Desperately Seeking Susan
Housewife Roberta Glass of Fort Lee, New Jersey, is feeling restless in her life, where she has not taken any chances, including in her marriage to home spa retailer Gary Glass, who knows what to expect in her every move, and who is more concerned about his public image with respect to his business than her. If being honest, Gary would consider her uptight. She does have a few diversions, one of her favorite being reading the personal classifieds, most specifically those written by someone named Jim whose ads are always titled "Desperately Seeking Susan". Roberta gleans that Jim and Susan are in a relationship of sorts with the ads the only way for him to get in touch with her as she travels around the country. Obsessed with the pair, Roberta decides to go to Battery Park when the latest ad requests Susan meet Jim there. In her sighting from afar, Roberta can see that Susan is a wild, new wavish attired woman, to some extent a polar opposite to Roberta herself. Out of circumstance, Roberta is able to purchase Susan's easily identifiable leather jacket from a third party, which in the process leads to Roberta getting amnesia, further resulting in her being able to obtain all of Susan's personal possessions, making her believe that she must be who these possessions point to her being. This causes some confusion for Dez, a friend of Jim's who has never met Susan, and who Jim, a rock musician, asked to look after Susan in his needed absence out of town for a gig. Dez, a movie projectionist, can't help but fall for Roberta who he believes is Susan, while Roberta, in her newfound freedom, falls for Dez in return. What Roberta is unaware of, even before her amnesia, is that a criminal, Wayne Nolan, who has already killed once, is after Susan with regard to some priceless Egyptian earrings Susan has out of circumstance, he only knowing her from that iconic leather jacket. Susan does eventually learn this information about Wayne and thus tries to track down this mysterious woman who has stolen her possessions both to get back her stuff but also warn her about Wayne. Matters will only get more complicated as Gary gets closer to tracking down his missing wife, when Jim comes back into town looking for Susan, and if and when Roberta regains her memory.
Despite its tight budget of $4.5M, Desperately Seeking Susan became a box office phenomenon, earning $27.4M worldwide—a remarkable 509% return. The film's compelling narrative engaged audiences, demonstrating that strong storytelling can transcend budget limitations.
1 BAFTA Award2 wins & 6 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) demonstrates meticulously timed narrative design, characteristic of Susan Seidelman's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 44 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.3, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Roberta, a bored suburban housewife in New Jersey, sits in her pristine home reading the personals, particularly fascinated by the recurring ad "Desperately Seeking Susan." Her mundane life with hot-tub salesman Gary is established.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when Roberta reads the latest personal ad arranging a meeting at Battery Park. She becomes obsessed with the idea of following Susan, seeing an opportunity for adventure that disrupts her passive acceptance of suburban life.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 26 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This illustrates the protagonist's commitment to Roberta buys Susan's jacket with a key in the pocket and actively chooses to continue pursuing this mystery. She leaves a message in the personals for Susan, crossing from observer into participant. This is her conscious decision to enter an adventure., moving from reaction to action.
At 52 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat False defeat: Roberta's memory starts returning in fragments. The stakes raise as mobster Nolan closes in, believing Roberta (as Susan) has the earrings. Both Roberta's dual identity and her physical safety are threatened. The carefree adventure becomes dangerous., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 78 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Roberta is kidnapped by Nolan and held captive. Her adventure has led to literal danger. The fantasy of being Susan has resulted in real consequences. Her agency is stripped away as she's tied up, representing the death of her brief freedom., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 83 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Roberta uses her wits to escape and actively participates in resolving the mystery. She synthesizes her suburban resourcefulness with her newfound courage. She chooses to fight rather than wait for rescue, becoming the hero of her own story., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Desperately Seeking Susan's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping Desperately Seeking Susan against these established plot points, we can identify how Susan Seidelman utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Desperately Seeking Susan within the comedy genre.
Susan Seidelman's Structural Approach
Among the 2 Susan Seidelman films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Desperately Seeking Susan represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Susan Seidelman filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Susan Seidelman analyses, see She-Devil.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Roberta, a bored suburban housewife in New Jersey, sits in her pristine home reading the personals, particularly fascinated by the recurring ad "Desperately Seeking Susan." Her mundane life with hot-tub salesman Gary is established.
Theme
Roberta's sister-in-law comments that Roberta "needs to find herself" and questions why she reads about other people's lives instead of living her own. The theme of identity and self-discovery is stated.
Worldbuilding
We see Roberta's suffocating suburban existence contrasted with Susan's free-spirited life in the city. Susan is introduced stealing earrings and traveling to meet Jim via the personals. The parallel worlds of conformity and freedom are established.
Disruption
Roberta reads the latest personal ad arranging a meeting at Battery Park. She becomes obsessed with the idea of following Susan, seeing an opportunity for adventure that disrupts her passive acceptance of suburban life.
Resistance
Roberta debates whether to go to Battery Park. Despite Gary's dismissiveness and her own hesitation, she cannot resist the pull. She witnesses Susan and Jim's reunion from afar, then follows Susan through the city, buying the jacket Susan sells to a vintage shop.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Roberta buys Susan's jacket with a key in the pocket and actively chooses to continue pursuing this mystery. She leaves a message in the personals for Susan, crossing from observer into participant. This is her conscious decision to enter an adventure.
Mirror World
Roberta meets Dez, the projectionist, at the Magic Club. He represents the bohemian world she's drawn to - artistic, spontaneous, and living authentically. He mistakes her for Susan, and she doesn't immediately correct him.
Premise
The "fun and games" of mistaken identity. Roberta gets a bump on her head and develops amnesia, believing she might be Susan. She experiences the freedom and excitement of Susan's world, developing a romance with Dez while the real Susan pursues the mystery of the stolen earrings.
Midpoint
False defeat: Roberta's memory starts returning in fragments. The stakes raise as mobster Nolan closes in, believing Roberta (as Susan) has the earrings. Both Roberta's dual identity and her physical safety are threatened. The carefree adventure becomes dangerous.
Opposition
Pressure intensifies from all sides: Nolan hunts for the earrings, Gary searches for Roberta, Susan gets closer to the truth. Roberta is caught between worlds - her memory returns but she's not ready to go back. Dez grows suspicious. Everyone converges.
Collapse
Roberta is kidnapped by Nolan and held captive. Her adventure has led to literal danger. The fantasy of being Susan has resulted in real consequences. Her agency is stripped away as she's tied up, representing the death of her brief freedom.
Crisis
Roberta faces her darkest moment in captivity. She must confront whether she wants to return to her old safe life or fight for her newfound identity. The danger forces her to choose who she really is.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Roberta uses her wits to escape and actively participates in resolving the mystery. She synthesizes her suburban resourcefulness with her newfound courage. She chooses to fight rather than wait for rescue, becoming the hero of her own story.
Synthesis
The finale at the Magic Club brings all characters together. Roberta and Susan team up to outwit Nolan. Roberta confronts Gary and chooses Dez. The earrings mystery is resolved. Roberta actively claims her new identity rather than passively accepting her old one.
Transformation
Roberta is shown in Dez's world, now belonging there authentically rather than through mistaken identity. She has transformed from passive observer to active participant in her own life. The final image shows her integrated into the bohemian world she once only read about.