Heart Against Hearts

Wild at Heart is a 1990 American Southern Gothic black comedy romantic crime film written and directed by David Lynch, based on the 1989 novel of the same name by Barry Gifford. Starring Nicolas Cage, Laura Dern, Willem Dafoe, Crispin Glover, Diane Ladd, Isabella Rossellini, and Harry Dean Stanton, the film follows Sailor Ripley (Cage) and Lula Fortune (Dern), a young couple who go on the run across the Southern United States from Lula's domineering mother (Ladd) and the criminals she hires to kill Sailor. Lynch had intended only to produce the film, but after reading Gifford's book, he decided to write and direct it as well. He disliked the ending of the novel, in which Sailor and Lula are separated, and decided to change it after discussing it with Gifford, who told him that in the sequel novel he was writing “They get back together, and they stay together, and they live to a ripe old age together.” The film is noted for its extensive allusions to The Wizard of Oz and Elvis Presley. Early test screenings for the film were poorly received, with Lynch estimating that at least 200 people walked out due to its graphic content. Wild at Heart premiered at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival, where it controversially won the Palme d'Or, the festival's grand prize. The film was theatrically released in the United States on August 17, 1990, to polarized reviews from critics. It grossed $14 million against its $10 million budget, which was considered a box-office disappointment. Ladd was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance, and the film received or was nominated for several other awards. The film has been positively reevaluated by critics in the years since its release.