Movie for Our Times

Corrie and I watched a movie the other night that shocked me how much it spoke to our time, how much it presaged the youth of today. It was released 35 years ago, was written by a woman (Leora Barish), produced by two other women (Sarah Pillsbury and Midge Sanford), directed by a woman (Susan Seidelman), and gave a pop-star her first movie roll:

"Desperately Seeking Susan" was way more accurate in the depiction of the world, or, rather, the foundation for our current celebrity driven/social media perusing youth culture can be found in this film. I recommend it for anyone who would like to get a sense for how we got to this point.

The first time we see Madonna in this movie, this is what she's up too:

Kids today, and plenty of non-child-aged "adults" are very familiar with the selfie.

This image, and scene, claims that this is Madonna inventing the selfie. Besides being inaccurate, I think that's low-hanging fruit and doesn't discuss the fact that the rest of the '80s depicted here would be recognizable to us today.

Madonna, while playing the titular Susan, isn't actually the focus of the movie. It's really a movie about a bored housewife played by Rosanna Arquette. She reads, rather religiously (if that can be used in this context), the personal ads, and knows some of the social history of at least one of the, er, stars(?) or celebrities(?) of the personal ads.

Now, young people from today are NOT familiar with personal ads, or, "the personals," nor are they familiar with CraigsList, so there you go.

BUT, unsatisfied people who live vicariously through social media and the celebrities created by such, IS DEFINITELY A THING. Sitting around scanning the personals is the same as sitting around scanning Instagram or Twitter.

Madonna is an "influencer" in that era: she's confident in her sexuality, confident in her garish fashion choices that become fashionable simply by being sported by someone with this personality, and she has none of  the ties that normal folks suffer.

I haven't even mentioned the screwball plot; it blends amnesia, Hitchcock-ian mistaken identity, and antiquity theft into a wholly original conclusion.

Throw in early performances for Aidan Quinn, Laurie Metcalf, and John Tuturro, and you've got the makings of a classic, an underappreciated gem that's got Girl Power written all over it.

Also, you may be arruffato if this turns you on:

Sogno di un domani arruffato!