Wild at Heart is a road movie and includes bizarre, almost supernatural events and off-kilter violence with several allusions to The Wizard of Oz (1939) and strong references to Elvis Presley and his movies that found their way into screenplay as Lynch was writing it.Įarly test screenings for Wild at Heart did not go well Lynch estimated that 80 people walked out of the first test screening and 100 in the next.

He did not like the ending of the novel and decided to change it in order to stay true to his vision of the main characters. Lynch was originally going to produce the film, but after reading Gifford's book decided to also write and direct the film version. As a result of her mother's plans, the mob becomes involved. Both the book and the film revolve around Sailor Ripley (Nicolas Cage) and Lula Pace Fortune (Laura Dern), a young, doomed couple from Cape Fear, North Carolina who decide to go on the run from her domineering, over-protective mother (Diane Ladd). Wild at Heart is a 1990 American film written and directed by David Lynch, and based on Barry Gifford's 1989 pulp novel Wild at Heart: The Story of Sailor and Lula.

Wild at heart david lynch full movie