Mulholland Dr. (2001)

Director:

David Lynch

Writer (WGA):

David Lynch (written by)

Release Date:

26 October 2001 (Canada)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

A Love Story In The City Of Dreams

Plot:

After a car wreck on the winding Mulholland Drive renders a woman amnesic, she and a perky Hollywood-hopeful search for clues and answers across Los Angeles in a twisting venture beyond dreams and reality.

Plot Keywords:

Based On Dream | Gay Interest | Profanity | Avant Garde | Violence

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 33 wins & 30 nominations

Cast

Naomi Watts	...	Betty Elms / Diane Selwyn
Laura Harring	...	Rita (as Laura Elena Harring)
Ann Miller	...	Catherine 'Coco' Lenoix
Dan Hedaya	...	Vincenzo Castigliane
Justin Theroux	...	Adam Kesher
Brent Briscoe	...	Detective Neal Domgaard
Robert Forster	...	Detective Harry McKnight
Katharine Towne	...	Cynthia Jenzen
Lee Grant	...	Louise Bonner
Scott Coffey	...	Wilkins
Billy Ray Cyrus	...	Gene
Chad Everett	...	Jimmy Katz
Rita Taggart	...	Linney James
James Karen	...	Wally Brown
Lori Heuring	...	Lorraine Kesher

Also Known As:

Mulholland Drive (France) (USA) (closing credits title)
Camino de los sueños, El (Argentina) [es]
Cidade dos Sonhos (Brazil) [pt]
Mulholand Drive: Calea misterelor (Romania) [ro]
Mulholland Drive (Spain) [es]
Mulholland Drive (Germany) [de]
Mulholland Drive (Denmark) [da]
Mulholland Drive (Italy) [it]
Mulholland Drive (Hungary) [hu]
Mulholland Drive (Finland) [fi]
Mulholland Drive - Straße der Finsternis (Austria) [de]
Odos Mulholland (Greece) [el]
Straße der Finsternis (Germany) (TV title) [de]
Sueños, misterios y secretos (Mexico) [es]

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language and some strong sexuality.

Runtime:

145 min

Country:

France | USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:R21 (cut) | Italy:T | Iceland:16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Belgium:KNT | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:18A (British Columbia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Finland:K-15 | France:U | Germany:16 | Ireland:15 | Israel:16 (TV rating) | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:16 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #37982)

Filming Locations:

7400 West Franklin Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Les Films Alain Sarde

Trivia:

The Cowboy has no eyebrows. This was done to give the character a more subtle, disturbing appearance.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: During the long tracking shot of the mob goon (Kenny) entering the director's house, a crew member is reflected in the window.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Rita: What are you doing? We don't stop here.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Pervert's Guide to Cinema (2006)

Soundtrack:

Crying

love lynch, or hate lynch, admit he's a master

"twin peaks" and "blue velvet" have always been two of my favourite pieces of film-making, and even though past films by lynch have been slightly disappointing for me they have always been worth watching a number of times. to be pretentious, lynch can be like a good wine - he must be savoured and mulled over. but in the end you must make up your own mind about what you have seen, for lynch never gives you the full answers.

many people will walk out of "mulholland drive" possibly wanting to throttle themselves over the mind-bending visual jigsaw puzzle that has just unfolded before them. but there is a twisted logic to this film, you just have to look for the clues. betty (naomi watts) arrives in hollywood, doe-eyed and in search of stardom. she then finds an amnesiac in her bathroom who has escaped from an attempted murder on mulholland drive. together they try to uncover the secrets behind the amnesiac's life. this all leads to a club called silencio, where a blue box will reveal all. and that is when the film throws everything out the window. people we thought we knew are entirely different people altogether... is it a dream? a reminiscence about life's previous escapades? you will either love this film or hate it. david lynch always draws such extreme reactions from his viewers. but as his universe itself is always about extremes, it is fitting that his films provoke such reactions.

It is best to look at this film thematically, rather than as a straight-forward narrative. and appreciate the fact that lynch is a film-maker who will still let you draw your own conclusions. he has had many imitators as of late, particularly in "vanilla sky", where a mind-bending film decides to give you all the answers in the last rushed five minutes, and you will probably forget about that film as soon as you walk out of the cinema. mulholland drive will haunt you.