Johnny Suede

Johnny Suede summary of box office results, charts and release information and related links.

Tom DiCillo, who photographed Jim Jarmusch's classic "Stranger Than Paradise," now makes his own debut as a writer and a director with "Johnny Suede," a comedy so lazily hip and so laid back that it often seems to be asleep. When it stirs, which is now and then, it exhibits a sweetly embarrassed charm, as if apologizing for causing a commotion, no matter how unobtrusive.

The buildup - best film at Locarno, a smash at Sundance - may overstate the charms of this play fully hip comic fable starring Brad Pitt (Thelma and Louise) as a musician with a Ricky Nelson fixation. But there's no denying the kick of Pitt's memorably offbeat performance and writer-director Tom DiCillo's stylish debut.

Let's travel back in time before Brad Pitt was part of the Brangelina borg or even before Tyler Durden. Brad's breakout role was young paramour and parolee J.D. in 1991's Thelma and Louise, and Johnny Suede came just a few a couple of months after Thelma

Soon after filming his breakthrough performance in Thelma and Louise, Brad Pitt got his first starring role in Johnny Suede, the writing/directing debut of Tom DiCillo. DiCillo had previously been best known as the cinematographer of many of Jim Jarmuschâ??s 1980s films (Permanent Vacation, Stranger than Paradise). Pitt plays the title character, a young musician whose vintage clothes and huge pompadour of a cool Ricky Nelson wannabe covers over a startling innocence and naiveté.

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Johnny (Pitt), a struggling muscian who idolizes Ricky Nelson, has a change of luck when he finds a pair of black suede shoes.

47% Audience Score

Johnny Suede is a young man with an attitude and an immense pompadour, who wants to be a rock n' roll star like his idol Ricky Nelson. He has all the stylistic accouterments, except a pair of black suede shoes. And one night, after leaving a nightclub, like manna from heaven, a pair of black suede shoes falls at his feet. Soon afterwards, the recently completed Johnny meets Darlette, a sultry bohemian whom he beds down for the night. In spite of Darlette's abusive boyfriend with a gun, Johnny begins to see Darlette everyday. But when Johnny is forced to pawn his guitar for rent money, Darlette mysteriously leaves him. Johnny's pal Deke fronts him the money to get his guitar out of hock, and the two form a band. Depressed about Darlette's desertion, he wanders aimlessly, and he meets Yvonne, a woman much wiser than Johnny who teaches him that there are things in life much more important than a pair of black suede shoes.

Johnny Suede (1991) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.

Directed by Tom DiCillo. With Brad Pitt, Richard Boes, Cheryl Costa, Michael Luciano. A struggling young musician and devoted fan of Ricky Nelson wants to be just like his idol and become a rock star.

Johnny Suede is a 1991 American film the directorial debut of Tom DiCillo, and stars Brad Pitt, Catherine Keener, Calvin Levels and Nick Cave.