Directed by Susan Seidelman, written by Leora Barish, 1985
New Jersey housewife Roberta Glass (Rosanna Arquette) spices up her boring life by reading personal ads, especially a series of them being placed by a mysterious denizen of New York City named Susan (Madonna). When one of Susan's ads proposes a rendezvous with her suitor at Battery Park, Roberta secretly tags along. But when her voyeuristic jape ends in permanent memory loss and a new jacket, Roberta begins to gather a lot of unwanted attention from some very unsavoury characters.
Now considered a cult 1980s classic, Desperately Seeking Susan was Madonna’s first major film role. Heavily influenced by her own early style, the film is noted for its impact on 1980s fashion, especially among the young female audience of the time, and for heralding third wave feminism.
Hailed as one of the best US films of the decade by publications such as NME and Rolling Stone, the film was selected in 2023 for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Followed by pre-recorded Zoom Q&A with Susan Seidelman
Watch the trailer here
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