Criterion | 1986 | 113 min | Rated R
1986’s Something Wild is a quirky movie that is often lost in the shuffle of director Jonathan Demme’s filmography. It was his first dramatic film following Swing Shift two years earlier, a terrible experience that caused him to consider leaving filmmaking all together. Fortunately for film fans, Demme persevered, and has directed some of the finest films of the past twenty-five years.
With Something Wild, Demme cashed in on a new screen type in the 1980s: the Yuppie. Charlie Driggs (Jeff Daniels) is an uptight Wall Street tax-accountant, Lulu Hankel (Melanie Griffith), is a sexy, free spirit. They meet in a Manhattan luncheonette, where Lulu spots Charlie beating a check. After confronting him outside, Lulu offers Charlie a ride to his office but instead takes him to a sleazy New Jersey motel.
A newly appointed vice-president of a big consultant firm, Charlie protests he has all kinds of work to do. Besides, his wife and children are waiting for him in his suburban house. His protests fall on deaf ears. Lulu stops at a liquor store to pick up some scotch, and in the process, cleans out the cash register. At the motel, Lulu handcuffs Charlie to the bedpost, rips his clothes, and makes love to him in a way he never thought possible.
When we first meet Charlie, he’s you’re typical conservative guy, wearing a starched shirt and a suit, like a 1980s version of Gregory Peck in The Man with the Gray Flannel Suit. Wearing a little black outfit, Lulu dons a Louise Brooks pageboy wig; Lulu is Brooks’s best-known screen role.
The two head to Pennsylvania where Lulu’s mother (Dana Preu) lives. Lulu introduces Charlie as her husband – right before she reveals to Charlie that her real name is Audrey. Though mom doesn’t believe her daughter and Charlie are legally married, she allows him to help her with the dishes. Shortly after, Audrey takes Charlie to a high-school reunion where they meet Larry (Jack Gilpin) and his pregnant wife Peggy (Su Tissue). Consequently, Larry and Charlie work in the same building in New York City.
The reunion turns into a nightmare when Audrey’s former husband, the psychotic Ray Sinclair (Ray Liotta) shows up. Though Ray tells Charlie to go back to New York where he belongs; Charlie is convinced Audrey is worth fighting for. Surprised and outraged, Ray decides to teach Charlie a lesson he’ll remember for the rest of his life.
Initially, Charlie and Lulu could not have been more different. Th,at is, until Charlie reveals dark secrets, and several vulnerabilities that makes the two seem like kindred spirits. They are both damaged people, and their journey gives them the clarity to realize that life is only worth living if they have someone to share it with.
Demme’s direction is careful, but allows the cast room to freely inhabit their characters. Some of the most memorable scenes in the film are improvisations. Griffith, cute and pixyish, is irresistible. Daniels is absolutely hilarious, and Liotta, in his first major role, shines.
Something Wild is presented in the director’s approved aspect ratio of 1:78:1. Director of photography Tak Fujimoto supervised the restoration and the final high-definition digital transfer was approved by director Jonathan Demme. As is most often the case with Criterion, the transfer here is fantastic. Colors are vibrant. Contrast and detail are very good for a standard definition DVD.
Something Wild is presented in 2.0 Surround. Clear throughout, there are no noticeable pops, crackles, or other defects. All channels are used as much as a 2.0 track can provide.
Subtitles are presented in English SDH.
We get the following special features:
- Trailer – the original theatrical trailer for Something Wild. (3 min).
- Interviews:– Jonathan Demme – a long and very informative interview with the director of Something Wild in which he discusses the cast, the various changes and improvisations that found their way in to film, its unique characters, the film’s unusual soundtrack, etc. (34 min).
— E. Max Frye – in this interview, screenwriter E. Max Frye recalls how Something Wild came to exist, some of the changes that were made from the original script, etc. (10 min).
- Booklet – 16-page illustrated booklet containing David Thompson’s essay “Wild Things” (the author writes on film, co-edited the book Scorsese on Scorsese, and directs arts documentaries, often on filmmakers, including Jean Renoir, and Robert Altman).
