Bryn Mawr Film Institute hosted a special screening of Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) followed by a conversation with director Susan Seidelman and the Mawrters at the Movies podcast on Sept. 30. It was cosponsored by Bryn Mawr’s Program in Film Studies, Program in Gender and Sexuality Studies, Performing Arts Series, and Center for Visual Culture. Mawrters at the Movies is a podcast hosted by Bryn Mawr students in partnership with the BMFI. The event sold out to a crowd which included both college students and fans since the movie’s release, and book signings of Susan Seidelman’s memoir, Desperately Seeking Something, were available afterward.
Roberta Glass (Rosanna Arquette) is a dissatisfied suburban housewife living outside New York City who entertains herself by reading the personal ads in the newspaper and becomes fascinated with the cryptic messages that appear in newspapers across the country, always seeking Susan (Madonna), the lover of the ad’s author. When Susan arrives in New York City, Roberta’s curiosity—and desire to try on the identity of the mysterious, stylish, and independent woman—catches her up in the unfamiliar world of New York’s underground. After donning a jacket that belonged to Susan, she is mistaken for her, and after a bump to the head, begins to believe she may be Susan herself.
Roberta explores New York, finding freedom, adventure, and romance in the mix-up and narrowly avoiding danger from the mobsters after Susan—and stolen Egyptian artifacts. While trying on this identity so opposite to what her hot-tub-salesman husband supposes is hers, Roberta embarks on a journey of self-realization. And as Susan Seidelman suggested, Desperately Seeking Susan is more than just a screwball comedy—it’s a (platonic) love story between the two women.
Seidelman, a Philadelphia native, shared anecdotes of her experience as a female director at a time when the field was incredibly male dominated, this being her second movie and her first produced by a major studio. The movie’s mostly female team, rare for the time, played a part in creating the empathetic and complex portrayals of female characters. She also discussed working with Madonna, whose rapid rise to fame as a pop star with her album Like a Virgin occurred mid-production and caused a need for increased security during their filming in New York.
Seidelman explained how the movie parallels Alice in Wonderland, highlighting the differences between worlds by using static shots and a beige and pastel palette in Roberta’s home in Fort Lee, NJ, and moving cameras and bright colors in the gritty but exciting New York of the 80s where Roberta follows Susan down a metaphorical rabbit hole.
The film is full of shots where Susan and Roberta seem to be mirror images, from taking each other’s place in the same spot, to Roberta donning Susan’s iconic black jacket emblazoned with a pyramid (perhaps symbolizing her mystery) while Susan later tries on a jacket of Roberta’s. The human desire to try on another self is what drives the timeless relatability that has made Desperately Seeking Susan a cult classic.
