It is unusual to find a film that is able to effectively change direction, speaking in the genre sense, without losing steam, confusing viewers, or ruining the flow of the movie. Yet, when properly done, these twists and turns can take you on a wild and entertaining ride to somewhere completely unexpected. This is what the 1986 motion picture Something Wild does effortlessly.
Written by E. Max Frye and directed by Jonathan Demme, who is best known for directing the classic thriller Silence of the Lambs, the plot follows nice guy Charlie Driggs (Jeff Daniels), who definitely has a rebellious element hidden within, as he randomly joins Lulu (Melanie Griffith), who offers him a ride to work after catching him skipping out on a restaurant bill. It does not take him long to figure out that she is not taking him to downtown New York, but rather, to whereabouts unknown.
Lulu is the opposite of Charlie. She is a spur-of-the-moment wild child who is out for a good time. This supposedly married man and uninhibited woman start a romantic affair that takes our protagonist in wholly unexpected directions. From seedy motels and robbing liquor stores, to picking up hitchhikers and meeting Lulu’s (her real name is Audrey) mother, Charlie is taken on an eye-opening ride in a way that he has never done or imagined before.
The trip finally leads them to Lulu’s highschool reunion. Charlie, who has become a better liar by this time, plays along that he is her husband. During the evening, Charlie bumps into Larry Dillman (Jack Gilpin), an accountant at the firm where Charlie will become vice president on Monday, and he fears this affair could ruin him. Gilpin adds great humour to the Dillman character as he clearly idolizes Charlie and supports his questionable actions throughout the event.
The first half of the movie is really a lighthearted and entertaining romantic comedy. Despite some of the immoral acts the two commit, we see both of our characters flourish and grow, something that is especially needed for Charlie. But this is where the movie takes a much darker turn.
In walks Ray Sinclair (Ray Liotta), who seems like an alright guy, but we know that this is not so, partially due to Lulu’s reaction mixed with the knowledge that Liotta would become typecast for his crazy and violent characters in the future. Ray turns this movie upside down. It does not take long for violence to commence and soon after Ray kidnaps Lulu and tells Charlie to beat it – sending him on his way with a broken nose.
But this is not the Charlie that we were first introduced to. He returns to his car and follows his new love in private-eye fashion. He times things perfectly and is able to retrieve Lulu, yet it does not take long for Ray to track them down – leading to a violent conclusion. As you will see, this portion of the film becomes a high-intensity thriller that changes the direction in which the story was headed. Despite this turn, the evolutionary arc of Charlie along with the ever-present humourous undertones ensure that these two clashing genres stay satisfyingly connected.
The performances in this film must also be discussed. Melanie Griffith is on top of her game as the free-wheeling and fun-loving female. She is completely believable in this role. Jeff Daniels plays the straight-laced nice guy to a T. Ray Liotta plays the diabolical villain with excellent range. We now know that he can play crazy with the best of them, yet there is also something bizarrely likable about him in this role. It must also be mentioned that if he has become typecast, it is because of excellent early roles such as these (this was his first major film debut).
There are so many memorable moments in this film. The entire reunion is classic, but the entertaining dance scene between Charlie and Lulu is special. Also, there are two scenes that will remind some people of Dumb & Dumber. Firstly, the final diner scene is iconic as Charlie finds enough nerve to stand up to Ray in order to rescue Lulu. He does this in a clever comedic fashion and all three of the stars elevate their game to make this scene pure perfection. This may remind some people of the Cam Neely cameo where he plays Seabass in the Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels’ comedy. They use a similar trick to get away and Carrey claims that he saw it in a movie. This scene is a reference to Something Wild. Secondly, there is a hitchhiker sing-along in a car that will also remind us of the Farrelly brothers’ comedy.
Something Wild is a film that melds two genres together flawlessly. Half romantic-comedy, half thriller, this movie never loses its edge. Jonathan Demme creates an oddly charming film full of twists and turns that shows Charlie the other side of life – proving that old adage ‘you can never go home again’.
Part of the Criterion Collection