Plot
As the devoutly single Don Johnston is dumped by his latest girlfriend, he receives an anonymous pink letter informing him that he has a son who may be looking for him. The situation causes Don to examine his relationships with women instead of moving on to the next one, and he embarks on a cross-country search for his old flames who might possess clues to the mystery at hand.
Release Year: 2005
Rating: 7.2/10 (49,283 voted)
Critic's Score: 79/100
Director:
Jim Jarmusch
Stars: Bill Murray, Jessica Lange, Sharon Stone
Storyline The resolutely single Don Johnston has just been dumped by his latest lover, Sherry. Don resigns himself to being alone yet again and left to his own devices. Instead, he is compelled to reflect on his past when he receives by mail a mysterious pink letter. It is from an anonymous former lover and informs him that he has a 19-year-old son who may now be looking for his father. Don is urged to investigate this "mystery" by his closest friend and neighbor, Winston, an amateur sleuth and family man. Hesitant to travel at all, Don nonetheless embarks on a cross-country trek in search of clues from four former flames. Unannounced visits to each of these unique women hold new surprises for Don as he haphazardly confronts both his past and, consequently, his present.
Writers: Jim Jarmusch, Bill Raden
Cast: Bill Murray
-
Don Johnston
Julie Delpy
-
Sherry
Heather Simms
-
Mona
(as Heather Alicia Simms)
Brea Frazier
-
Rita
Jarry Fall
-
Winston and Mona's Kid
(as Jarry)
Korka Fall
-
Winston and Mona's Kid
Saul Holland
-
Winston and Mona's Kid
(as Saul)
Zakira Holland
-
Winston and Mona's Kid
Niles Lee Wilson
-
Winston and Mona's Kid
Jeffrey Wright
-
Winston
Meredith Patterson
-
Flight Attendant
Jennifer Rapp
-
Girl on Bus
Nicole Abisinio
-
Girl on Bus
Ryan Donowho
-
Young Man on Bus
Alexis Dziena
-
Lolita
Taglines:
Sometimes life brings some strange surprises.
Filming Locations: Hudson River Stages, Yonkers, New York, USA
Box Office Details
Budget: $10,000,000
(estimated)
Opening Weekend: $780,408
(USA)
(7 August 2005)
(27 Screens)
Gross: $45,725,990
(Worldwide)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia: Jim Jarmusch finished the script in two and a half weeks.
Goofs:
Continuity:
While they're having dinner, Johnston spears several carrots on his fork, nudging one off the edge of the plate and onto the table. In the next shot, it's gone.
Quotes:
[first lines]
Sherry:
I pretty much have all my stuff.
[picks up mail]
Sherry:
Looks like you got a love letter from one of your other girlfriends.
User Review
Wonderfully unique and charming (but perhaps too spare)
Rating: 8/10
I just saw this at a press screening. It's very smart, well-made and
entertaining, directed with sure-handed control, full of quirky, funny
moments and superb acting. The film pretty much avoids clichés,
although it does rely a bit on the familiar "Aren't Middle-Americans
quirky?" idea for its humor. But Jarmusch never goes too far with this,
his restraint keeping the film propelled from beginning to end.
The only weakness for me is rooted in the film's strength: I feel like
there's not quite enough here.
Murray's character is beleaguered and despondent, Murray plays him with
perfect subtlety. This is fun and fascinating to watch; I found myself
hanging onto every little expression on Murray's face. But, the
combination of his passive, muted performance and the spare
storytelling left me wanting more. It just doesn't have as much impact
as I feel it could have. So, yes, it's wonderful minimalism, but
perhaps a bit too slight of a movie to have any lasting resonance.
Bill Murray has added another very good performance to his career, and
Jim Jarmusch has made another compact little gem (unlike some of his
more recent films). Unique and entertaining. Definitely worth seeing.
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