Don Juan DeMarco

Last updated

Don Juan DeMarco
Don juan demarco.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Jeremy Leven
Written byJeremy Leven
Based on Don Juan in part, by Lord Byron
Produced by Francis Ford Coppola
Fred Fuchs
Patrick Palmer
Starring
Cinematography Ralf D. Bode
Edited by Tony Gibbs
Music by Michael Kamen
Production
company
Distributed by New Line Cinema
Release date
  • April 7, 1995 (1995-04-07)
Running time
97 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguagesEnglish
Spanish
Budget$25 million [1]
Box office$69 million [1]

Don Juan DeMarco is a 1995 American romantic comedy-drama film starring Johnny Depp as John Arnold DeMarco, a man who believes himself to be Don Juan, the greatest lover in the world. Clad in a cape and domino mask, DeMarco undergoes psychiatric treatment with Marlon Brando's character, Dr. Jack Mickler, to cure him of his apparent delusion. But the psychiatric sessions have an unexpected effect on the psychiatric staff, some of whom find themselves inspired by DeMarco's delusion; the most profoundly affected is Dr. Mickler himself, who rekindles the romance in his complacent marriage.

Contents

The movie is based on two different sources; the modern-day story is based on director/screenwriter Jeremy Leven's short story Don Juan DeMarco and the Centerfold (the movie's original title before the studio changed it shortly before release), while the flashbacks depicting DeMarco's back-story are based on the more familiar legend of Don Juan, especially as told by Lord Byron in his version of the legend.

Depp received the London Film Critics Circle Award for Actor of the Year, along with his performance in Ed Wood , while the film's theme song, "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?", co-written and performed by Bryan Adams, was nominated for the Oscar, Grammy, and Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.

Plot

John Arnold DeMarco is a 21-year-old man who dresses like Zorro, with a similar mask, hat and cape, and claims to be Don Juan. After a passionate affair, he decides to commit suicide. At the site of the billboard he plans to jump off of, psychiatrist Jack Mickler dissuades him by posing as Don Octavio de Flores. John is then held for a ten-day review in a mental institution.

Mickler, who is about to retire, insists on doing the evaluation and conducts it without medicating the youth. Mickler listens to John's story continuing to pose as Don Octavio: Don Juan was born in Mexico, he has an affair with his school tutor which ultimately leads to the death of his father in a swordfight. Mickler listens to the story while spotting inconsistencies, such as the Castilian nature of John's accent, but continues to humor him.

At home, Mickler is living in a passionless marriage to his wife, Marilyn. As Mickler notices that John's presence at the institution is having an impact on the staff – both distracting the women and dancing with a male attendant on the lawn – he finds himself being influenced, and starts listening to opera in his house and rekindling the passion with his wife.

Eventually Mickler meets with John's grandmother, who tells him that John grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, and that his father died in a car crash. When Mickler returns to the institution and confronts his patient with this information, John dismisses his grandmother as misanthropic and of making the backstory up. In response Mickler recounts the story of an insecure young man who fell in love with a woman in a magazine, who then contacted her and was told she never wanted to speak to him again. When John asks what happened to the young man, Mickler tells him he tried to commit suicide.

As the ten days tick down, pressure mounts on Mickler to support the youth's indefinite confinement, a decision which he is skeptical of. John has mentioned that his mother became a nun and remains in the convent to this day, and in a subsequent meeting with John, Mickler suggests that John's mother could have possibly had affairs, to which John responds with violent anger.

John concludes his story, about how he was kept two years in a harem as the lover of the sultaness, before finding true love and being rejected on a remote Greek island by his one true love, Doña Ana. Mickler tells him at the story's end that he believes John is Don Juan DeMarco, the greatest lover the world has ever known. When John asks Mickler who he is, he says "I am Don Octavio de Flores" and that John has seen through all of his masks.

At the end of the ten days, Mickler is able to convince John to take his medication, and makes him understand that not everyone believes he is Don Juan. Right before his retirement, Mickler and John meet with the board, with John in street clothes. He speaks with an American accent, and acknowledges that he was born in Queens, his father was killed in an accident, and that his mother was unfaithful to his father. John is released and accompanies Mickler, along with the doctor's wife, to the remote island that Don Juan has described where he met his true love.

Cast

Other notable appearances include Al Corley as the woman in the restaurant's date, Nick La Tour as the doorman Nicholas, and Bill Capizzi and Patricia Mauceri as characters in John's story, the sultan and Doña Querida. Selena also makes a brief appearance as a singer; this was her first and only film appearance before her death a week later.

Music

The film features the original Bryan Adams song, "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?"; the lyrics incorporate quotes from Depp's character, and the melody is used as a musical motif throughout the film. In addition, the song itself is performed three times, once by Selena and a mariachi band serenading the characters in Spanish, once by Jose Hernandez and Nydia, as background music (again in Spanish), and once by Bryan Adams during the closing credits. The song is also available on the soundtrack. The song was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song at the 68th Academy Awards, but lost to" Colors of the Wind" from Pocahontas .

Selena recorded other songs for the soundtrack, including "El Toro Relajo". The score was composed, orchestrated, and conducted by Michael Kamen and was performed by the London Metropolitan Orchestra.

Tori Amos and Michael Stipe recorded a duet for the film called "It Might Hurt a Bit" but it remains unreleased.

Release

Box office

A cut of the film was screened for investors in October 1994, before being released in April 1995. [2]

The film had an estimated budget of $25 million, grossing just $22,150,451 in the U.S. With a total $68,592,731 gross worldwide, it was considered a success for New Line Cinema. [1] Upon its opening weekend, Don Juan DeMarco opened at #4 with $4,556,274 behind the openings of Bad Boys and A Goofy Movie , and the second weekend of Tommy Boy . [3]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 72% based on reviews from 39 critics, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The site's consensus was "Don Juan DeMarco proves that a slight story can translate to entertaining cinema if it's acted out by a pair of well-matched professionals enjoying their craft." [4] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 63 out of 100 based on reviews from 19 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [5] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "A−" on scale of A+ to F. [6]

Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote: "It benefits not only from Mr. Brando's peculiar presence, but also from Johnny Depp, who again proves himself a brilliantly intuitive young actor with strong ties to the Brando legacy. The movie is cheesy, but its stars certainly are not." [7] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 2 out of 4, and wrote "Brando doesn't so much walk through this movie as coast, in a gassy, self-indulgent performance no one else could have gotten away with." [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marlon Brando</span> American actor (1924–2004)

Marlon Brando Jr. was an American actor and activist. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential actors of all time, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, one Cannes Film Festival Award, and three British Academy Film Awards. Brando is credited with being one of the first actors to bring the Stanislavski system of acting and method acting to mainstream audiences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Depp</span> American actor (born 1963)

John Christopher Depp II is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for three Academy Awards and two BAFTA awards. His films, in which he has often played eccentric characters, have grossed over $8 billion worldwide, making him one of Hollywood's most bankable stars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Juan</span> Fictional libertine

Don Juan, also known as Don Giovanni (Italian), is a legendary, fictional Spanish libertine who devotes his life to seducing women.

<i>Dos mujeres, un camino</i> Mexican TV series or program

Dos mujeres, un camino is a Mexican neo-noir telenovela produced by Emilio Larrosa for Televisa in 1993-1994. This production was exhibited in 47 countries, including Indonesia, had high viewer ratings, and has been described as one of Televisa's most successful telenovelas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanessa Paradis</span> French singer, model and actress (born 1972)

Vanessa Chantal Paradis is a French singer, model and actress. Paradis became a star at the age of 14 with the international success of her single "Joe le taxi" (1987). At age 18, she was awarded France's highest honours as both a singer and an actress with the Prix Romy Schneider and the César Award for Most Promising Actress for Jean-Claude Brisseau's Noce Blanche, as well as the Victoires de la Musique for Best Female Singer for her album Variations sur le même t'aime. Her most notable films also include Élisa (1995) alongside Gérard Depardieu, Witch Way Love (1997) opposite Jean Reno, Une chance sur deux (1998) co-starring with Jean-Paul Belmondo and Alain Delon, Girl on the Bridge (1999), Heartbreaker (2010), Café de Flore (2011) and Yoga Hosers (2016), directed by Kevin Smith. Her tribute to Jeanne Moreau at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival during which they sang in duet "Le Tourbillon" became notable in French popular culture. In 2022, she was nominated for the Molière Award for Best Actress for her performance in the play Maman.

Rachel Ticotin Strauss is an American film and television actress. She has appeared in films such as Fort Apache, The Bronx, Total Recall, Falling Down, and Con Air. She has appeared in the NBC legal drama Law & Order: LA as Lt. Arleen Gonzales, and guest starred in the "Warriors" episode of Blue Bloods in 2013, appearing as "Carmen Castillo".

<i>Clase 406</i> Mexican telenovela

Clase 406 is a Mexican telenovela produced by Pedro Damián for Televisa, broadcast by Canal de las Estrellas. It is a remake of the Colombian telenovela Francisco, El Matemático (1999). Clase 406 originally aired from Monday, July 1, 2002, to Friday, October 31, 2003. The story deals with the problems of newer Latino youth, in general like sex, drug dealing, abuse, drinking, rape, deception, and heartbreak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?</span> 1995 single by Bryan Adams

"Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" is a song written by Canadian musician Bryan Adams, Michael Kamen and Robert John "Mutt" Lange, and recorded by Adams for the 1995 film Don Juan DeMarco, starring Marlon Brando, Johnny Depp and Faye Dunaway. The melody is used as a musical motif through the film, and the song is featured three times in the movie, twice performed by other artists in Spanish, and finally performed by Adams himself during the closing credits. The Adams version of the song, which features flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucia, is featured on the soundtrack album and also on the album 18 til I Die, which was released over a year later.

Don Juan is a legendary fictional libertine.

<i>The Trickster of Seville and the Stone Guest</i> Play written by Tirso de Molina around 1616–30

The Trickster of Seville and the Stone Guest is a play traditionally attributed to Tirso de Molina, although several scholars now attribute it to Andrés de Claramonte. Its title varies according to the English translation, and it has also been published under the titles The Seducer of Seville and the Stone Guest and The Playboy of Seville and the Stone Guest. The play was first published in Spain around 1630, though it may have been performed as early as 1616. Set in the 14th century, the play is the earliest fully developed dramatisation of the Don Juan legend.

<i>Adventures of Don Juan</i> 1948 film by Vincent Sherman

Adventures of Don Juan is a 1948 American Technicolor swashbuckling adventure romance film directed by Vincent Sherman and starring Errol Flynn and Viveca Lindfors, with Robert Douglas, Alan Hale, Ann Rutherford, and Robert Warwick. Also in the cast are Barbara Bates, Raymond Burr, and Mary Stuart. The film was distributed by Warner Bros. and produced by Jerry Wald. The screenplay by George Oppenheimer and Harry Kurnitz, based on a story by Herbert Dalmas, has uncredited contributions by William Faulkner and Robert Florey.

<i>Blood and Sand</i> (1989 film) 1989 American film

Blood and Sand is a 1989 Spanish drama film directed by Javier Elorrieta and starring Christopher Rydell, Sharon Stone, and Ana Torrent. It was loosely based on the novel Sangre y arena of Vicente Blasco Ibáñez, which had been adapted for the screen three times before, in 1916, 1922 and 1941.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Intveld</span> American singer-songwriter

James Intveld is an American rockabilly musician, singer, songwriter, performer, actor, and film director from Los Angeles, California, United States.

<i>Dark Shadows</i> (film) 2012 film by Tim Burton

Dark Shadows is a 2012 dark fantasy film based on the gothic television soap opera of the same name. Directed by Tim Burton, the film stars Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Bella Heathcote in a dual role. Christopher Lee has a small role in the film, his 200th film appearance and his fifth and final appearance in a Burton film. Jonathan Frid, star of the original Dark Shadows series, makes a cameo appearance. He died shortly before the film was released. One of the film's producers, Richard D. Zanuck, died two months after its release.

<i>Entre el amor y el odio</i> Television series

Entre el Amor y el Odio is a Mexican telenovela produced by Salvador Mejía Alejandre for Televisa in 2002. It is based on the radionovela Cadena de odio by Hilda Morales de Allouis. It aired on Canal de las Estrellas from Monday, February 11, 2002 to Friday, August 2, 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Depp filmography</span>

Johnny Depp is an American actor, producer and musician. He has appeared in films, television series, and video games. He made his film debut in the horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984. In the two following years, Depp appeared in the comedy Private Resort (1985), the war film Platoon (1986), and Slow Burn (1986). A year later, he started playing his recurring role as Officer Tom Hanson in the police procedural television series 21 Jump Street (1987–1990) which he played until the middle of season 4, and during this time, he experienced a rapid rise as a professional actor.

<i>Nunca te olvidaré</i> (TV series) Mexican TV series or program

Nunca te olvidaré is a Mexican telenovela produced by Juan Osorio and Carlos Moreno Laguillo for Televisa in 1999. It is based on a novel by Caridad Bravo Adams. It aired on Canal de Las Estrellas from January 18, 1999 to May 28, 1999.

Mi querida Isabel is a Mexican telenovela produced by Angelli Nesma Medina for Televisa. This telenovela is a remake of the 1975 Mexican telenovela Paloma, original story by Marissa Garrido. It premiered on Canal de las Estrellas on December 9, 1996 and ended on April 25, 1997.

<i>Don Juan</i> (1950 film) 1950 Spanish film

Don Juan is a 1950 Spanish romantic adventure film directed by José Luis Sáenz de Heredia and starring Antonio Vilar, Annabella and María Rosa Salgado. It is based on the legend of Don Juan.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Don Juan de Marco (1995)". Box Office Mojo . 1995-05-23. Retrieved 2020-02-02.
  2. ↑ "Celebrating 30 Years of ShowEast: A timeline of movies and honorees | Film Journal International". fj.webedia.us. Retrieved 2022-08-20.
  3. ↑ "Weekend Box Office Results for April 7-9, 1995". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  4. ↑ "Don Juan DeMarco". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 2022-05-27.
  5. ↑ "Don Juan DeMarco". Metacritic . Retrieved 2020-05-04.
  6. ↑ "Cinemascore". Archived from the original on 2018-12-20. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  7. ↑ Maslin, Janet (7 April 1995). "FILM REVIEW; Johnny Depp With a Don Juan Complex (Published 1995)" . The New York Times .
  8. ↑ Ebert, Roger (April 7, 1995). "Don Juan DeMarco movie review (1995)". Chicago Sun-Times .
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.