Broken Flowers - R

This is one of those movies where I found it to help greatly to re-watch the first scene. Before we see anything, we hear the sounds of an old-fashioned typewriter, we later find out was the typing of a letter to the lead character, Don Johnston (Bill Murray). Then we follow the pink letter without return address being mailed, judging from the coat sleeve and gloves probably a female, picked up by the postman, trucked to the distribution center, then flown by jet to New York state where Johnston lives. Then, we see a mail carrier walk up to this beautiful, expensive house with two expensive cars in the driveway, and deposit the mail, including the pink envelope, into his door mail slot. Johnson, a life-long Don Juan, has made his considerable wealth in "computers" and now apparently is retired to a very boring life, and his current girlfriend is leaving. he exhibits a very high degree of apathy.

The pink letter, unsigned, is the catalyst for the whole movie. The letter states that Johnston has a son by a woman he had a relationship with 20 years ago, and this enterprising young man has decided to find out who is father is. His neighbor and friend Winston (Jeffrey Wright), an amateur sleuth, thinks Johnston should not stand by idly, waiting for someone to show up. Instead he has Johnston make a list of all the flames he had 20 years earlier, Winston finds out where they live, and plans an itinerary for him to show up and find out which one might have the son.

Even though Johnston appears apathetic about everything around him, this notion of having a son sparks an interest in his otherwise very dull life. Even though he absolutely tells Winston he will not do this, he sets out on his trek.

So, the movie is about former Don Juan, Don Johnston, trying to contact his old girlfriends and deal with the inevitable surprises along the way. The movie is rated "R" for only one reason, a short scene 38 minutes into the DVD where cute Lolita (20 year old Alexis Dziena) walks into the living room stark naked while talking on the phone, while Johnston waits for her mother, his former girlfriend Laura (Sharon Stone).

SPOILERS. As Johnston finally finds his way home, with a black eye from an angry husband, he sees this young man in his town, traveling, and begins to think it may be his son looking for him. He explains that he is not a cop, and not gay, just wants to offer to buy him something to eat. Which he does. But when Johnston begins to talk of him possibly being his son, the boy runs away. Johnston never finds out if the letter was a hoax of not, but is energized with the thought that he may have a son somewhere, now that he is older and tired of being a Don Juan.