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Choose Me
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAlan Rudolph
Written byAlan Rudolph
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJan Kiesser
Edited byMia Goldman
Music by
Production
company
Distributed byIsland Alive
Release dates
  • May 1984 (1984-05) (Cannes)
  • August 29, 1984 (1984-08-29) (United States)[1]
Running time
106 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$835,000[2]
Box office$2.5 million[3]

Choose Me is a 1984 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Alan Rudolph, starring Geneviève Bujold, Keith Carradine, and Lesley Ann Warren. Set in 1980s Los Angeles, the film follows the romantic lives of several characters in and around a dive bar, including its owner, Eve; Mickey, a drifter recently released from a psychiatric hospital; and Nancy, a French radio host of a romance advice show who has recently become Eve's roommate.

Plot

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A man named Mickey is released from a mental hospital where his stories are perceived as lies. Looking for someone named Eve, he returns to Los Angeles. Mickey eventually arrives at a bar called "Eve". Its new owner is a former call girl also named Eve. According to her, she bought the bar after the old owner killed herself, "over some guy". Eve refuses to commit to any one man, thinking that she ruined too many marriages to have one of her own. That night, Eve rebuffs Mickey's advances and has sex with a bartender, while avoiding Zack, the wealthy married man she is having an affair with.

That night, French radio talk show host Dr. Nancy Love dispenses relationship advice, despite the fact that she herself has been unable to maintain a successful relationship. She answers Eve's ad for a roommate to share her house and soon moves in. Concealing her identity, Nancy counsels Eve through her radio show. Meanwhile, Zack's wife Pearl secretly begins to haunt the bar hoping to catch him in flagrante.

Mickey returns to the bar the next night when he cannot pay for a bus ticket home to Las Vegas. Pearl talks to Mickey, who reveals that he taught poetry, was a photographer and was a former soldier. Pearl offers to get him into a hot card game where he can obtain the money for a ticket home. Mickey eventually kisses Pearl and asks her to marry him. She calls Mickey crazy, invites him to drop by her place, and gives him Eve's address and phone number. At the game, Mickey wins big, earning the ire of Zack. Zack warns Mickey not to return, before going to meet Eve. She in turn sends Zack away, announcing that their affair is over.

Mickey goes to Pearl's apartment to crash, and eventually begins taking pictures as she sleeps. Zack walks in and attacks Mickey, pulling a gun and taking back the money he lost. He slaps Pearl after Mickey runs out, assuming that they had sex.

Mickey calls Eve's house, and Nancy who answers the phone, invites him to come over and crash. When he arrives, Nancy tells him that Eve is not home. She allows him into the house, where he bathes and eats. She eventually snoops in his suitcase, finding memorabilia showing the truth of his stories and travels. The two later have sex. He then asks her to marry him and accompany him to Las Vegas. Nancy tells him to leave before she goes to work.

Eve calls into Nancy's show, torn between her attraction for Mickey and her fear of making another mistake. Nancy's post-coital euphoria overcomes her normal intellectual approach, and she encourages Eve to give in to her feelings. When Mickey comes looking for Eve at the bar that night, she is almost ready to let him into her life, when Zack appears and assaults Mickey again. Eve takes off while they are fighting, and at her home she is confronted by Nancy, who tells her everything. Nancy then proposes that they should "share" Mickey's affection. Devastated, Eve says that Nancy can have him, before rushing out.

Mickey returns to Eve's house to recover his suitcase. Zack finds him there and assaults him again. Mickey prevails, recovering the money and the suitcase. He tries to catch a ride to the bus station, but spies Eve on the roof of the bar, and races up to see her. She pulls a gun and threatens to kill herself until he does the same; Mickey pulls a gun and promises to shoot himself the moment Eve tells him to. Eve then breaks down and they embrace. While crying, Eve reveals that her gun is not loaded, and Mickey adds that his isn’t either.

Mickey and Eve later take a bus as a couple to Las Vegas. A fellow passenger eventually asks if they are gambling; Eve reveals that they are about to get married.

Cast

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Production

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Development

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Director Alan Rudolph had previously made the documentary Return Engagement (1983) for Island Alive, a newly-formed film company by Shep Gordon and Carolyn Pfeiffer.[4]

Gordon offered around $500,000 to commission Rudolph to direct a music video for "You're My Choice Tonight (Choose Me)" by Teddy Pendergrass, who was paralyzed in a 1982 car crash. Rudolph suggested making a feature film, for a few hundred thousand dollars more instead. Rudolph listened to the Pendergrass song repeatedly for inspiration, summarizing it as "romantic roulette".[5][6][7] Rudolph wrote the film's screenplay over the course of one week.[8]

Filming

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The film's production design budget was limited to around $10,000, with the major set being a smoke-filled bar.[9] Rudolph found a deserted street on the edge of downtown Los Angeles and created a neon-lit set for the film's fictional location, Eve's Lounge.[9] Both Choose Me and Night of the Comet (1984) used the 300 block of Boyd Street as a filming location.

Costume designer[10] Tracy Peacock Tynan[11] (Kenneth Peacock Tynan's daughter) recalls that budget was so small ($640,000) that she couldn’t budget second costumes for actors if outfits were damaged or needed dry cleaning.[12]

Principal photography was completed in three weeks.[8] According to Rudolph, "virtually everyone on the production was working at short money."[13][14]

Post-production

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Rudolph recalled that, "during editing, [he] wanted to use some old Teddy songs that unfortunately weren’t under Shep Gordon’s control. This would cost money we didn’t have so to pay for it, I agreed to take a directing job (Songwriter 1984) that everyone was turning down."[4]

Release

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Choose Me was screened out of competition at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival,[15] as well as other festivals, including the Toronto International Film Festival, and the Independent Spirit Awards.[16] It opened theatrically in the United States on August 29, 1984.[3]

Home media

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Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer released Choose Me on DVD in 2001.[17] The Criterion Collection released the film on 4K and Blu-ray on March 25, 2025, with a restoration supervised by director Alan Rudolph and producer David Blocker.[18]

Reception

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Box office

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Choose Me earned $2,490,233 at the United States box office.[3]

Critical response

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 95% of 20 critics' reviews are positive.[19] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 76 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

The film is reviewed favorably in Pauline Kael's eighth collection of film reviews State of the Art: "The love roundelay. Choose Me, written and directed by Alan Rudolph, on a budget of $835,000, is pleasantly bananas. The songs are performed by Teddy Pendergrass and he's just right. The entire movie has a lilting, loose, choreographic flow to it...it's giddy in a magical, pseudo-sultry way, it seems to be set in a poet's dream of a red-light district... this low-budget comedy-fantasy has some of the most entertaining (and best-sustained) performances I've seen all year."[20] Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert both praised the film on their television show, At the Movies.[21] Sheila Benson of the Los Angeles Times praised the film as "many-layered and funny... an L.A. flower, a neon orchid–hip, outrageous, and beautiful... If at times it teeters toward self-parody, it fortunately contains its own gyroscope, which keeps spinning in blissful romantic arcs."[22]

Janet Maslin, reviewing the film in The New York Times, wrote: "Fortunately, Mr. Rudolph has paid perhaps even more attention to the film's minor touches than he has to its central action. Abundant, well-chosen paintings and posters comment on the characters, and the supporting cast includes the painter Ed Ruscha in a small but conspicuous role."[23] Vincent Canby, reviewing the film, three months later, in The New York Times, wrote: "The cast...couldn't be better...There's a wonderful feeling of ensemble playing... plus Teddy Pendergrass, who is never seen but whose blues songs on the soundtrack underscore the screen action as if they were ironic subtitles, which are never to be taken too seriously, but simply enjoyed for the sly, knowing fun of them...Rudolph's favorite movie set is Los Angeles... as much a fairy-tale town as the Emerald City. It's this quality that makes Choose Me an adult fable of such expressive charm.[24]

Ted Mahar of The Oregonian described the film as a "paradoxical, complex comedy," praising the nuanced characters and Rudolph's screenplay.[25] Alan G. Artner of the Chicago Tribune also commended the film's portrayal of its characters, writing: "Rudolph puts his characters under a microscope where they keep wriggling until all of them have bumped. How each and every combination occurs is, at times, quite ingenious."[26]

In Cinefile.info, Ben Sachs writes that Choose Me shows the influence of Robert Altman, in juggling multiple characters, with the film evoking "an intoxicating, amorous mood, the bold neon colors and balletic camera movements evoking a world where love is always in the air. Alternately funny, seductive, and unnerving, Choose Me channels the chaotic rush of emotions that comes with falling in love as few other movies do."[27]

Further reading

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See also

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References

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Sources

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Choose Me is a 1984 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by . Starring as the enigmatic drifter , as the radio host Nancy (also known as Dr. Love), and as the nightclub owner , the film depicts the chance encounters and romantic entanglements among these characters amid the neon-lit nightlife of . The story revolves around Mickey, a mysterious stranger who arrives in the city and becomes involved with both Nancy, a relationship counselor grappling with her own romantic failures, and Eve, a former sex worker now running a dimly lit bar. Through a series of coincidences and intimate revelations, the narrative weaves themes of loneliness, desire, and the complexities of human connection, set against a backdrop of soul-infused soundtracks and shadowy urban aesthetics reminiscent of . Rudolph's direction emphasizes spontaneity and emotional ambiguity, avoiding conventional plot resolutions to mirror the unpredictability of love. Upon release, Choose Me received widespread critical acclaim for its innovative storytelling and strong performances, earning a 95% approval rating on based on 20 reviews. awarded it three and a half stars out of four, praising it as an "audaciously intriguing" work that captures the intricacies of modern romance through its blend of comedy and drama. The film solidified Rudolph's reputation as a distinctive voice in independent cinema, influencing later explorations of urban alienation and relational dynamics; it received a 4K restoration and was released on home media by in March 2025. It features a soundtrack with songs including the title track written and produced by , performed by , and a supporting role by , contributing to its atmospheric allure.

Synopsis and Cast

Plot

The film interweaves the lives of five principal characters navigating romantic longing and personal isolation in . , an enigmatic drifter fleeing a troubled past involving perceived lies that landed him in a mental institution, arrives in the city and seeks refuge at 's Lounge during a stormy night. There, he encounters , the bar's owner, a woman grappling with profound loneliness stemming from her history as a former , who cycles through fleeting affairs to stave off emotional emptiness. Their chance meeting sparks an intense attraction, leading to a passionate night together, where shares elaborate tales of his life—including covert CIA operations and space program exploits—that dismisses as fabrications yet finds her captivated by his sincerity. Parallel to this, Nancy, a charismatic radio host known as Dr. Love who dispenses sage advice on relationships to her late-night listeners, harbors her own unfulfilled craving for anonymous intimacy, refusing to reveal personal vulnerabilities on air. Eve, frustrated with her romantic woes, calls into Nancy's show under the pseudonym "Jane" seeking guidance, remaining unaware that Nancy, adopting the pseudonym "Ann" to maintain anonymity, soon becomes her roommate, ostensibly for research but truly to escape her solitude. Mickey, drawn to the airwaves, anonymously phones into Nancy's program, weaving a seductive narrative of desire that intrigues her; their paths cross fatefully on another rain-slicked evening, culminating in a clandestine liaison that deepens their connection and underscores themes of serendipitous longing. Complicating the entanglements is Zack, a married having an affair with despite his commitment to his wife, Pearl, who works as a at Eve's Lounge and contends with her own marital frustrations and poetic aspirations amid . As affections extend to both and Nancy—declaring profound love to each in intimate bar confessions that expose raw vulnerabilities—misunderstandings proliferate: grows jealous upon learning of involvement with her new roommate, while Zack's suspicions escalate into confrontations, mistaking Mickey for a rival threat. The intensifies through a series of coincidences, with anonymous calls and hidden identities fueling confusion, as characters grapple with desire's elusiveness and fate's capricious hand. The narrative builds to a climactic unraveling of secrets during a tense gathering at the bar, where revelations about genuine past and the true natures of Nancy and 's overlapping lives shatter illusions and force reckonings with isolation's toll. In a resolution blending and , and , having navigated the web of deceptions and passions, choose commitment, impulsively driving off to marry in , leaving echoes of unresolved yearnings for the others while affirming love's potential to bridge profound . Specific scenes, such as the initial rainy symbolizing fateful unions and the exchanges at Eve's Lounge illuminating desires unspoken, weave these thematic threads throughout.

Cast

The principal cast of Choose Me (1984) features an ensemble of actors portraying interconnected characters in a web of romantic entanglements. Keith Carradine stars as Mickey, a mysterious drifter and enigmatic storyteller whose evasiveness draws multiple women into his orbit. Lesley Ann Warren portrays Eve, the vulnerable yet resilient owner of a dimly lit lounge, embodying a mix of sensuality and emotional fragility following her divorce. Geneviève Bujold plays Nancy, a sophisticated radio psychiatrist known on air as Dr. Love, characterized by her intellectual detachment and professional poise amid personal turmoil. Patrick Bauchau appears as Zack Antoine, an obsessive private detective married to Pearl and having an affair with Eve, whose persistent surveillance adds tension to the group's dynamics. Rae Dawn Chong rounds out the core quintet as Pearl Antoine, Eve's quirky and naive employee in an abusive marriage, bringing a youthful, alcoholic vulnerability to the ensemble. Director , who had previously assisted on films like Nashville (1975), cast Altman regular in the lead role to leverage his improvisational skills honed in ensemble-driven projects. This choice aligned with Rudolph's atypical, improvised approach to the screenplay, which evolved from a music video concept into a character-focused narrative emphasizing invention under a limited budget. Lesley Ann Warren's selection as Eve further enhanced the film's intimate dynamic, with both Rudolph and Carradine later expressing admiration for her performance in retrospective discussions. The five leads—Mickey, Eve, Nancy, Zack, and Pearl—form a tightly woven ensemble, each character's distinct traits (such as charm masking deeper isolation and Nancy's analytical reserve) highlighting themes of desire and coincidence without relying on linear plot progression.

Production

Development

The development of Choose Me originated from director Alan Rudolph's commission to create a music video for singer Teddy Pendergrass's 1983 song "Choose Me (You're My Choice Tonight)." Instead of producing the short-form video, Rudolph envisioned expanding the seductive, anonymous tone of the track into a feature-length exploration of modern romance, with the song serving as the narrative's emotional core. Rudolph collaborated closely with producer Carolyn Pfeiffer, president of the newly formed Island Alive (a partnership between Island Records and Cineworld), which had previously distributed his films Roadie (1980) and Endangered Species (1982). This partnership enabled Island Alive's first in-house production, with initial financing estimated at $750,000–$850,000 to support Rudolph's intimate, low-budget vision. In 1983, Rudolph completed the screenplay in one week, infusing it with ensemble dynamics inspired by his mentor Robert Altman's overlapping character narratives and the shadowy intrigue of film noir aesthetics to evoke 1980s urban disconnection. Pre-production in early 1983 involved casting key roles, including Geneviève Bujold as the dual-persona radio host Nancy Love/Ann, Keith Carradine as the enigmatic drifter Mickey, and Lesley Ann Warren as bar owner Eve, alongside location scouting in Los Angeles to underscore themes of anonymity and fleeting romance—utilizing downtown alleyways, a 1940s-era Hollywood bar for Eve's Lounge, and Miracle Mile residences to capture the city's isolating nocturnal pulse.

Filming

Principal photography for Choose Me took place over 19 days in August 1983, entirely within , California. The production centered on a single primary set representing Eve's Lounge, with interiors filmed at a 1940s-era bar in Hollywood and exteriors constructed on a deserted downtown alleyway at 325 Boyd Street, enhanced with neon lighting to depict . Practical locations supplemented the shoot, including rainy streets around to cultivate a noir-inspired atmosphere, the radio station in North Hollywood for broadcast scenes, and a Miracle Mile residence for Eve's home. Cinematographer Jan Kiesser employed fluid, handheld techniques to accommodate the film's improvisational style, allowing actors to deliver naturalistic performances with minimal scripted rigidity. Low-budget constraints shaped the filming process, with the production's final cost approximately $1.3 million and a lean crew comprising fewer than 20 members, many of whom were relative newcomers eager to prove themselves, such as the editor and . Director prioritized actor-driven scenes, limiting takes to preserve spontaneity and emphasizing emotional authenticity over technical precision amid the resource limitations.

Post-production and Music

Post-production for Choose Me involved refining the footage captured during in , with editing handled by Mia Goldman to craft the film's distinctive narrative flow. The final runtime was set at 106 minutes, emphasizing a blend of realism and fantasy through jump cuts, overlapping dialogue, and dreamlike sequences that reflect the characters' emotional entanglements and illusions of love. The musical elements were integral to the film's atmosphere, featuring a soundtrack of soul, jazz, and reggae rather than a traditional orchestral score. Luther Vandross wrote and produced the title track "Choose Me (You're My Choice Tonight)," performed by Teddy Pendergrass, which served as an inspirational source for the film's name and marked Pendergrass's first major recording following his 1982 car accident. Additional key tracks included Pendergrass's "And If I Had," licensed at a cost of $75,000 through negotiations with its songwriters, and "Do What You Do," written by Cynthia Biggs and performed by Natalie Cole. The integration of these songs, alongside live jazz performances and reggae influences from artists like Toots and the Maytals, was facilitated by music supervisor Chris Blackwell of Island Records, enhancing the film's sultry, urban romance. Sound design in post-production incorporated diegetic radio broadcasts from the central character's sex-advice show, layered with ambient urban noises to amplify themes of isolation and longing amid the city's . further accentuated a moody, neon-infused aesthetic, with vibrant pinks and evoking a hazy, nocturnal dreamscape, as preserved and enhanced in the 2025 4K restoration supervised by director .

Release

Premiere

Choose Me had its world premiere at the 1984 in May 1984, screened out of competition. The film then made its U.S. in on August 24, 1984, and was screened at the later that month. The film received a in the United States starting August 24, 1984, in , followed by wider availability on August 29, 1984, distributed by Island Alive. Marketing campaigns emphasized the film's exploration of romantic entanglements and the allure of its leading actors, with promotional posters centering on and against a neon-lit backdrop suggestive of nocturnal intrigue. Internationally, Choose Me saw limited releases across beginning in late 1984, building on festival momentum from screenings at the Montréal World Film Festival in August 1984 and the in September 1984, where it earned the International Critics' Prize. The initial U.S. theatrical run opened in 2 theaters, expanding to a maximum of 54 in key markets like , , and New York.

Home Media

Choose Me was first released on home video in 1985 via VHS, distributed by . The film's debut on DVD came in 2001 from , offering a basic package that included the original theatrical trailer as its primary extra. Subsequent physical releases advanced the film's home viewing quality with the director-approved 4K UHD and Blu-ray special edition from , issued on March 25, 2025. This edition features a new 4K digital restoration supervised by director and producer , presented with an uncompressed monaural soundtrack; a new conversation between Rudolph and actor ; a new interview program featuring Rudolph, costume designer , producer , and production designer Steven Legler; excerpts from a 2001 interview with Rudolph at the Midnight Sun Film Festival; an essay by critic Beatrice Loayza; and the original theatrical trailer. In terms of , Choose Me became available for streaming on the Criterion Channel following its 2025 physical release, marking a shift from its limited accessibility in prior years, with no significant streaming agreements in place before 2020. The 2025 restoration efforts have enhanced its presentation in these formats, underscoring its enduring stylistic appeal.

Reception

Choose Me was produced on a modest of $850,000. The film grossed $2,490,233 at the domestic , achieving full domestic share with no significant international earnings reported. This resulted in a total worldwide gross of approximately $2.5 million, marking it as a profitable independent production given its low production costs. The film opened in limited release on August 29, 1984, earning $56,231 in its first weekend across a small number of theaters. It demonstrated strong longevity, with a legs ratio of 9.95, indicating sustained performance over multiple weeks through word-of-mouth in art-house circuits. By late 1984, it reached as high as number 22 on the weekend chart in December. In the context of 1984's blockbuster-dominated market, where films like amassed over $220 million domestically, Choose Me stood out as a successful indie release. Its festival buzz from premieres at , , , and contributed to its extended run and cult appeal in specialized venues.

Critical Response

Upon its release in 1984, Choose Me received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its atmospheric depiction of nightlife and the strong ensemble performances, though some noted issues with its narrative structure. awarded the film 3.5 out of 4 stars, commending the chemistry among the cast—particularly , , and —and Alan Rudolph's stylish direction, which blended elements of with contemporary romance in a spontaneous, character-driven manner. of highlighted the film's Altman-esque intimacy and the excellent casting, which created a sense of fluid, engaging dialogue among its lonely protagonists, but critiqued its loose plotting, slow exposition, and occasionally impenetrable slang as making the character revelations feel teasingly elusive. Aggregate review scores reflected this acclaim, with Choose Me earning a 95% approval rating on based on 20 reviews, where common praises centered on its evocative portrayal of urban isolation and romantic longing, alongside the performers' nuanced work. On , it scored 76 out of 100 from 8 critics, indicating generally favorable reception, with reviewers frequently lauding the film's moody setting and emotional authenticity while mildly faulting underdeveloped subplots and meandering conversations. In retrospective assessments, particularly following its 2025 inclusion in , the film has been reevaluated as a proto-indie romance that innovatively explores dynamics and the ambiguities of , emphasizing its rejection of traditional bourgeois norms in favor of raw, humanistic connections among its characters. Criterion essays underscore how Rudolph's low-budget aesthetic and focus on fleeting, bodily encounters positioned Choose Me as a pivotal work in the American independent cinema movement of the 1980s.

Accolades and Legacy

Choose Me received recognition at several major film festivals following its release. It was screened out of competition at the 1984 and played at the , , and , where it won the International Critics' Prize. At the Awards, director and writer earned the New Generation Award and a nomination for Best Screenplay. The film's legacy endures as a cornerstone of independent cinema, blending with aesthetics to explore themes of urban isolation and emotional ambiguity. Its stylized portrayal of lonely urbanites navigating desire and disconnection contributed to the independent film movement alongside works by contemporaries such as and . Scholarly analyses highlight its elements, such as brooding atmospheres and moral ambiguity, alongside feminist undertones in the depiction of female characters confronting sexual and emotional independence. Prior to 2001, Choose Me remained scarce in home video formats, limiting its accessibility beyond theatrical and festival viewings. issued its first DVD release that year, but the film's cult status grew modestly until The Criterion Collection's 4K UHD and Blu-ray edition on March 25, 2025, which included new interviews and restored visuals, reigniting appreciation for Rudolph's oeuvre. This release prompted retrospectives on Rudolph's career, emphasizing the film's synergy of jazz-infused music—featuring a with original songs by —and its evocative depiction of nocturnal city life as a for interpersonal longing.

References

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