[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/CoraoSelvagem_352.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250:It's like an old Music/ElvisPresley movie done by Creator/DavidLynch!]]

A 1990 film directed by Creator/DavidLynch. It follows Sailor (NicolasCage), a recently released convict, and his lover Lula (Creator/LauraDern) going on a road trip from North Carolina to California in order to escape the clutches of Lula's extremely overbearing mother (Diane Ladd). As they travel and come across Lynchian situations, Ladd has both of her boyfriends (Harry Dean Stanton and J.E. Freeman) try to track down Lula and dispose of Sailor. [[SurrealHumor Hilarity]], [[Music/ElvisPresley Elvis Numbers]] and [[Film/TheWizardOfOz Oz Allusions Ensue]].

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!!This film includes examples of:
* AdaptationalAttractiveness: mob lady Perdita Durango was supposed to be "a hairy, ugly woman", and the actress who played her was quoted as being "overjoyed" at the chance of [[BeautyInversion grunging it up]]; as a result, "ugliness" comes down to a cheap blond dye job with visible dark roots. Oh, and the actress? ''Isabella Rossellini''.
* AllWomenAreLustful
* ArcWords: More like Arc References, as many characters allude to ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' throughout the film.
* BarBrawl: ''very'' narrowly avoided.
* BerserkButton: Whatever you do, don't insult Sailor's snakeskin jacket.
* BlackDudeDiesFirst
* BigNo: The whimpiest one ever captured on screen.
* TheCastShowoff: Cage does a pretty impressive job with his authentic-sounding covers of Elvis songs.
* DysfunctionJunction: Sailor's childhood is only alluded to via dialogue, but that's what we discover:
--> '''Lula''': When'd you start smoking, Sail?
--> '''Sailor''': I guess I started smoking when I was about... four. My momma was already dead then from lung cancer.
* ElvisImpersonator: Nic Cage's performance as Sailor.
* EverybodyHasLotsOfSex: man, Sailor and Lula are just the tip of the iceberg here.
* EvilMatriarch: Marietta.
* {{Gorn}}: There's the opening head-smushing sequence and then the bank robbery.
* HeyItsThatGuy: [[RaisingArizona H.I.]] and his lady [[Film/JurassicPark Ellie Sattler]] try to get to California. Along the way, [[NationalLampoonsChristmasVacation Nora Griswald]] sends her boyfriend ([[Film/{{Alien}} Brett]]) and her lover ([[MillersCrossing Eddie Dane]]) after them, Ellie remembers her weird cousin [[Film/BackToTheFuture George McFly]] and the lovers run into [[ShadowOfTheVampire Max Shreck]], [[TwinPeaks Audrey Horne, Laura Palmer]], {{Eraserhead}} and the twin sisters [[BlueVelvet Dorothy Vallens]] & [[Series/{{Seinfeld}} Mrs. Ross]].
* ImpossiblyCoolClothes: Sailor's snakeskin jacket, He takes a lot of pride in it.
--> '''Sailor''': Did I ever tell ya that this here jacket represents a symbol of my individuality, and my belief in personal freedom?
--> '''Lula''': About fifty thousand times.
* InfantImmortality: played with, since [[spoiler: Lula finds out she's pregnant midway.]]
* LargeHam: It's not hard to see that Nic Cage is having the time of his life.
* MrsRobinson: played with, as Marietta [[spoiler: tries - and fails - to seduce Sailor early on]]- her actual goals are debatable, though, since it may as well be a ploy to [[spoiler: drive the couple apart]], and she's soon revealed to be evil.
* OutlawCouple: Sailor and Lula become one, since [[spoiler: they decide to head off to California violating Sailor's parole]], and later they get mixed up with [[spoiler: Bobby Peru's gang, who Sailor joins in a robbery.]]
* RapeAsBackstory: [[spoiler: Lula was attacked at a very young age by a family friend]]; upon learning that, [[spoiler: Marietta arranged for him to be murdered.]]
* RealLifeRelative: Diane Ladd and Laura Dern are mother and daughter in RealLife.
* StarCrossedLovers: Sailor and Lula seem to be heading towards that, right up until [[spoiler: the very end]].
* StealthPun: Sailor once refers to Marietta by her last name, as "Ms. Fortune".
* SuddenMusicalEnding: Although Sailor ''does'' have one musical number earlier in the movie.
* TitleDrop: "This whole world's wild at heart and weird on top."
* TroubledBackstoryFlashback: Lots and lots.
* YourHeadASplode: [[spoiler: Willem Dafoe after the robbery.]]
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