Mulholland Drive (2001)
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An aspiring actress and a woman with amnesia form an unlikely bond in the surreal landscape of Los Angeles.
The story
In the surreal landscape of Los Angeles, an aspiring actress named Betty Elms meets a woman named Rita who has recently survived a car accident and is suffering from amnesia. The two become companions as they navigate the city's mysteries. Meanwhile, a Hollywood director named Adam Kesher faces intense pressure from the criminal underworld to cast a specific actress in his upcoming film. As the lives of the two women and the struggling director intertwine, the narrative blurs the lines between reality and dream, creating a haunting atmosphere of mystery and uncertainty.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film follows Betty Elms, an aspiring actress, and Rita, a woman with amnesia following a car crash on Mulholland Drive. They discover a blue key and cash in Rita's purse. Simultaneously, director Adam Kesher is pressured by the mob to cast a specific actress, Camilla Rhodes. The narrative eventually shifts to reveal a parallel reality involving Diane Selwyn, a struggling actress who looks like Betty. It is revealed that Diane's life is a tragic spiral involving a failed romance with Camilla and a desperate attempt to escape her reality. The film concludes with a revelation of the true nature of the characters' identities and the tragic end of Diane Selwyn, while the first half's events are revealed as a dreamlike construction.
- First release year
- 2001
- Runtime (minutes)
- 146
- Production countries
- United States; France
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- David Lynch
- Writers
- David Lynch · writer
- Cast and characters
- Naomi Watts · Betty Elms; Laura Harring · Rita; Justin Theroux · Adam; Ann Miller; Robert Forster
- Genres
- mystery; surrealist; neo-noir
- Themes
- identity; fame; reality vs. dreams
- Tone and mood
- dreamlike; mysterious; surreal
- Premise and plot tags
- mystery; neo-noir; surrealism
- Source material / true-story basis
- television pilot
- Reception
- The film received widespread critical acclaim and is frequently cited as one of the greatest films of the 2000s and the 21st century, though it received some criticism for its lack of clear narrative logic.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 84% · scale: percentage · review count: 264
- Awards and nominations
- Best Director · Cannes Film Festival · Win; Best Director · Academy Award · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was originally conceived as a television pilot for ABC.; Lynch cast Naomi Watts and Laura Harring based on their photographs.; The film was publicized with cryptic posters bearing the abbreviation 'Mulholland Dr.'
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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