Blue Velvet (1986)
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A college student's discovery of a severed ear in a field leads him into a dark criminal underworld.
The story
After his father suffers a near-fatal stroke, college student Jeffrey Beaumont returns to his hometown of Lumberton, North Carolina. While walking home from the hospital, he discovers a severed human ear in a vacant lot. This discovery leads him to a local police detective and eventually to a mysterious lounge singer named Dorothy Vallens. Intrigued by the connection between the ear and the singer, Jeffrey begins to investigate her life, leading him into a dangerous and unsettling criminal conspiracy involving a psychopathic gangster and a hidden underworld beneath the surface of his seemingly idyllic suburban community.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Jeffrey Beaumont finds a severed ear in a field and takes it to Detective John Williams. Williams's daughter, Sandy, links the ear to a lounge singer, Dorothy Vallens. Jeffrey poses as an exterminator to enter Dorothy's apartment, where he encounters a psychopathic gangster, Frank Booth, who is abusing her. Jeffrey begins a complex relationship with Dorothy while investigating her situation. He discovers that Frank is a drug lord and that Detective Williams's partner, Tom Gordon, is a corrupt cop. After a series of dangerous encounters and a high-speed chase, Jeffrey and Sandy are eventually separated. In the climax, Jeffrey discovers the truth about the 'Well-Dressed Man'—who is Frank in disguise—and shoots him. The film ends with Jeffrey and Sandy together, and Dorothy reunited with her family.
- First release year
- 1986
- Runtime (minutes)
- 120
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- David Lynch
- Writers
- David Lynch · writer
- Cast and characters
- Kyle MacLachlan · Jeffrey; Isabella Rossellini · Dorothy Vallens; Dennis Hopper · Frank Booth; Laura Dern · Sandy; Hope Lange; George Dickerson; Dean Stockwell
- Genres
- neo-noir; mystery; thriller
- Themes
- hidden truths; suburban decay; violence; voyeurism
- Premise and plot tags
- mystery; crime; psychological thriller
- Source material / true-story basis
- Original screenplay by David Lynch
- Reception
- The film initially received a divided critical response but has since been re-evaluated as a masterpiece and a cult classic, frequently cited as one of the greatest films of the 1980s.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 87% · scale: percentage · review count: 171
- Awards and nominations
- Independent Spirit Award · Best Female Lead · 1987 · win; Los Angeles Film Critics Association · Best Director · 1987 · win; Los Angeles Film Critics Association · Best Supporting Actor · 1987 · win; National Society of Film Critics · Best Film · 1987 · win; National Society of Film Critics · Best Director · 1987 · win; National Society of Film Critics · Best Cinematography · 1987 · win; National Society of Film Critics · Best Supporting Actor · 1987 · win; Academy Award · Best Director · 1987 · nomination; Golden Globe Award · Best Supporting Actor · 1987 · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film is named after a 1951 song.; The scene of the woman outside was inspired by a real-life experience Lynch had as a child.; The soundtrack was supervised by Angelo Badalamenti.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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