The Brown Bunny (2003)
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A motorcycle racer on a cross-country journey is haunted by memories of a former lover.
The story
Motorcycle racer Bud Clay undertakes a cross-country drive, following a race in New Hampshire, in order to participate in a race in California. All the while he is haunted by memories of his former lover, Daisy. On his journey he meets three women, but Bud seems to be a lost soul, and he is unable to form an emotional connection with any of them. He first meets Violet at a gas station in New Hampshire and persuades her to join him on his trip. They stop at her home in order to get her clothes, but he drives off as soon as she enters the house.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Motorcycle racer Bud Clay undertakes a cross-country drive from New Hampshire to California, haunted by memories of his former lover, Daisy. Along the way, he encounters several women—Violet, Lilly, and Rose—but remains emotionally detached. After visiting Daisy's parents and a pet store, he eventually reaches a point where he meets Daisy in a hotel. They share a tense, intimate encounter where she performs unsimulated fellatio. During their argument, it is revealed that Daisy was pregnant and the baby died after she was raped at a party, an event Bud witnessed but did not intervene in. The film reveals that the encounter with Daisy was a figment of Bud's imagination; he is actually alone in his truck in California, still seeking what he needs.
- First release year
- 2003
- Runtime (minutes)
- 119
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Vincent Gallo
- Writers
- Vincent Gallo · writer
- Cast and characters
- Vincent Gallo · Bud Clay; Chloë Sevigny · Daisy Lemon; Cheryl Tiegs · Lilly; Elizabeth Blake · Rose; Anna Vareschi · Violet; Mary Morasky · Mrs. Lemon
- Genres
- independent; erotic; romance; road drama
- Themes
- masculinity; depression; loneliness; social alienation; romantic love; self-esteem
- Tone and mood
- somber; raw; gripping
- Premise and plot tags
- road movie; experimental; unsimulated sex
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 47% · scale: percentage · review count: 96; Metacritic · score: 51 · scale: 100 · review count: 30
- Awards and nominations
- FIPRESCI Prize · Viennale · win
- Production trivia
- Gallo personally painted Bud's motorcycle dozens of times to get the right shade of gold.; The film's title is evoked three times within the film, referencing a pet bunny, a bunny in a pet store, and a chocolate bunny.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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