Broken Flowers (2005)

Director:

Jim Jarmusch

Writers:

Jim Jarmusch (written by)
Bill Raden (inspired by an idea from) ...
(more)

Release Date:

26 August 2005 (Iceland)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

Sometimes life brings some strange surprises.

Plot:

As the devoutly single Don Johnston is dumped by his latest girlfriend, he receives an anonymous pink letter informing him that he has a son who may be looking for him. The situation causes Don to examine his relationships with women instead of moving on to the next one, and he embarks on a cross-country search for his old flames who might possess clues to the mystery at hand.

Plot Keywords:

Flowers | Pink | Letter | Friend | Neighbor

Awards:

4 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Bill Murray	...	Don Johnston
Julie Delpy	...	Sherry
Heather Simms	...	Mona (as Heather Alicia Simms)
Brea Frazier	...	Rita
Jarry Fall	...	Winston and Mona's Kid (as Jarry)
Korka Fall	...	Winston and Mona's Kid
Saul Holland	...	Winston and Mona's Kid (as Saul)
Zakira Holland	...	Winston and Mona's Kid
Niles Lee Wilson	...	Winston and Mona's Kid
Jeffrey Wright	...	Winston
Meredith Patterson	...	Flight Attendant
Jennifer Rapp	...	Girl on Bus
Nicole Abisinio	...	Girl on Bus
Ryan Donowho	...	Young Man on Bus
Alexis Dziena	...	Lolita
Sharon Stone	...	Laura Daniels Miller
Frances Conroy	...	Dora
Christopher McDonald	...	Ron
Dared Wright	...	Rabbit Owner
Chloë Sevigny	...	Carmen's Assistant
Suzanne Hevner	...	Mrs. Dorston
Jessica Lange	...	Carmen
Brain McPeck	...	Guy in S.U.V. (as Brain F. McPeck)
Matthew McAuley	...	Guy in S.U.V.
Chris Bauer	...	Dan
Larry Fessenden	...	Will
Tilda Swinton	...	Penny
Pell James	...	Sun Green
Mark Webber	...	The Kid
Homer Murray	...	Kid in Car
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rachel Puchkoff	...	Girl in House (unconfirmed) (uncredited)

Directed by
Jim Jarmusch

Writing credits
Jim Jarmusch		(written by)
Bill Raden		(inspired by an idea from) and
Sara Driver		(inspired by an idea from)

Produced by
Jon Kilik	....	producer
Ann Ruark	....	co-producer
Stacey E. Smith	....	producer (as Stacey Smith)
Karen L. Thorson	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Mulatu Astatke

Cinematography by
Frederick Elmes		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Jay Rabinowitz

Casting by
Ellen Lewis

Production Design by
Mark Friedberg

Art Direction by
Sarah Frank

Set Decoration by
Lydia Marks

Costume Design by
John A. Dunn		(as John Dunn)

Makeup Department
Milton Buras	....	hair stylist: Sharon Stone
Judy Chin	....	key makeup artist
Frances Hannon	....	hair stylist: Bill Murray
Frances Hannon	....	makeup artist: Bill Murray
Mandy Lyons	....	key hair stylist

Production Management
Gwen Bialic	....	production supervisor
Ann Ruark	....	unit production manager
Karen L. Thorson	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sarah Rae Garrett	....	second second assistant director
Todd Pfeiffer	....	first assistant director
Shea Rowan	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Robert Barnett	....	camera scenic (as Bob Barnett)
Stephen Barth	....	scenic artist
Peter Bundrick	....	head carpenter (as Pete Bundrick)
Dominick Cocuzzo	....	construction grip
Ralph Contrado	....	scenic artist
Alex DiGerlando	....	art department coordinator
Lauren Doner	....	scenic foreman
Stephen Finkin	....	on-set dresser (as Steve Finkin)
Tanis Gray	....	art department assistant
Sandy Hamilton	....	property master
Richard Hebrank	....	construction coordinator (as Richie Hebrank)
Arlo Hoffman	....	set dresser
T.W. John House	....	construction grip (as John House)
Robert Keller	....	carpenter (as Bob Keller)
Lisa Kennedy	....	scenic artist
Jon Kim	....	set dresser
Rob Landoll	....	scenic artist
Elizabeth Linn	....	charge scenic
John Peter Melendez	....	set dresser (as John Melendez)
Michael Miller	....	construction grip
Kris Moran	....	assistant property master
Mark Pollard	....	graphic artist
Heather Prendergast	....	assistant set decorator
Will Scheck	....	leadman
Mark Paul Selemon	....	set dresser (as Mark Selemon)
Jonathan Tessler	....	additional props
Ajamu Walker	....	artwork
Don Zappia	....	construction grip
Tomas Zeman	....	art department intern

Sound Department
Coll Anderson	....	sound effects editor
Ryan Collison	....	foley recordist
Mark Goodermote	....	boom operator
Robert Hein	....	supervising sound editor
Drew Kunin	....	sound mixer
Terrance Laudermilch	....	re-recordist (as Terry Laudermilch)
Tommy Louie	....	sound utility
Jan McLaughlin	....	sound utility (as Jan Mclaughlin)
Sylvia Menno	....	dialogue editor
Glenfield Payne	....	sound effects editor
Jay Peck	....	foley artist
Kira Smith	....	sound utility
Dominick Tavella	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Dominick 'The Dominator' Tavella)
Marilyn Teorey	....	foley editor
David Wahnon	....	sound editor
Doug Winningham	....	sound effects recordist

Visual Effects by
J. John Corbett	....	visual effects
Mark Tureski	....	digital film recording
Keith Yurevitz	....	visual effects
Jan Cilliers	....	digital compositor: Big Film Design (uncredited)
Chris Halstead	....	digital compositor: Big Film Design (uncredited)

Stunts
Manny Siverio	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Bill Almeida	....	rigging gaffer (as William Almeida)
Robert M. Andres	....	key grip (as Robert Andres)
Liza Bambenek	....	camera loader
Alison Barton	....	grip
Angela Bellisio	....	second assistant camera
Hugo Bonilla	....	additional electric
Tony Campenni	....	dolly grip
Benjamin D'Andrea	....	grip
James Domorski	....	video playback: 24-frame
Samuel G. Friedman	....	best boy electric (as Sam Friedman)
Jamie Gallagher	....	generator operator
Carlos Omar Guerra	....	first assistant camera (as Carlos Guerra)
Sandy Hays	....	camera operator
Sandy Hays	....	steadicam operator
Jenny Kane	....	lamp operator
Jeff Keaton	....	additional electric
David Lee	....	still photographer
Jonathan Lumley	....	gaffer
John Panuccio	....	rigging grip (as Jack Panuccio)
Robert T. Prate	....	additional grip (as Robert Prate)
Dave Rudolph	....	additional electric (as David Rudolph)
Lee Shevett	....	additional grip
Chris Skutch	....	best boy grip
Phil Testa	....	generator operator: base camp
Adrian Truini	....	additional electrician

Casting Department
Jennifer Euston	....	casting associate (as Jen Euston)
Meghan Rafferty	....	casting assistant
Kristian Sorge	....	background casting associate
Grant Wilfley	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Stephanie Biear	....	seamstress
David Davenport	....	wardrobe supervisor
Amy Habacker	....	costumer
Rebecca Hofherr	....	wardrobe production assistant
Susan J. Wright	....	key costumer
Debbie Lucas	....	seamstress (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Noah Amos	....	apprentice editor
Jennifer Apel	....	first assistant editor
Sebastian Bear-McClard	....	editorial assistant
Lance Edmands	....	post-production intern
Jonathan Keogh	....	editing intern
Matt Mayer	....	first assistant editor
Perri Pivovar	....	first assistant editor
Cathy Rait	....	color timer
Mike Selemon	....	editorial assistant
Stan Sztaba	....	negative cutter
Joe Violante	....	dailies advisor

Music Department
Evan Greenspan	....	music clearances
Jay Rabinowitz	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Frank Appedu	....	driver
William Baker	....	driver (as Bill Baker)
Joe Blessington	....	driver
John Canavan	....	driver
Thomas Crehan	....	driver (as Tom Creehan)
James Giblin	....	driver (as James Giblin Jr.)
Paul Kane	....	driver
Jim Kelly	....	driver (as Jim Kelley)
Robert Lapine	....	driver (as Bob Lapine)
Jimmy Mahr	....	driver (as Jim Mahr)
Eugene O'Neill	....	transportation captain (as Gene O'Neill)
Joshua Priestley	....	picture cars
John Queenie	....	driver
J.R. Scarlatos	....	driver (as Stratis Scarlatos Jr.)

Other crew
Tara Anderson	....	intern
Randall Balsmeyer	....	title designer
Daniela Barbosa	....	set production assistant
Dawn Barkan	....	animal trainer
Megha Barnabas	....	intern
Brette Billow	....	intern
Anna Bosco	....	post-production accountant
Jason Boshart	....	set production assistant (as Jason Michael Boshart)
Costanza Theodoli Braschi	....	intern (as Cosi Theodoli-Braschi)
Liliana Candelario	....	intern
Iawann Carmona	....	intern (as Jawann Carmona)
Shaun Carroll Duffy	....	set production assistant
Anne Carson	....	production assistant
Victoria Cook	....	production legal
J. John Corbett	....	title designer
Stephen Delpino	....	assistant chef
Rachel Dengiz	....	production associate
Sara Driver	....	story advisor
Payton Dunham	....	location scout
Lance Edmands	....	intern
Jesse Eidsness	....	assistant: Jim Jarmusch
John B. Finn	....	post-production accountant: JFA, Inc. (as John Finn)
David Fischer	....	staff production assistant
Scott Franklin	....	intern
Shellie Gillespie	....	payroll accountant
Greg Gilman	....	set production assistant
Flax Glor	....	publicist
Amber Gristak	....	stand-in
Michael Hartel	....	assistant location manager
Tina Hartel	....	stand-in
Richard Heller	....	production legal
Sean Hogan	....	production accountant: JFA, Inc.
Steven Holtzman	....	production assistant
Joshua Huffman	....	office production assistant
Tom Jarmusch	....	location consultant
Debi Karolewski	....	assistant: Sharon Stone
Eric Kench	....	intern
David Laurentin	....	parking coordinator
Ilana Lifshitz	....	assistant production coordinator
Carter Logan	....	assistant: Jim Jarmusch
Adriana Machado	....	intern
Matthew Mason	....	set production assistant (as Matt Mason)
Carl McKinney	....	projectionist
Michael McNamara	....	intern
Jeremy Mohler	....	set production assistant
Kellie Morrison	....	location manager
Tony Muro	....	publicist
Frank Murray	....	assistant production accountant
George Nannas	....	chef
Julie Oppenheimer	....	script supervisor (as Julie 'Stanley' Oppenheimer)
Steve Oppenheim	....	set production assistant
Tony Osso	....	production coordinator
John Reeves	....	craft service (as Johnny Reeves)
Jessica Replansky	....	production secretary
Andrea Roa	....	office production assistant
Justin Rosini	....	location assistant
Jonathan Russek	....	production assistant
Christina Schaich	....	office production assistant
Jared A. Smith	....	location scout (as Jared Smith)
Ryan Smith	....	production legal
Yorgo Stathopoulos	....	location assistant
José Tejada	....	parking coordinator (as Jose Tejada)
José Tejada	....	security coordinator (as Jose Tejada)
Rob van de Laar	....	production assistant
Mark Van Holstein	....	location scout (as Mark Von Holstein)
David Velasco	....	location scout
Danny Velez	....	intern
Katrina Whalen	....	intern
T.G. Wilkinson	....	office intern (as Tom Wilkinson)
Dared Wright	....	stand-in
Andrew Yakovlev	....	intern

Thanks
Paul Auster	....	personal thanks
Jeanne Campbell	....	special thanks
Sarah Carlson	....	special thanks
Alexandra Cassavetes	....	personal thanks (as Xan Cassavetes)
Helen W. English	....	special thanks
Jean Eustache	....	dedicatee: for
Francis Falceto	....	special thanks
Craig Fox	....	personal thanks
Rena Fuchs	....	special thanks
Holly Golightly	....	personal thanks
Richard W. Haynes	....	special thanks
Anette Hidary	....	special thanks
Siri Hustvedt	....	personal thanks
Rennie Jaffe	....	special thanks
Ginger Johnson	....	special thanks
Patrick Keeler	....	personal thanks
Abebaw Kelkay	....	special thanks: the Ethiopian Football Federation
Jean Labadie	....	very special thanks
Jack Lawrence	....	personal thanks (as Jack 'The Product' Lawrence)
Nemo Librizzi	....	personal thanks
Julie Lipsius	....	special thanks
Teodore Ludwiczak	....	special thanks
Lee Myles	....	special thanks
James Nares	....	personal thanks
Anton Newcombe	....	personal thanks
Pat Padgett	....	personal thanks (as Pat)
Ron Padgett	....	personal thanks
Fred Perry	....	special thanks
James Pollard	....	special thanks (as Jim Pollard)
Mark Pollard	....	special thanks
Isabel Riley	....	special thanks
Joe Sacco	....	special thanks
Luc Sante	....	personal thanks
Christie Scheele	....	special thanks
Lola Schnabel	....	personal thanks
Jim Sotet	....	personal thanks
Ajamu Walker	....	special thanks (as Ajamu Kojo * Chioke Walker)
Bart Walker	....	titanium respect and thanks
Joan Waltemath	....	personal thanks
Ron Wilber	....	special thanks
Linda Williams	....	personal thanks
Antony Zito	....	personal thanks (as Zito)

Production Companies

• Focus Features (presents)
• Five Roses (producer)
• Bac Films (produced in association with)

Distributors

• A-Film Distribution (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Bac Films (2005) (France) (theatrical)
• Bazuca Films (2005) (Chile) (theatrical)
• Distribution Company (2006) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Filmcoopi Zürich (2005) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Focus Features (2005) (USA) (theatrical)
• Hollywood Classic Entertainment (2005) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Odeon (2005) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Shaw Organisation (2006) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• TOBIS Film (2005) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Vértigo Films (2005) (Spain) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD) (retail)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2008) (UK) (TV) (BBC2)
• Canvas (2008) (Belgium) (TV)
• Europa Filmes (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Group Power (2006) (Taiwan) (all media)
• Momentum Pictures (2005) (UK) (all media)
• Movie Bank (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD) (rental)
• Prorom Media-Trade (2006) (Romania) (all media)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2006) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Big Film Design (visual effects)

Other Companies

• ADCO/United Rentals  lifts and cranes (as United Rentals)
• AON/Albert G. Ruben Insurance Services  insurance brokers (as AON/Albert G. Ruben)
• ARRI  filmed with: ARRIFLEX Cameras
• American Playback Images (I)  courtesy of (cartoon clip "Always Gets His Man")
• Bell Racing  special thanks
• Big Film Design  title design
• Bowtie  special thanks
• Budget Rent-a-Car  special thanks (as Budget Rent A Car)
• Camera Service Center  cameras and lenses (as CSC)
• Camera Service Center  electric equipment (as CSC)
• City National Bank  production banking
• Classic Restorations of Sloatsburg  special thanks (as Classic Restorations of Sloatsburg, NY)
• Cosmo's Cosmos  special thanks
• Creative Mega Playground  dailies telecine
• Criterion Collection, The  special thanks
• DFN Gallery  special thanks
• Daewoo Export Co. Ltd.  special thanks (as Daewoo)
• Decca Records  soundtrack
• Dell Books  artwork courtesy of ("Stranger In Town" by Brett Halliday) (as Dell Publishing)
• Democracy Now  special thanks
• Entertainment Partners  payroll services
• Essex Fine Art Gallery  special thanks
• Estate of Roger Tory Peterson  courtesy of: Field Guide Art
• Evan M. Greenspan  music clearance
• Fifty-Six Hope Road Music  special thanks (as Bob Marley Estate)
• Film Finance  completion bond (as Film Finances)
• Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz  production legal (as Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz PC)
• Granada International  courtesy of (footage from "The Private Life Of Don Juan")
• Grandview Pictures  special thanks
• Grant Wilfley Casting  background casting
• Hudson River Stage, The  stage (as Hudson River Stages)
• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  this picture made under the jurisdiction of (as I.A.T.S.E.)
• JFA  accounting: production/post-production
• Jaffe Entertainment  product placement
• Janus Films  special thanks
• Las Venus  special thanks
• MapQuest.com  used with permission (MapQuest and MapQuest.com name, logo and maps © 2004)
• Mercedes Benz USA  special thanks (as Mercedes Benz)
• Moet & Chandon  special thanks
• Natexis Banques Populaires  production funding
• New Jersey Film Commission  special thanks
• New York City Mayor's Office of Film, Theater & Broadcasting, The  special thanks (as New York City Mayor's Office For Film, Theater, And Broadcasting)
• New York Grip Truck  grip equipment (as New York Grip)
• New York State Governor's Office for Motion Picture & Television Development  special thanks
• Pee Wee's Cycle of Riverdale, NJ  special thanks
• Phaidon Press  special thanks
• Post Factory NY  editing facility (as Post Factory)
• Premiere Caterers  catering
• Primedia  special thanks
• Sound One Corporation  sound services (as Sound One Corp.)
• T-Mobile  special thanks
• Taschen  special thanks
• Technicolor New York  film dailies (as Technicolor NY)
• Tommy Hilfiger  special thanks
• Westchester County Film Commission, The  special thanks

Also Known As:

Dead Flowers (USA) (working title)
Untitled Jim Jarmusch Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some graphic nudity and brief drug use.

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA | France

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | Australia:M | Norway:A | Finland:K-7 | Ireland:15A | Singapore:M18 | Hong Kong:IIA | Germany:o.Al. | Sweden:11 | Belgium:KT | Netherlands:MG6 | Brazil:14 | Mexico:B15 | Singapore:NC-16 (edited version) | USA:R (#41745) | Malaysia:U | France:U | Argentina:13 | Hungary:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Canada:14A | Iceland:L | South Korea:18 | Malaysia:18SX | New Zealand:M | Canada:PG (British Columbia) | Canada:G (Québec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Hudson River Stages, Yonkers, New York, USA

Company:

Focus Features

Trivia:

Jim Jarmusch finished the script in two and a half weeks.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: As can be evidenced by the symbols on the airport signs (the letters A, B, and C, individually, are in the center of rounded triangles, designating sections of the airport) Newark Airport (NJ) was used for each of the airport scenes, although Murray's character was supposedly going to many different places in the US.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Sherry: I pretty much have all my stuff.
[picks up mail]
Sherry: Looks like you got a love letter from one of your other girlfriends.

Movie Connections:

References Dolemite (1975)

Soundtrack:

Alone in the Crowd

A low-key picaresque

Barely dramatic, thematic but enigmatic, that's Jim Jarmusch's Broken Flowers. His Stranger than Paradise was exactly that, a Cleveland road trip to existential uncertainty. In Broken Flowers, Bill Murray as Don Johnston is also on a trip, but more certain of his goal than anyone in Stranger, for he seeks out his alleged son by visiting former lovers, one of whom anonymously wrote that she had borne him a child 19 years ago.

The formidable women, including a randy Sharon Stone happily lampooning her film persona and Tilda Swinton, tougher and more dangerous than all the others in her biker mom role, never really sway him from seeking his son or finding himself. Beyond discovering that you can't change the past of "an over-the-hill Don Juan," much less understand him, reflected in the depressing but authentic lack of communication with all but one of his wives, Murray may have discovered on his low-key picaresque a truer self than he had ever known before. He may be beaten up physically, he may be unable to close the case of his putative son, and he may have divorced himself from his millionaire persona as a computer whiz, but he remains a deeply calm, lonely wanderer in his effort to solve his case.

An amateur detective, neighbor Winston has the spirit and energy Don does not have, yet Don is deeper and more reflective. In fact he outstrips all of his former loves in kindness and caring in calm response to often explosive situations, for instance when Stone's daughter, Lolita, comes on to him only to find he is not available.

I complain American films are not sophisticated like Euro flicks, but Jarmusch has come close with this slow, laconic, and demanding indie. Hats off to Bill Murray for mixing minimalist with passionate this time around—his purpose and his change of character make his aging Hollywood star Bob from Lost in Translation just a dress rehearsal for this Oscar-worthy performance and film.

Perhaps Don's discovery is twofold: his potential to love others and himself. As Alexander Smith declared, "Love is but the discovery of ourselves in others, and the delight in the recognition."