A bored New Jersey suburban housewife’s fascination with a free-spirited woman she has read about in the personal columns leads to her being mistaken for the woman herself and into a chaotic adventure of amnesia and self-discovery.

Susan Seidelman

Following ‘SMITHEREENS’, Susan Seidelman continued to expand her foundation in creating independent films and complicated female characters in a time where she was desperately seeking to become the most authentic version of herself. 

Film school helped Seidelman realize how European films were financed differently. She noted French films had an abundance of unique women while American films still struggled to keep female characters out of the kitchen and bedroom. Many elements of ‘DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN’ pay homage to ‘CELINE AND JULIE GO BOATING’ including allusions to magic and alternate realities. 

Seidelman’s love for the vibrancy and seediness of New York in the 80s largely compelled the visuals of ‘DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN’. She also talked her producers into casting Rosanna Arquette and Madonna for the film to appeal to younger audiences. By the time shooting wrapped, production had to hire security to keep fans off set as the album “Like a Virgin” had just been released.