Broken Flowers

Last updated
Broken Flowers
Broken Flowers poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Jim Jarmusch
Written byJim Jarmusch
Based on
An idea
by
Produced by Jon Kilik
Stacey Smith
Starring
Cinematography Frederick Elmes
Edited by Jay Rabinowitz
Music by Mulatu Astatke
Production
companies
Five Roses
BAC Films
Distributed by Focus Features (United States)
BAC Films (France) [1]
Release date
  • August 5, 2005 (2005-08-05)
Running time
101 minutes
CountriesUnited States
France
LanguageEnglish
Budget$10 million [2]
Box office$47.3 million [1]

Broken Flowers is a 2005 French-American comedy-drama film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch and produced by Jon Kilik and Stacey Smith. The film focuses on an aging "Don Juan" who embarks on a cross-country journey to track down four of his former lovers after receiving an anonymous letter stating that he has a son. The film stars Bill Murray, Jeffrey Wright, Sharon Stone, Frances Conroy, Jessica Lange, Tilda Swinton, Julie Delpy, Mark Webber, Chloë Sevigny, Christopher McDonald, and Alexis Dziena.

Contents

The film was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival and won the Grand Prix . It received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed $47.3 million worldwide on a $10 million budget.

Plot

Don Johnston, a former Don Juan who made a small fortune in the computer industry, wants to live in quiet retirement. He is content to lounge around watching old movies and listening to classical or easy listening music. His current girlfriend, Sherry, is ending their relationship and moving out of his house when a letter in a pink envelope arrives.

Later Don reads the letter; it purports to be from an unnamed former girlfriend, informing him that he has a son who is nearly nineteen years old, and who may be looking for him. Initially, Don does not intend to do anything about it, but his busybody neighbor Winston, who is a mystery novel enthusiast, urges Don to investigate. Winston researches the current locations of the five women most likely to have written the letter and gives Don the information along with maps and flight reservations, and persuades him to visit them.

Ultimately Don meets with four women (the fifth one had died before the events of the film), each encounter worse than the last and each woman damaged in some way:

Later, Don stops at a florist to buy flowers from a young woman named Sun Green who treats his cut. Don leaves the flowers at the grave of the fifth woman, Michelle Pepe.

Finally, Don returns home where he finds a pink letter from Sherry, admitting she still likes him. He discusses the trip and second letter with Winston, who theorizes that Sherry might have written the original letter as a hoax. He then goes home to compare the two letters.

Don then meets a young man in the street whom he suspects may be his son. He buys him a meal, but when he remarks that the young man believes that Don is his father, the young man becomes agitated and flees. Don attempts to chase the man but gives up, standing in the middle of a crossroads. Don watches a Volkswagen Beetle drive past from which a young man [lower-alpha 1] in the passenger seat makes eye contact with Don, while the same music Don has listened to on his trip plays from the passing car.

Cast

Production

The ending of the story was left deliberately unresolved. [3] Director Jim Jarmusch had each of the four female leads write their own pink paper letter "in character" to plant in each one's mind the possibility that she was the mother of Don's supposed son. The letter used in the film was a composite of the four. [3] In relation to the ending, Jarmusch said that the film is about "yearning for something that you're missing and not necessarily being able to define what it is". [3]

Murray said in an 2019 interview with the Associated Press that he requested to Jarmusch that the film be shot in locations within an hour of his house; Jarmusch complied with Murray's wishes, adding that Murray "gave us limitations that helped us." [4]

Slates for the film shown on the DVD extra "Broken Flowers: Start to Finish" list the title of the film as Dead Flowers.

The film is dedicated to French director Jean Eustache. In an interview, Jarmusch said he felt close to Eustache for his commitment to making films in a unique and independent fashion. [3]

Lawsuit

Reed Martin sued Jarmusch in March 2006, claiming that the director stole the film's concept from a very similar script that had circulated among several people eventually involved in the production. [5] Jarmusch denied the charges and stated in response that Martin's claim has "absolutely no merit". On September 28, 2007, a federal district court judge dismissed Martin's lawsuit. [6]

Release

Broken Flowers premiered in Europe at 2005 Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2005. [7] It opened on August 5, 2005, in the US in a limited release. [8] It was released on video January 3, 2006. [9]

Box office

The film was released theatrically on August 5, 2005, earning $780,408 from 27 theaters. After 15 weeks in release, the movie ended with a domestic total of $13,744,960. The film fared much better internationally, taking in $32,975,531 to bring its total gross to $46,720,491. [1]

Critical reception

At the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, the film was nominated for the Palme d'Or and won the Grand Prix . [10] Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 87% of 194 surveyed critics wrote a positive review, with an average rating of 7.49/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Bill Murray's subtle and understated style complements director Jim Jarmusch's minimalist storytelling in this quirky, but deadpan comedy." [11] On Metacritic, the film had an average score of 79 out of 100, based on 39 reviews from film critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [12]

According to Ken Tucker, "Broken Flowers relies on Bill Murray's persona, but it also turns that persona back on him. Instead of maintaining the satirical distance that made it easy to laugh at heartland eccentrics in, say, Alexander Payne's About Schmidt , Jarmusch's film avoids caricature, and Murray's poker face melts. Don feels a bittersweet regret at becoming exactly the sort of granite-faced wise guy Bill Murray has made his rep at enshrining. Murray is at a point in his career when his self-effacement has achieved high comic art, and he collaborates with Jarmusch at a point in his career when he's trying to be something more than hipster-serene. Both succeed, by committing to the notion that a yearning to be reborn within a hopeless, brittle soul is worthy of drama—as well as a deeper, gentler humor." [13]

Peter Bradshaw called it "Jarmusch's most enjoyable, accessible work for some time, perhaps his most emotionally generous film - like Cronenberg, he has made a bold venture into the mainstream with a movie that creates a gentle cloud of happiness. It is, it must be said, a lot more forgiving about aging men than Alexander Payne's road-movies About Schmidt or Sideways , but it is still a very attractive piece of film-making, bolstered by terrific performances from an all-star cast, spearheaded by endlessly droll, seductively sensitive Bill Murray." [14]

Soundtrack

Music from Broken Flowers
Soundtrack album by
Mulatu Astatke
ReleasedAugust 2, 2005
Genre Jazz, rock, pop, soul, reggae, classical
Length38:01
Label Decca
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg link

The soundtrack to the film features an eclectic mix of music, chiefly using instrumentals by Ethiopian jazz artist Mulatu Astatke as the main score, mixed with garage rock (The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Greenhornes, Holly Golightly), stoner metal (Sleep), soul (Marvin Gaye), rocksteady reggae (The Tennors), and classical (Gabriel Fauré's Requiem ). The film's score was composed by Mulatu Astatke.

  1. "There Is an End" (Holly Golightly with The Greenhornes) - 3:05
  2. "Yegelle Tezeta" (Mulatu Astatke) - 3:14
  3. "Ride Yu Donkey" (The Tennors) - 2:03
  4. "I Want You" (Marvin Gaye) - 3:57
  5. "Yekermo Sew" (Mulatu Astatke) - 4:03
  6. "Not If You Were the Last Dandy on Earth" (The Brian Jonestown Massacre) - 2:49
  7. "Tell Me Now So I Know" (Holly Golightly) - 2:02
  8. "Gubèlyé" (Mulatu Astatke) - 4:35
  9. "Dopesmoker" (Sleep) - 3:57
    • Abridged version of 63:31-minute track.
  10. Requiem in D minor, Op. 48 ("Pie Jesu") (Oxford Camerata) - 3:30
  11. "Ethanopium" (Dengue Fever) - 4:38
    • Instrumental, composed by Mulatu Astatke
  12. "Unnatural Habitat" (The Greenhornes) - 2:08
Other songs in the film

Several songs in the film are not on the soundtrack album. They include:[ citation needed ]

Notes

  1. ↑ Played by Bill Murray's son, Homer Murray

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Jarmusch</span> American film director and screenwriter

James Robert Jarmusch is an American film director and screenwriter. He has been a major proponent of independent cinema since the 1980s, directing films such as Stranger Than Paradise (1984), Down by Law (1986), Mystery Train (1989), Dead Man (1995), Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999), Coffee and Cigarettes (2003), Broken Flowers (2005), Only Lovers Left Alive (2013), and Paterson (2016). Stranger Than Paradise was added to the National Film Registry in December 2002. As a musician, he has composed music for his films and released three albums with Jozef van Wissem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Murray</span> American actor (born 1950)

William James Murray is an American actor and comedian, known for his deadpan delivery in roles ranging from studio comedies to independent dramas. Murray has frequently collaborated with directors Ivan Reitman, Harold Ramis, Wes Anderson, Sofia Coppola, Jim Jarmusch and the Farrelly brothers. He has earned numerous accolades including a BAFTA Award, two Emmy Awards, and a Golden Globe Award as well as a nomination for an Academy Award. In 2016, Murray was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

<i>Dead Man</i> 1995 film

Dead Man is a 1995 American acid western film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. It stars Johnny Depp, Gary Farmer, Billy Bob Thornton, Iggy Pop, Crispin Glover, John Hurt, Michael Wincott, Lance Henriksen, Gabriel Byrne, Mili Avital, and Robert Mitchum in his final film performance. The movie, set in the late 1800s, follows William Blake, a meek accountant on the run after murdering a man. He has a chance encounter with enigmatic Native American spirit-guide "Nobody", who believes Blake is the reincarnation of the visionary English poet William Blake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holly Golightly (singer)</span> British musician

Holly Golightly is a British singer-songwriter. Her mother christened her after the main character of Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's. Her musical style ranges from garage rock to R&B.

<i>Coffee and Cigarettes</i> 2003 anthology film directed by Jim Jarmusch

Coffee and Cigarettes is the title of three short films and a 2003 feature-length anthology film by independent film director Jim Jarmusch. The feature film consists of 11 short stories which share coffee and cigarettes as a common thread, and includes the earlier three short films.

<i>Three Times</i> 2005 Taiwanese film

Three Times is a 2005 Taiwanese film directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien. It consists of three separate stories of romance, set in different eras, using the same lead actors, Shu Qi and Chang Chen. In "A Time for Love," set in 1966, a soldier (Chang) meets an alluring pool-hall hostess (Shu). "A Time for Freedom," set in 1911, focuses on a courtesan's relationship with a freedom fighter during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan. In "A Time for Youth," set in 2005, a singer forsakes her female lover for a photographer with whom she's having an affair.

Éthiopiques is a series of compact discs featuring Ethiopian singers and musicians. Many of the CDs compile songs from various singles and albums that Amha Records, Kaifa Records and Philips-Ethiopia released during the 1960s and 1970s in Ethiopia. Prominent singers and musicians from this era appearing on Éthiopiques releases include Alemayehu Eshete, Asnaketch Worku, Mahmoud Ahmed, Mulatu Astatke and Tilahun Gessesse. However, some other releases contain new recordings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mulatu Astatke</span> Ethiopian multi-instrumentalist (born 1943)

Mulatu Astatke is an Ethiopian musician and arranger considered as the father of "Ethio-jazz".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexis Dziena</span> American actress (born 1984)

Alexis Gabrielle Dziena is an American actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Greenhornes</span> American garage rock band

The Greenhornes were an American garage rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio, formed in 1996 by vocalist/guitarist Craig Fox, bass guitarist Jack Lawrence and drummer Patrick Keeler. They released their debut album Gun For You in 1999, followed by a self-titled album in 2001. A third studio album, Dual Mono, was released in 2002, with the band taking a small hiatus. The Greenhornes returned in 2005 to release a new EP, East Grand Blues, and a compilation album, Sewed Soles. During this time, Lawrence and Keeler formed The Raconteurs with Detroit musicians and personal friends Jack White and Brendan Benson, leaving very few performances and interaction with Fox. In 2010, the band reunited once again to record a studio album, Four Stars, their first in eight years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dengue Fever (band)</span> American band

Dengue Fever is an American band from Los Angeles who combine Cambodian rock and pop music of the 1960s and 70s with psychedelic rock and other world music styles. Their most recent album, Ting Mong, was released in September 2023.

<i>Mystery Train</i> (film) 1989 film by Jim Jarmusch

Mystery Train is a 1989 comedy-drama anthology film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch and set in Memphis, Tennessee. The film is a triptych of stories involving foreign protagonists, unfolding over the course of the same night. "Far from Yokohama" features a Japanese couple on a cultural pilgrimage, "A Ghost" focuses on an Italian widow stranded in the city overnight, and "Lost in Space" follows the misadventures of a newly single and unemployed Englishman and his reluctant companions. The narratives are linked by a run-down flophouse overseen by a night clerk and his disheveled bellboy, the use of Elvis Presley's song "Blue Moon", and a gunshot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Keeler</span> American drummer

James Patrick Keeler is an American rock music drummer from Cincinnati, who is best known for playing in The Greenhornes, The Raconteurs, and The Afghan Whigs. He plays with both traditional and matched grips.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jozef van Wissem</span> Dutch composer and lute player

Jozef van Wissem is a Dutch minimalist composer and lute player based in Brooklyn. In 2013 Van Wissem won the Cannes Soundtrack Award for the score of Only Lovers Left Alive at the Cannes Film Festival.

<i>The Limits of Control</i> 2009 American film

The Limits of Control is a 2009 American film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, starring Isaach de Bankolé as a solitary assassin, carrying out a job in Spain. Filming began in February 2008, and took place on location in Madrid, Seville and Almería, Spain. The film was distributed by Focus Features. It received mixed reviews, and has a 42% rating on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, having been criticized for its slow pace and inaccessible dialogue while praising its beautiful cinematography and ambitious scope.

<i>Cannes Man</i> 1996 American film

Cannes Man is a 1996 independent comedy film directed by Richard Martini, and Susan Hillary Shapiro. The film stars Seymour Cassel and Francesco Quinn. The film also features more than 15 famous Hollywood actors including Johnny Depp, Jon Cryer, Benicio del Toro, John Malkovich, Dennis Hopper, Kevin Pollak, Jim Jarmusch and Chris Penn. The film was released as Direct-to-DVD in many countries.

<i>Only Lovers Left Alive</i> 2013 film by Jim Jarmusch

Only Lovers Left Alive is a 2013 fantasy comedy-drama film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, starring Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowska, Anton Yelchin, Jeffrey Wright, Slimane Dazi and John Hurt. An international coproduction between the United Kingdom and Germany, the film focuses on the romance between two vampires and was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.

Jay Rabinowitz is an American film editor and commercial editor. He is certified by the American Cinema Editors.

<i>Paterson</i> (film) 2016 drama film

Paterson is a 2016 drama film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. The film stars Adam Driver as a bus driver and poet named Paterson, and Golshifteh Farahani as his wife, who dreams of being a country music star and opening a cupcake business.

<i>The Dead Dont Die</i> (2019 film) 2019 American absurdist horror comedy film

The Dead Don't Die is a 2019 American absurdist zombie comedy film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. It features an ensemble cast including Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Chloë Sevigny, Steve Buscemi, Tilda Swinton, Tom Waits, Danny Glover, Caleb Landry Jones, Rosie Perez, Iggy Pop, Carol Kane, Austin Butler, and Selena Gomez and follows a small town's police force as they combat a sudden zombie invasion.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Broken Flowers". Box Office Mojo . Amazon.com . Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  2. ↑ Holtzclaw, Mike (August 25, 2005). "A Homecoming At The Naro". Daily Press . Archived from the original on February 26, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Broken Flowers: The Writer/Director: Q & A with Jim Jarmusch". Cinema.com. Cinema.com. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  4. ↑ Coyle, Jake (June 11, 2019). "Q&A: Coffee with Bill Murray and Jim Jarmusch". Associated Press. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Million-dollar ideas often stolen in Hollywood". Today . Associated Press. November 9, 2006. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
  6. ↑ Kahn, Joseph P. (June 28, 2006). "Stolen 'Flowers'?". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on July 15, 2006. Retrieved November 7, 2023. Editor's note: After a jury verdict in favor of Jim Jarmusch, US District Court Judge Ronald S. W. Lew dismissed Reed Martin's lawsuit on Oct. 10, 2007
  7. ↑ Dawtrey, Adam (May 16, 2005). "Jarmusch in bloom". Variety . Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  8. ↑ Snyder, Gabriel (August 4, 2005). "Warners putting up its 'Dukes'". Variety . Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  9. ↑ Garrett, Diane (January 15, 2006). "Review: 'Broken Flowers, The Constant Gardener, Hustle & Flow, Junebug'". Variety . Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Festival de Cannes: Broken Flowers". Festival de Cannes. 2005. Retrieved December 5, 2009.
  11. ↑ "Broken Flowers (2005)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved May 15, 2010.
  12. ↑ "Broken Flowers". Metacritic . Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  13. ↑ Tucker, Ken (15 August 2005). "Ex Marks the Spot". New York . Retrieved 2015-09-22.
  14. ↑ Bradshaw, Peter (October 20, 2005). "Broken Flowers". The Guardian . Retrieved October 11, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.