Emory Cinemateque: “Wild at Heart” (1990)

From the venue:

Emory Cinematheque Presents “The Cinematic Worlds of David Lynch”

Buoyed by the success of Blue Velvet, and having once again proven his mainstream appeal with the television series Twin Peaks (1990–91) to studio executives, Lynch adapted Barry Gifford’s novel Wild at Heart: The Story of Sailor and Lula. Unhinged, emotionally excessive, with overt references to Victor Fleming’s The Wizard of Oz (1939), this is a film of extremes, both a hypnotic road movie and a love story of a fugitive couple hitting fleeing their respective pasts and dysfunctional families. Set against a backdrop of eccentric characters and locales, unnerving events, and crimes of passion, the film stars Nicolas Cage as Sailor, Laura Dern as Lula, and Diane Ladd as Marietta, Lula’s sociopathic and vengeful mother.

Like Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart is punctuated by its soundtrack, notably the recurring dreamy melody of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game,” the speed metal of the group Powermad, and Cage’s campy, Elvis-impersonating playback singing of “Love Me Tender” and “Love Me.” Released at arguably the height of Lynch’s celebrity, Wild at Heart divided audiences, winning the Palme d’Or at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival while testing poorly with American audiences and failing at the box office due to its depictions of graphic violence.

White Hall, Room 208
301 Dowman Dr, Atlanta, GA 30322