first1=David|last1=Fear|first2=Andy|last2=Greene|first3=Kory|last3=Grow|first4=Katie|last4=Rife|first5=Tim|last5=Grierson|first6=Robert|last6=Daniels|first7=Scott|last7=Tobias|first8=Noel|last8=Murray|first9=Guy|last9=Lodge|first10=Stephen|last10=Garret|first11=Jason|last11=Bailey}}</ref> In 2011, ''[[NME]]'' also ranked the film as one of the 25 Greatest '80s Movies.<ref>{{cite web|date=April 8, 2011|title=The 25 Greatest '80s Movies|work=[[NME]]|url=https://www.nme.com/photos/the-25-greatest-80s-movies-1411880|access-date=March 2, 2022|first=Sarah|last=Anderson}}</ref> ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]'' ranked it as one of the 100 Best Feminist Films of All Time in 2022.<ref>{{cite web|date=March 8, 2022|title=The 100 best feminist films of all time|work=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]|url=https://www.timeout.com/film/best-feminist-movies-of-all-time|access-date=March 7, 2023|first1=Joshua|last1=Rothkopf|first2=Abbey|last2=Bender}}</ref> Susan was selected in the [[Directors' Fortnight]] at the [[Cannes Film Festival]] of 1985.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.quinzaine-cineastes.fr/fr/edition/1985|title=Quinzaine 1985|language=fr|publisher=[[Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée]]|access-date=September 22, 2024}}</ref>


== Home media ==
== Home media ==
Less than five months after its theatrical release, on July 1985 media outlets started to announce the [[home video]] release by [[Thorn EMI/HBO Video]] to be scheduled in late August of that year.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/292188154|title=Prince's Tour Video Expected To Be A Hot Ticket Thorn Emi/Home Box Office|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=September 17, 2023|date=July 19, 1985|page=22|first=Dennis|last=Hunt|id={{ProQuest|292188154}} |url-access=subscription|via=ProQuest}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ISQEAAAAMBAJ&dq=Desperately+Seeking+Susan&pg=PT28|title=... newsline ... Thorn Emi/Home Box Office|magazine=Billboard|access-date=September 17, 2023|date=July 20, 1985|page=32}}</ref> It was released on [[VHS]], [[HiFi]], and [[Betamax|Beta]] at a retail price for $79.95.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1985/CB-1985-08-10.pdf|title=The Release Beat|magazine=[[Cash Box (magazine)|Cash Box]]|access-date=September 17, 2023|date=August 10, 1985|page=24}}</ref>
Less than five months after its theatrical release, in July 1985 media outlets started to announce the [[home video]] release by [[Thorn EMI/HBO Video]] to be scheduled in late August of that year.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/292188154|title=Prince's Tour Video Expected To Be A Hot Ticket Thorn Emi/Home Box Office|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=September 17, 2023|date=July 19, 1985|page=22|first=Dennis|last=Hunt|id={{ProQuest|292188154}} |url-access=subscription|via=ProQuest}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ISQEAAAAMBAJ&dq=Desperately+Seeking+Susan&pg=PT28|title=... newsline ... Thorn Emi/Home Box Office|magazine=Billboard|access-date=September 17, 2023|date=July 20, 1985|page=32}}</ref> It was released on [[VHS]], [[Betamax#HiFi audio upgrade|HiFi]], and [[Betamax|Beta]] at a retail price for $79.95.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1985/CB-1985-08-10.pdf|title=The Release Beat|magazine=[[Cash Box (magazine)|Cash Box]]|access-date=September 17, 2023|date=August 10, 1985|page=24}}</ref>


Commercially, the film debuted at number 9 on ''Billboard''{{'}}s Top Videocassettes sales and peaked at number 5 on the issue dated November 2, 1985.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1985/1985-09-14-Billboard-Page-0067.pdf|title=Billboard Top Videocassettes Sales: For week ending September 14, 1985|magazine=Billboard|access-date=September 17, 2023|date=September 14, 1985|page=67}}</ref><ref name="charts">{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1985/1985-11-02-Billboard-Page-0034.pdf|title=Billboard Top Videocassettes Sales: For week ending November 2, 1985|magazine=Billboard|access-date=September 17, 2023|date=November 2, 1985|page=34}}</ref> In the [[Video rental shop|video rental]] charts, the film debuted at number 7 and climbed to the first-position on the issued dated September 28, 1985.<ref name="rentaldebut">{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1985/1985-09-14-Billboard-Page-0041.pdf|title=Billboard Top Videocassettes Rentals: For week ending September 14, 1985|magazine=Billboard|access-date=September 17, 2023|date=September 14, 1985|page=41}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1985/1985-09-28-Billboard-Page-0030.pdf|title=Billboard Top Videocassettes Rentals: For week ending September 28, 1985|magazine=Billboard|access-date=September 17, 2023|date=September 28, 1985|page=28}}</ref> It also debuted and peaked at number 10 in the ''Billboard''{{'}}s [[videodisc]] charts on March 8, 1986.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1986/1986-03-08-Billboard-Page-0039.pdf|title=Top Videodisks: For week ending March 8, 1986|magazine=Billboard|access-date=September 17, 2023|date=March 8, 1986|page=30}}</ref> The release ended at the 35-position in the Top Videocassettes Sales and the 29-position in the Top Videocassettes Rentals of 1985.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uyQEAAAAMBAJ&dq=Desperately+Seeking+Susan&pg=PT97|title=Billboard Year-End Charts of 1985|magazine=Billboard|access-date=September 17, 2023|date=December 28, 1985|page=T-32|volume=97|number=52}}</ref>
Commercially, the film debuted at number 9 on ''Billboard''{{'}}s Top Videocassettes sales and peaked at number 5 on the issue dated November 2, 1985.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1985/1985-09-14-Billboard-Page-0067.pdf|title=Billboard Top Videocassettes Sales: For week ending September 14, 1985|magazine=Billboard|access-date=September 17, 2023|date=September 14, 1985|page=67}}</ref><ref name="charts">{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1985/1985-11-02-Billboard-Page-0034.pdf|title=Billboard Top Videocassettes Sales: For week ending November 2, 1985|magazine=Billboard|access-date=September 17, 2023|date=November 2, 1985|page=34}}</ref> In the [[Video rental shop|video rental]] charts, the film debuted at number 7 and climbed to the first-position on the issued dated September 28, 1985.<ref name="rentaldebut">{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1985/1985-09-14-Billboard-Page-0041.pdf|title=Billboard Top Videocassettes Rentals: For week ending September 14, 1985|magazine=Billboard|access-date=September 17, 2023|date=September 14, 1985|page=41}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1985/1985-09-28-Billboard-Page-0030.pdf|title=Billboard Top Videocassettes Rentals: For week ending September 28, 1985|magazine=Billboard|access-date=September 17, 2023|date=September 28, 1985|page=28}}</ref> It also debuted and peaked at number 10 in the ''Billboard''{{'}}s [[videodisc]] charts on March 8, 1986.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1986/1986-03-08-Billboard-Page-0039.pdf|title=Top Videodisks: For week ending March 8, 1986|magazine=Billboard|access-date=September 17, 2023|date=March 8, 1986|page=30}}</ref> The release ended at the 35-position in the Top Videocassettes Sales and the 29-position in the Top Videocassettes Rentals of 1985.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uyQEAAAAMBAJ&dq=Desperately+Seeking+Susan&pg=PT97|title=Billboard Year-End Charts of 1985|magazine=Billboard|access-date=September 17, 2023|date=December 28, 1985|page=T-32|volume=97|number=52}}</ref>
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[[File:Wax Museum Plus (6344774939).jpg|thumb|left|Madonna's wax statue at [[National Wax Museum (Ireland)|National Wax Museum]] of Ireland. Her [[Fashion of Madonna|early style]] was an inspiration for movie's costumery.]]
[[File:Wax Museum Plus (6344774939).jpg|thumb|left|Madonna's wax statue at [[National Wax Museum (Ireland)|National Wax Museum]] of Ireland. Her [[Fashion of Madonna|early style]] was an inspiration for movie's costumery.]]


Upon release, the film developed [[cult status]] in some audiences,<ref name="Deutsch">{{harvnb|Deutsch|2000|p=2}}</ref><ref name="SHU">{{harvnb|Greenberg|Watts|Greenwald|2008|p=232}}</ref> with [[Hadley Freeman]] from ''[[The Guardian]]'' referring to the movie as a "80s cult classic".<ref name="Freeman">{{cite web|date=November 23, 2022|title=Like a cinema virgin: how Madonna went stratospheric making Desperately Seeking Susan|work=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/nov/23/like-a-virgin-madonna-stratospheric-desperately-seeking-susan-seidelman|access-date=March 7, 2023|first=Hadley|last=Freeman|author-link=Hadley Freeman}}</ref> It also impacted the fashion of teenage girls,<ref name="SHU"/> and scholars in [[film studies]], including [[Sarah Street]] had used the film as an example of connections between fashion and cinema industries.<ref name="Street"/> Tracey Lomrantz Lester from ''[[Glamour (magazine)|Glamour]]'' slightly referred to the movie as one of the best fashion films of the era,<ref name="Glamour">{{cite web|date=April 10, 2009|title=Essential Viewing: The Best Fashion Films For Your Netflix Queue|work=[[Glamour (magazine)|Glamour]]|url=https://www.glamour.com/story/essential-viewing-the-best-fas-17|access-date=March 7, 2023|first=Tracey Lomrantz|last=Lester}}</ref> while [[Derek Blasberg]] picked it as his favorite film that best embodied the [[1980s fashion]].<ref name="Blasberg">{{harvnb|Blasberg|2011|p=online}}</ref> Movie's costume designer, [[Santo Loquasto]] reportedly sought inspiration for Susan's wardrobe in Madonna's own closet.<ref name="The cut"/> In 2019, Laird Borrelli-Persson from ''[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]]'' stated, "fashion's so corporate these days, ''Desperately Seeking Susan'' reminds us that clothing is a personal signifier of identity connected to place and time."<ref>{{cite web|date=August 20, 2019|title=What Desperately Seeking Susan Got Right About Fashion|work=[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]]|url=https://www.vogue.com/article/what-1980s-movie-desperately-seeking-susan-got-right-about-fashion|access-date=March 7, 2023|first=Laird|last=Borrelli-Persson}}</ref> The style influenced other figures at some stage, like South African performer [[PJ Powers]].<ref name="Thamm">{{harvnb|Thamm|2014|p=online}}</ref> In 2014, the jacket worn by Madonna with a pyramid at its center, fetched $252,000 in an auction.<ref name="BBCAuction">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-29975891|title=Madonna's clothes sell for millions at celebrity auction|date=November 9, 2014|access-date=April 28, 2020|publisher=BBC}}</ref>
Upon release, the film developed [[cult status]] in some audiences,<ref name="Deutsch">{{harvnb|Deutsch|2000|p=2}}</ref><ref name="SHU">{{harvnb|Greenberg|Watts|Greenwald|2008|p=232}}</ref> with [[Hadley Freeman]] from ''[[The Guardian]]'' referring to the movie as an "80s cult classic".<ref name="Freeman">{{cite web|date=November 23, 2022|title=Like a cinema virgin: how Madonna went stratospheric making Desperately Seeking Susan|work=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/nov/23/like-a-virgin-madonna-stratospheric-desperately-seeking-susan-seidelman|access-date=March 7, 2023|first=Hadley|last=Freeman|author-link=Hadley Freeman}}</ref> It also impacted the fashion of teenage girls,<ref name="SHU"/> and scholars in [[film studies]], including [[Sarah Street]] had used the film as an example of connections between fashion and cinema industries.<ref name="Street"/> Tracey Lomrantz Lester from ''[[Glamour (magazine)|Glamour]]'' slightly referred to the movie as one of the best fashion films of the era,<ref name="Glamour">{{cite web|date=April 10, 2009|title=Essential Viewing: The Best Fashion Films For Your Netflix Queue|work=[[Glamour (magazine)|Glamour]]|url=https://www.glamour.com/story/essential-viewing-the-best-fas-17|access-date=March 7, 2023|first=Tracey Lomrantz|last=Lester}}</ref> while [[Derek Blasberg]] picked it as his favorite film that best embodied the [[1980s fashion]].<ref name="Blasberg">{{harvnb|Blasberg|2011|p=online}}</ref> Movie's costume designer, [[Santo Loquasto]] reportedly sought inspiration for Susan's wardrobe in Madonna's own closet.<ref name="The cut"/> In 2019, Laird Borrelli-Persson from ''[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]]'' stated, "fashion's so corporate these days, ''Desperately Seeking Susan'' reminds us that clothing is a personal signifier of identity connected to place and time."<ref>{{cite web|date=August 20, 2019|title=What Desperately Seeking Susan Got Right About Fashion|work=[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]]|url=https://www.vogue.com/article/what-1980s-movie-desperately-seeking-susan-got-right-about-fashion|access-date=March 7, 2023|first=Laird|last=Borrelli-Persson}}</ref> The style influenced other figures at some stage, like South African performer [[PJ Powers]].<ref name="Thamm">{{harvnb|Thamm|2014|p=online}}</ref> In 2014, the jacket worn by Madonna with a pyramid at its center, fetched $252,000 in an auction.<ref name="BBCAuction">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-29975891|title=Madonna's clothes sell for millions at celebrity auction|date=November 9, 2014|access-date=April 28, 2020|publisher=BBC}}</ref>

⚫
Writing for ''[[Washington Post]]'' in 1985, [[Paul Attanasio]] considered the film as "the first big [[yuppie]] movie of the '80s", and further explains that yuppies are "the first generation to grow up exclusively on mass-marketed culture".<ref>{{cite news|date=April 28, 1985|title=Seeking the Secret of Susan|newspaper=[[Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/1985/04/28/seeking-the-secret-of-susan/e74f5e3f-7acb-42aa-a05d-101f3cfe93d6/|access-date=March 7, 2023|first=Paul|last=Attanasio|author-link=Paul Attanasio}}</ref> In 2017, Ben Reardon from ''[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]'' commented: "''Desperately Seeking Susan'' defined the times and withstands performance after performance, and has been referenced, riffed on and re-rubbed by every designer and [[Madonna wannabe|wannabe]] star till Doomsday."<ref>{{cite web|date=September 29, 2017|title="i knew madonna was special" – the director of desperately seeking susan spills all|work=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]|url=https://i-d.vice.com/en/article/3ka5gb/i-knew-madonna-was-special-the-director-of-desperately-seeking-susan-spills-all|access-date=March 7, 2023|first=Ben|last=Reardon}}</ref> Kirk Ellis, from ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'', said the movie "could well usher in a whole new subgenre: New Wave screwball comedy".<ref name="Reporter">{{cite web|date=March 29, 2019|title='Desperately Seeking Susan': THR's 1985 Review|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/desperately-seeking-susan-review-1985-movie-1197797/|access-date=March 7, 2023|first=Kirk|last=Ellis}}</ref>

The movie also has been noted as a "cult feminist classic".<ref name="Mahadawi">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/sep/19/desperately-seeking-new-yorks-grime-and-glamour|title=Desperately seeking New York's grime and glamour|date=September 19, 2017|work=The Guardian|access-date=October 2, 2023|first=Arwa|last=Mahdawi}}</ref> In 2022, Garin Pirnia from ''[[Mental Floss]]'' considered the film "still packs a powerful feminist punch".<ref name="MentalFloss">{{cite web|url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/desperately-seeking-susan-madonna-movie-facts|title=12 Facts About 'Desperately Seeking Susan'|date=October 14, 2022|work=[[Mental Floss]]|access-date=October 2, 2023|first=Garin|last=Pirnia}}</ref> He also said, at the time, and even somewhat by today's standards ''Desperately Seeking Susan'' "was revolutionary in that it featured two female leads and was written, produced, and directed by women".<ref name="MentalFloss"/>


⚫
Writing for ''[[Washington Post]]'' in 1985, [[Paul Attanasio]] considered the film as "the first big [[yuppie]] movie of the '80s", and further explains that yuppies are "the first generation to grow up exclusively on mass-marketed culture".<ref>{{cite news|date=April 28, 1985|title=Seeking the Secret of Susan|newspaper=[[Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/1985/04/28/seeking-the-secret-of-susan/e74f5e3f-7acb-42aa-a05d-101f3cfe93d6/|access-date=March 7, 2023|first=Paul|last=Attanasio|author-link=Paul Attanasio}}</ref> In 2017, Ben Reardon from ''[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]'' commented: "''Desperately Seeking Susan'' defined the times and withstands performance after performance, and has been referenced, riffed on and re-rubbed by every designer and [[Madonna wannabe|wannabe]] star till Doomsday."<ref>{{cite web|date=September 29, 2017|title="i knew madonna was special" – the director of desperately seeking susan spills all|work=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]|url=https://i-d.vice.com/en/article/3ka5gb/i-knew-madonna-was-special-the-director-of-desperately-seeking-susan-spills-all|access-date=March 7, 2023|first=Ben|last=Reardon}}</ref> Kirk Ellis, from ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'', said the movie "could well usher in a whole new subgenre: New Wave screwball comedy".<ref name="Reporter">{{cite web|date=March 29, 2019|title='Desperately Seeking Susan': THR's 1985 Review|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/desperately-seeking-susan-review-1985-movie-1197797/|access-date=March 7, 2023|first=Kirk|last=Ellis}}</ref> The movie also has been noted as a "cult feminist classic".<ref name="Mahadawi">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/sep/19/desperately-seeking-new-yorks-grime-and-glamour|title=Desperately seeking New York's grime and glamour|date=September 19, 2017|work=The Guardian|access-date=October 2, 2023|first=Arwa|last=Mahdawi}}</ref> In 2022, Garin Pirnia from ''[[Mental Floss]]'' considered the film "still packs a powerful feminist punch".<ref name="MentalFloss">{{cite web|url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/desperately-seeking-susan-madonna-movie-facts|title=12 Facts About 'Desperately Seeking Susan'|date=October 14, 2022|work=[[Mental Floss]]|access-date=October 2, 2023|first=Garin|last=Pirnia}}</ref> He also said, at the time, and even somewhat by today's standards ''Desperately Seeking Susan'' "was revolutionary in that it featured two female leads and was written, produced, and directed by women".<ref name="MentalFloss"/>
Madonna's popularity caused the film to be perceived as a "Madonna movie" by critics,<ref name="AmericanF">{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Film Journal International]]|page=20|volume=10|year=1984|issn=1536-3155 |title=Desperately Seeking Madonna}}</ref><ref name="Gnojewski">{{harvnb|Gnojewski|2017|p=46}}</ref> a label that even [[Rosanna Arquette]] followed.<ref name="Arquette">{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rUdcAAAAIBAJ&dq=Madonna&pg=PA11&article_id=4032,846597|title=¿Quién es Rosanna Arquette?|work=[[La Opinión (Argentina)|La Opinión]]|page=11|date=November 4, 1986|access-date=September 24, 2023|language=es}}</ref> Although Madonna was not billed as the [[lead actress]], her character became a "film's pivotal plot point",<ref name="The cut">{{cite web|date=April 21, 2015|title=In Praise of Madonna's DGAF Style in Desperately Seeking Susan|work=[[The Cut (magazine)|The Cut]]|url=https://www.thecut.com/2015/04/ode-to-desperately-seeking-susans-dgaf-style.html|access-date=March 7, 2023|first=Erica|last=Schwiegershausen}}</ref> contributing "significantly to its film success".<ref name="Smith">{{harvnb|Smith|2019|p=110}}</ref> Author [[Alicia Malone]] and ''[[The Guardian]]''{{'}}s Arwa Mahdawi, also said film director [[Susan Seidelman]] is probably best known for this film.<ref name="Malone">{{harvnb|Malone|2017|p=online}}</ref><ref name="Mahadawi"/> With Mahdawi saying "You couldn't have a film season about New York in the 70s and 80s without including Seidelman's work".<ref name="Mahadawi"/> Associate professor Diane Pecknold in ''American Icons'' (2006) believes the film produced a new idiomatic phrase considering the newspapers [[headlines]] with the phrase ''Desperately Seeking [...]''.<ref name="Halls">{{harvnb|Hall|Hall|2006|pp=445–449}}</ref>


In 2023, the Library of Congress deemed the film "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry.<ref name="NFR">{{Cite web |last=Tartaglione |first=Nancy |date=December 13, 2023|title=National Film Registry: 'Apollo 13', 'Home Alone', 'Terminator 2', '12 Years A Slave' Among 25 Titles Added This Year |url=https://deadline.com/2023/12/national-film-registry-2023-list-apollo-13-home-alone-terminator-2-12-years-a-slave-1235665956/ |access-date=December 13, 2023|website=Deadline}}</ref>
Madonna's popularity caused the film to be perceived as a "Madonna movie" by critics,<ref name="AmericanF">{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Film Journal International]]|page=20|volume=10|year=1984|issn=1536-3155 |title=Desperately Seeking Madonna}}</ref><ref name="Gnojewski">{{harvnb|Gnojewski|2017|p=46}}</ref> a label that even [[Rosanna Arquette]] followed.<ref name="Arquette">{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rUdcAAAAIBAJ&dq=Madonna&pg=PA11&article_id=4032,846597|title=¿Quién es Rosanna Arquette?|work=[[La Opinión (Argentina)|La Opinión]]|page=11|date=November 4, 1986|access-date=September 24, 2023|language=es}}</ref> Although Madonna was not billed as the [[lead actress]], her character became a "film's pivotal plot point",<ref name="The cut">{{cite web|date=April 21, 2015|title=In Praise of Madonna's DGAF Style in Desperately Seeking Susan|work=[[The Cut (magazine)|The Cut]]|url=https://www.thecut.com/2015/04/ode-to-desperately-seeking-susans-dgaf-style.html|access-date=March 7, 2023|first=Erica|last=Schwiegershausen}}</ref> contributing "significantly to its film success".<ref name="Smith">{{harvnb|Smith|2019|p=110}}</ref> Author [[Alicia Malone]] and ''[[The Guardian]]''{{'}}s Arwa Mahdawi, also said film director [[Susan Seidelman]] is probably best known for this film.<ref name="Malone">{{harvnb|Malone|2017|p=online}}</ref><ref name="Mahadawi"/> With Mahdawi saying "You couldn't have a film season about New York in the 70s and 80s without including Seidelman's work".<ref name="Mahadawi"/> Associate professor Diane Pecknold in ''American Icons'' (2006) believes the film produced a new idiomatic phrase considering the newspapers [[headlines]] with the phrase ''Desperately Seeking [...]''.<ref name="Halls">{{harvnb|Hall|Hall|2006|pp=445–449}}</ref> In 2023, the Library of Congress deemed the film "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry.<ref name="NFR">{{Cite web |last=Tartaglione |first=Nancy |date=December 13, 2023|title=National Film Registry: 'Apollo 13', 'Home Alone', 'Terminator 2', '12 Years A Slave' Among 25 Titles Added This Year |url=https://deadline.com/2023/12/national-film-registry-2023-list-apollo-13-home-alone-terminator-2-12-years-a-slave-1235665956/ |access-date=December 13, 2023|website=Deadline}}</ref>


== Stage musical ==
== Stage musical ==
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{{Portal|Film|United States|1980s}}
{{Portal|Film|United States|1980s}}
* [[List of American films of 1985]]
* [[List of American films of 1985]]
* ''[[After Hours (film)|After Hours]]'' - 1985 [[black comedy]] [[thriller film]] with a similar theme
* ''[[After Hours (film)|After Hours]]'' - 1985 [[black comedy]] [[thriller film]] with a similar theme, also starring Arquette
* ''[[Something Wild (1986 film)|Something Wild]]'' - 1986 [[action comedy film]] with a similar theme
* ''[[Something Wild (1986 film)|Something Wild]]'' - 1986 [[action comedy film]] with a similar theme
* ''[[Who's That Girl (1987 film)|Who's That Girl]]'' - 1987 [[screwball comedy]] film with a similar theme, also starring Madonna
* ''[[Who's That Girl (1987 film)|Who's That Girl]]'' - 1987 [[screwball comedy]] film with a similar theme, also starring Madonna
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== External links ==
== External links ==
* {{IMDb title|0089017}}
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{AllMovie title|13417}}
* {{AllMovie title}}
* {{mojo title|desperatelyseekingsusan}}
* {{Mojo title}}
* {{AFI film|67288|Desperately Seeking Susan}}
* {{AFI film}}
* {{TCMDb title}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070818034902/http://www.seeking-susan.co.uk/ Desperately Seeking Susan – The Musical]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070818034902/http://www.seeking-susan.co.uk/ Desperately Seeking Susan – The Musical]


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[[Category:1985 independent films]]
[[Category:1985 independent films]]
[[Category:1985 romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:1985 romantic comedy films]]
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[[Category:1985 romantic drama films]]
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[[Category:1980s American films]]
[[Category:1980s buddy comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:1980s English-language films]]
[[Category:1980s female buddy films]]
[[Category:1980s female buddy films]]
[[Category:1980s mystery comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:1980s mystery comedy-drama films]]
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[[Category:1980s English-language films]]
[[Category:1980s romantic comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:1980s romantic comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:American buddy comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:American female buddy films]]
[[Category:American female buddy films]]
[[Category:American mystery comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:American mystery comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:American romantic comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:American romantic comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:English-language buddy comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:English-language independent films]]
[[Category:English-language mystery comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:English-language romantic comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:Films about adultery in the United States]]
[[Category:Films about adultery in the United States]]
[[Category:Films about amnesia]]
[[Category:Films about amnesia]]
[[Category:Films directed by Susan Seidelman]]
[[Category:Films directed by Susan Seidelman]]
[[Category:Films scored by Thomas Newman]]
[[Category:Films scored by Thomas Newman]]
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[[Category:Films set in Manhattan]]
[[Category:Films set in a movie theatre]]
[[Category:Films set in a movie theatre]]
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[[Category:Films set in New York City]]
[[Category:Films set in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Films set in New Jersey]]
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[[Category:Films shot in New York City]]
[[Category:Films shot in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Films shot in New Jersey]]
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[[Category:Films shot in New York City]]
[[Category:Orion Pictures films]]
[[Category:Orion Pictures films]]
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[[Category:1980s American films]]
[[Category:United States National Film Registry films]]
[[Category:United States National Film Registry films]]

Latest revision as of 06:01, 12 December 2024

Desperately Seeking Susan
Theatrical release poster
Directed bySusan Seidelman
Written by
  • Leora Barish
Produced bySarah Pillsbury
Midge Sanford
Starring
CinematographyEdward Lachman
Edited byAndrew Mondshein
Music byThomas Newman
Production
company
Distributed byOrion Pictures
Release date
  • March 29, 1985 (1985-03-29)
Running time
104 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$5 million[1]
Box office$99.3 million [2]

Desperately Seeking Susan is a 1985 American comedy-drama film directed by Susan Seidelman and starring Rosanna Arquette, Aidan Quinn and Madonna. Set in New York City, the 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.[3] Desperately Seeking Susan was a commercial success and ended as the 31st highest grossing film of the year grossing $55.3 million in the United States.[4] The film received predominantly positive reviews,[4] and both Arquette's and Madonna's acting were critically acclaimed.[5]

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 US 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".[6]

Plot

[edit]

Roberta Glass, an unfulfilled housewife from Fort Lee, New Jersey, is fascinated by the messages between lovers Susan Thomas and Jim Dandy in the personals section of a New York City tabloid. She is particularly drawn to Jim's ad for Susan with the headline "Desperately Seeking Susan", which proposes a rendezvous in Battery Park.

Meanwhile, in an Atlantic City hotel, the itinerant Susan reads the section after a tryst with mobster Bruce Meeker. She steals a pair of ornate Egyptian earrings from his coat before departing. The sinister Wayne Nolan notices Susan's embellished tuxedo jacket as she leaves. Arriving in New York City, Susan dons one of the earrings and stashes the other in her suitcase in a Port Authority locker. She asks to stay with her friend Crystal, a magician's assistant at the Magic Club, and learns that Meeker was killed at the hotel.

Hoping to spot the lovers, Roberta goes to Battery Park and sees Jim reunite with Susan before leaving with his band for Buffalo. Later, she follows Susan to a vintage store and watches her trade in her jacket before losing sight of her. Roberta buys the jacket and finds Susan's locker key in its pocket. She posts another "Desperately Seeking Susan" column to meet with Susan and return the key. Meanwhile, Jim becomes concerned about the column and Susan's connection to Meeker's death. He asks his best friend Dez to check on her.

Waiting for Susan at Battery Park and wearing her jacket, Roberta is accosted by Nolan, who mistakes her for Susan as she is blonde and wearing the distinctive jacket. Susan spots Roberta, but cannot reach her as police detain her for not paying her taxi fare. Dez arrives on a moped and rescues Roberta, who falls and hits her head, causing her to lose her memory and her bag. He believes she is Susan and finds the locker key, taking her to the Port Authority to collect Susan's suitcase. There, Roberta finds the other earring, and Dez offers the couch at his apartment for one night. When they arrive, they find Dez's ex-girlfriend, Victoria, and her new partner taking most of the apartment items, leaving him with practically nothing, including no couch.

Believing she is Susan, Roberta retraces Susan's steps with Nolan in pursuit. She and Dez attempt to have breakfast at a diner where the jacket she is wearing gets her recognized as Susan. She and Dez are physically ejected from the diner, but Nolan picks up a postcard for the Magic Club she drops. Roberta eventually arrives at the Magic Club, narrowly missing Susan who has been released from jail and discovered her suitcase is gone. Roberta is then hired as Crystal's replacement. After her disastrous first performance, Nolan attacks her, demanding the earrings. He escapes as the police arrive. Roberta hits her head again, this time regaining her memory. However, she is mistaken for a prostitute and arrested.

Meanwhile, Roberta's husband Gary, who is revealed to be in the midst of a casual affair, searches for her. He finds his way to the vintage store and is given Susan's number. She believes that Roberta and Dez are connected to Meeker's death and want to frame her. Susan arranges to meet Gary at a nightclub and accompanies him home, where they get high. Roberta calls from jail, but hangs up when Susan and Gary answer. After calling Dez to bail her out, they discover his apartment has been ransacked by Nolan. Roberta and Dez end up sleeping together, with Dez believing he is sleeping with his best friend's girl.

At Gary's house, Susan sees a television report about Meeker and Nolan stealing the earrings, which once belonged to Nefertiti. She realizes the truth about Roberta from her diary and posts a column to meet her at the Magic Club. Dez attacks an intruder in his apartment who turns out to be Jim. He confesses to his relationship with "Susan" as Roberta slips away. She reads the column, as do Jim and Dez. They arrive at the Magic Club along with Gary, his sister Leslie, and Nolan.

During her act, Roberta recognizes Nolan, who escapes backstage. Dez leaves as Roberta tries to explain the events of her disappearance to Gary, finally voicing her unhappiness and ending their marriage. Nolan threatens Susan at gunpoint, but is knocked out by Roberta. Roberta and Susan finally meet each other for the first time. Later, Roberta finds Dez in his projection booth at the movie theater where he works. She introduces herself properly, and they kiss as Jim and Susan watch the film below. Roberta and Susan are celebrated as heroes in the newspaper, credited with returning the stolen earrings.

Cast

[edit]

Seidelman employed a wide range of artists in small appearances, including comedian Rockets Redglare as a taxi driver; former member of the Shirts Annie Golden as a band singer; performance artist Ann Magnuson as a cigarette girl; musician and painter John Lurie as the neighbor saxophonist; La Mama and Living Theatre member Shirley Stoler as a jail matron; Ambitious Lovers member Arto Lindsay as the newspaper clerk who places the "seeking" ads; Ensemble Studio Theater founder Curt Dempster as coffee shop manager, Nick; and future Seinfeld-writer Carol Leifer as a party guest. Other notable appearances include actors Richard Edson as a man with newspapers, Victor Argo as Sgt. Taskal, Kim Chan as a park bum, and Michael Badalucco as a guy from Brooklyn. Triplets Eddy, David and Robert make an uncredited cameo as themselves.

Production

[edit]

Orion chairman Mike Medavoy initially campaigned for Barbra Streisand to play the title role.[7] The filmmakers initially wanted Diane Keaton and Goldie Hawn to play Roberta and Susan, but the director decided to cast newcomers Arquette and Madonna instead and the studio wanted the movie to have younger actors in order to appeal to younger filmgoers. Bruce Willis was up for the role of Dez and Melanie Griffith was up for the role of Susan.[8] Madonna obtained the role over Ellen Barkin and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Suzanne Vega also auditioned for the role.[9] The Statue of Liberty can be seen in the movie when it was still covered in scaffolding during its two-year renovation. Costume designer Santo Loquasto designed Susan's distinctive jacket (supposedly first worn by Jimi Hendrix), basis of the plot of mistaken identity.

The movie was inspired in part by the movie Céline et Julie vont en bateau (Céline and Julie Go Boating) (1974).[10] It also has an alternate ending included on the DVD, in which Susan and Roberta are invited to Egypt after helping return the earrings. They are depicted next to the pyramids on camels. Seidelman cut this scene, saying that it was unnecessary and audiences at the test screenings thought the film should have already ended much earlier (as explained on the DVD). The science fiction film The Time Travelers (1964) is playing in scenes 6 and 23 (melts at the movie's ending). All the scenes featuring Dez working as a projectionist were filmed at Bleecker Street Cinema. The scene with Roberta and Gary in their kitchen shows Roberta watching Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca (1940). The interior and exterior shots of The Magic Club were filmed at the Audubon Ballroom in Washington Heights.[11] Some scenes were filmed at Danceteria, a club that Madonna frequented and which gave her a start in the music business. Separated-at-birth triplets Robert Shafran, Eddy Galland and David Kellman have a cameo role, reportedly at Madonna's personal invitation.[12]

Soundtrack

[edit]
Madonna during the performance of "Into the Groove" on 2008―2009's Sticky & Sweet Tour. It reached the number-one in various territories, including a number of European countries.[13]

The soundtrack, composed by Thomas Newman, was released on both vinyl and CD together with the soundtrack to another Seidelman film, Making Mr. Right.[14] The soundtrack does not feature any of the other songs in the film. The film captures the feel of the underground Bohemian/new wave scene of the early to mid-1980s New York City, a scene that helped Madonna get her big break in the music business.

Madonna recorded a song for the movie, titled "Desperately Seeking Susan". It ended up not being used in the film, and a demo she had just finished, "Into the Groove", was used instead. Only the demo version can be heard in the movie. The song was a huge commercial success. In some territories, it was included on a 1985 reissue of Like a Virgin, but in the United States it was only released as a double A-side 12″ single with "Angel". The song's music video consists of clips from the film, edited by Doug Dowdle of Parallax Productions.

Desperately Seeking Susan soundtrack track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Leave Atlantic City!"2:33
2."Port Authority by Night"1:14
3."New York City by Day"1:06
4."Through the Viewscope"0:40
5."St. Mark's Place"1:30
6."A Key and a Picture Of"1:22
7."Battery Park / Amnesia"1:06
8."Jail / Port Authority by Day"2:22
9."Rain"0:51
10."Running with Birds in Cages"1:11
11."Trouble Almost"0:43

Reception

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Box office

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The film was released on March 29, 1985 in the United States, and grossed $1,526,098 in its first weekend. It was a commercial success of its time,[15] making $27,398,584 in the United States.[2] The film was released on September 6, 1985 in the United Kingdom, and grossed £1,175,133 in its first weekend. Its total gross in the United Kingdom was £2,331,907.[16] It also became the most successful Orion Pictures film in Europe at that point.[17]

Critical reception

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Desperately Seeking Susan garnered mostly critical acclaim from film critics.[18][19] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 86% of 35 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.8/10. The website's consensus reads: "Desperately Seeking Susan works with its fairy tale depiction of New York and the fun, frothy chemistry generated by its two leads."[20] On Metacritic it has a score of 71% based on reviews from 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[21] Roger Ebert of The Chicago Sun Times gave the film three stars out of a possible four, saying it was essentially a screwball comedy, which "bopped around New York, introducing us to unforgettable characters".[22]

Both Rosanna Arquette and Madonna received generally critical acclaim for their portrayal of Roberta and Susan respectively.[5][22] In Costume and Cinema (2001), professor of film studies, Sarah Street considered Madonna's role as Susan as arguably her "best film performance".[23] In similar remarks, film critics like James Monaco deemed it as "Madonna's best role", playing a character "loosely based on herself".[24] In her review for The New Yorker, critic Pauline Kael referred to Madonna as "an indolent, trampy goddess."[25][26]

Accolades

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Award Year Category Recipient Result
British Academy Film Awards[27] 1986 Best Actress in a Supporting Role Rosanna Arquette Won
Casting Society of America[28] 1986 Artios Award for Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Big Budget Feature (Comedy) Desperately Seeking Susan Nominated
César Awards[29] 1985 Best Foreign Film Desperately Seeking Susan Nominated
Golden Globes[30] 1985 Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical Rosanna Arquette Nominated
National Film Registry[6] 2023 Preservation Desperately Seeking Susan Won
Norwegian International Film Festival[31] 1985 Spreader of Joy Desperately Seeking Susan Won
Record Mirror Readers Poll Awards[32] 1985 Most Riveting Film Desperately Seeking Susan/Madonna Won

Some critics labeled Desperately Seeking Susan one of the best US films of the year, and eventually, the decade.[33] The New York Times film critic Vincent Canby from The New York Times include the movie among the 10 best films of 1985,[34] while the New York Post called "the most entertaining new movie of the year".[35] In 2022, Rolling Stone ranked the film among their 100 Greatest Movies of the 1980s, calling it "a classic of its particular era".[36] In 2011, NME also ranked the film as one of the 25 Greatest '80s Movies.[37] Time Out ranked it as one of the 100 Best Feminist Films of All Time in 2022.[38] Susan was selected in the Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival of 1985.[39]

Home media

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Less than five months after its theatrical release, in July 1985 media outlets started to announce the home video release by Thorn EMI/HBO Video to be scheduled in late August of that year.[40][41] It was released on VHS, HiFi, and Beta at a retail price for $79.95.[42]

Commercially, the film debuted at number 9 on Billboard's Top Videocassettes sales and peaked at number 5 on the issue dated November 2, 1985.[43][44] In the video rental charts, the film debuted at number 7 and climbed to the first-position on the issued dated September 28, 1985.[45][46] It also debuted and peaked at number 10 in the Billboard's videodisc charts on March 8, 1986.[47] The release ended at the 35-position in the Top Videocassettes Sales and the 29-position in the Top Videocassettes Rentals of 1985.[48]

In January 1986, the film was certified Gold by the International Tape/Disc Association, denoting 75,000 copies or sales totaling $3 million at retail.[49] It also earned a Platinum certification in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[44][50] As of 1992, Desperately Seeking Susan sold 150,000 home videos in the US according to The Hollywood Reporter.[51]

Legacy

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Madonna's wax statue at National Wax Museum of Ireland. Her early style was an inspiration for movie's costumery.

Upon release, the film developed cult status in some audiences,[52][53] with Hadley Freeman from The Guardian referring to the movie as an "80s cult classic".[54] It also impacted the fashion of teenage girls,[53] and scholars in film studies, including Sarah Street had used the film as an example of connections between fashion and cinema industries.[23] Tracey Lomrantz Lester from Glamour slightly referred to the movie as one of the best fashion films of the era,[55] while Derek Blasberg picked it as his favorite film that best embodied the 1980s fashion.[56] Movie's costume designer, Santo Loquasto reportedly sought inspiration for Susan's wardrobe in Madonna's own closet.[57] In 2019, Laird Borrelli-Persson from Vogue stated, "fashion's so corporate these days, Desperately Seeking Susan reminds us that clothing is a personal signifier of identity connected to place and time."[58] The style influenced other figures at some stage, like South African performer PJ Powers.[59] In 2014, the jacket worn by Madonna with a pyramid at its center, fetched $252,000 in an auction.[60]

Writing for Washington Post in 1985, Paul Attanasio considered the film as "the first big yuppie movie of the '80s", and further explains that yuppies are "the first generation to grow up exclusively on mass-marketed culture".[61] In 2017, Ben Reardon from Vice commented: "Desperately Seeking Susan defined the times and withstands performance after performance, and has been referenced, riffed on and re-rubbed by every designer and wannabe star till Doomsday."[62] Kirk Ellis, from The Hollywood Reporter, said the movie "could well usher in a whole new subgenre: New Wave screwball comedy".[63] The movie also has been noted as a "cult feminist classic".[64] In 2022, Garin Pirnia from Mental Floss considered the film "still packs a powerful feminist punch".[8] He also said, at the time, and even somewhat by today's standards Desperately Seeking Susan "was revolutionary in that it featured two female leads and was written, produced, and directed by women".[8]

Madonna's popularity caused the film to be perceived as a "Madonna movie" by critics,[65][66] a label that even Rosanna Arquette followed.[67] Although Madonna was not billed as the lead actress, her character became a "film's pivotal plot point",[57] contributing "significantly to its film success".[33] Author Alicia Malone and The Guardian's Arwa Mahdawi, also said film director Susan Seidelman is probably best known for this film.[68][64] With Mahdawi saying "You couldn't have a film season about New York in the 70s and 80s without including Seidelman's work".[64] Associate professor Diane Pecknold in American Icons (2006) believes the film produced a new idiomatic phrase considering the newspapers headlines with the phrase Desperately Seeking [...].[69] In 2023, the Library of Congress deemed the film "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry.[6]

Stage musical

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The film was developed into a stage musical that premiered at London's Novello Theatre on November 15, 2007, following previews from October 16, 2007. It features music and lyrics by Blondie and Deborah Harry, including a new song written especially for the show. The production was directed by Angus Jackson, with book and concept by Peter Michael Marino and sets and costumes by Tim Hatley. Produced by Susan Gallin, Ron Kastner, Mark Rubinstein and Old Vic productions, the musical starred Emma Williams as Susan, Kelly Price as Roberta, and Steven Houghton as Alex.[70] Marino presented his solo comedy Desperately Seeking the Exit, which is based on his experiences, at the 2012 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.[71][7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Quart 1989, p. 65
  2. ^ a b "Desperately Seeking Susan". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  3. ^ "March 1985: Madonna Goes Hollywood with 'Desperately Seeking Susan'". Totally 80's. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Rettenmund 1995, p. 48
  5. ^ a b King 1991, p. 99
  6. ^ a b c Tartaglione, Nancy (December 13, 2023). "National Film Registry: 'Apollo 13', 'Home Alone', 'Terminator 2', '12 Years A Slave' Among 25 Titles Added This Year". Deadline. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Desperately Seeking Susan' Turns 30: An Oral History of the Downtown Classic". Yahoo!. March 27, 2015.
  8. ^ a b c Pirnia, Garin (October 14, 2022). "12 Facts About 'Desperately Seeking Susan'". Mental Floss. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  9. ^ "Madonna Launches Second Career In Desperately Seeking Susan" (PDF). Cash Box. April 20, 1985. pp. 21, 39. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  10. ^ Austin 1996, p. 64
  11. ^ Peyser, Michael (September 24, 2010). Desperately Seeking Susan 25: Sarah Pillsbury & Michael Peyser on the Magic Club. YouTube. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016.
  12. ^ Stewart, Sara (January 23, 2018). "These Triplets Were Separated at Birth for a Sick Scientific Experiment". New York Post.
  13. ^ "Madonna Mania" (PDF). Music & Media. September 23, 1985. pp. 7–9. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  14. ^ "Thomas Newman / Chaz Jankel* – Desperately Seeking Susan / Making Mr. Right (The Films of Susan Seidelman: Original Motion Picture Soundtracks)". Discogs.
  15. ^ Trimboli, Isabella (April 28, 2020). "Desperately Seeking Susan and She-Devil: absurd 80s comedies ripe for redemption". The Guardian. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  16. ^ "Desperately Seeking Susan". Saltypopcorn.co.uk. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021.
  17. ^ "Videlips Help WEA Push: 'Madonna Month' in Europe" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 97, no. 41. October 12, 1985. p. 9. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  18. ^ Morton 2008, p. 80
  19. ^ "Power Players: Madonna" (PDF). Billboard. October 13, 2007. p. 38. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  20. ^ "Desperately Seeking Susan". Rotten Tomatoes. San Francisco, California: Fandango Media. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  21. ^ "Desperately Seeking Susan". Metacritic.
  22. ^ a b Ebert, Roger (March 29, 1985). "Desperately Seeking Susan". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved December 18, 2021 – via RogerEbert.com.
  23. ^ a b Street 2001, p. 56
  24. ^ Monaco 1991, p. 346
  25. ^ Amis 2011, p. online
  26. ^ Taraborrelli 2001, p. 86
  27. ^ "Actress in a Supporting Role in 1986". British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
  28. ^ "1986 Artios Awards". Casting Society of America. Archived from the original on June 21, 2015. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  29. ^ United Press International (UPI) (February 14, 1986). "'Purple Rose' wins top French award". The Deseret News. p. 38. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  30. ^ "Rosanna Arquette". Golden Globe.
  31. ^ "World Digest: Norwegian Film Festival". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. Associated Press. August 22, 1985. p. 30. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  32. ^ Culp, Nancy (December 21, 1985). "Record Mirror Readers Poll 1985" (PDF). Record Mirror. pp. 66–69. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  33. ^ a b Smith 2019, p. 110
  34. ^ Ebert, Roger (August 16, 2007). "Movie Answer Man". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007 – via RogerEbert.com.
  35. ^ "Desperately Seeking Susan". Publishers Weekly. 1985. p. 9. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  36. ^ Fear, David; Greene, Andy; Grow, Kory; Rife, Katie; Grierson, Tim; Daniels, Robert; Tobias, Scott; Murray, Noel; Lodge, Guy; Garret, Stephen; Bailey, Jason (March 2, 2022). "The 100 Greatest Movies of the 1980s". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  37. ^ Anderson, Sarah (April 8, 2011). "The 25 Greatest '80s Movies". NME. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  38. ^ Rothkopf, Joshua; Bender, Abbey (March 8, 2022). "The 100 best feminist films of all time". Time Out. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  39. ^ "Quinzaine 1985" (in French). Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  40. ^ Hunt, Dennis (July 19, 1985). "Prince's Tour Video Expected To Be A Hot Ticket Thorn Emi/Home Box Office". Los Angeles Times. p. 22. ProQuest 292188154. Retrieved September 17, 2023 – via ProQuest.
  41. ^ "... newsline ... Thorn Emi/Home Box Office". Billboard. July 20, 1985. p. 32. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  42. ^ "The Release Beat" (PDF). Cash Box. August 10, 1985. p. 24. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  43. ^ "Billboard Top Videocassettes Sales: For week ending September 14, 1985" (PDF). Billboard. September 14, 1985. p. 67. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  44. ^ a b "Billboard Top Videocassettes Sales: For week ending November 2, 1985" (PDF). Billboard. November 2, 1985. p. 34. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  45. ^ "Billboard Top Videocassettes Rentals: For week ending September 14, 1985" (PDF). Billboard. September 14, 1985. p. 41. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  46. ^ "Billboard Top Videocassettes Rentals: For week ending September 28, 1985" (PDF). Billboard. September 28, 1985. p. 28. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  47. ^ "Top Videodisks: For week ending March 8, 1986" (PDF). Billboard. March 8, 1986. p. 30. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  48. ^ "Billboard Year-End Charts of 1985". Billboard. Vol. 97, no. 52. December 28, 1985. p. T-32. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  49. ^ "1986 ITA Gold Certs" (PDF). Billboard. November 1, 1986. p. 48. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  50. ^ "Home Video: September Figures: RIAA Theatrical Certifications Drop". Billboard. Vol. 97, no. 42. October 19, 1985. p. 50. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  51. ^ "Material mogul Madonna a Maverick at Time Warner: Video". The Hollywood Reporter. 1992. Retrieved July 11, 2023 – via Google Books.
  52. ^ Deutsch 2000, p. 2
  53. ^ a b Greenberg, Watts & Greenwald 2008, p. 232
  54. ^ Freeman, Hadley (November 23, 2022). "Like a cinema virgin: how Madonna went stratospheric making Desperately Seeking Susan". The Guardian. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  55. ^ Lester, Tracey Lomrantz (April 10, 2009). "Essential Viewing: The Best Fashion Films For Your Netflix Queue". Glamour. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  56. ^ Blasberg 2011, p. online
  57. ^ a b Schwiegershausen, Erica (April 21, 2015). "In Praise of Madonna's DGAF Style in Desperately Seeking Susan". The Cut. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  58. ^ Borrelli-Persson, Laird (August 20, 2019). "What Desperately Seeking Susan Got Right About Fashion". Vogue. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  59. ^ Thamm 2014, p. online
  60. ^ "Madonna's clothes sell for millions at celebrity auction". BBC. November 9, 2014. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  61. ^ Attanasio, Paul (April 28, 1985). "Seeking the Secret of Susan". Washington Post. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  62. ^ Reardon, Ben (September 29, 2017). ""i knew madonna was special" – the director of desperately seeking susan spills all". Vice. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  63. ^ Ellis, Kirk (March 29, 2019). "'Desperately Seeking Susan': THR's 1985 Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  64. ^ a b c Mahdawi, Arwa (September 19, 2017). "Desperately seeking New York's grime and glamour". The Guardian. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  65. ^ "Desperately Seeking Madonna". Film Journal International. Vol. 10. 1984. p. 20. ISSN 1536-3155.
  66. ^ Gnojewski 2017, p. 46
  67. ^ "¿Quién es Rosanna Arquette?". La Opinión (in Spanish). November 4, 1986. p. 11. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  68. ^ Malone 2017, p. online
  69. ^ Hall & Hall 2006, pp. 445–449
  70. ^ Blincoe, Nicholas (November 15, 2007). "Desperately Seeking Susan + Blondie = a painful performance". The Guardian. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  71. ^ Stephen, Phyllis (August 8, 2013). "Fringe performers react against the critics – with tomatoes!". The Edinburgh Reporter.

Book sources

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