Who's That Girl is a 1987 American funny and fast-paced comedy film directed by James Foley and written by Andrew Smith and Ken Finkleman. The movie stars Madonna and Griffin Dunne and tells the story of Nikki Finn, a clever girl who is wrongly accused of killing her boyfriend, Johnny, and is sent to jail. After being released, she meets Loudon Trott, who is supposed to help her return to Philadelphia by bus. Instead, she convinces him to help her find the people who wrongly sent her to jail. While searching for an embezzler, Nikki and Loudon fall in love.

After her 1986 film Shanghai Surprise did not do well, Madonna decided to join another comedy called Slammer, which was later renamed Who's That Girl. She had to prove to Warner Bros. and the film's producers that she was ready for the role. Madonna asked her friend James Foley to direct the movie. Filming began in New York in October 1986 and continued until March 1987. Production stopped in December because of heavy snow. During this time, Madonna worked on her next tour and the film's soundtrack.

The movie was released on August 7, 1987, and did not do well at the box office, making $2.5 million in its first week. It earned about $7.3 million in total in the United States, even though it cost between $17–20 million to make. Critics did not like the film or James Foley's direction. However, the music tour connected to the movie was both a critical and commercial success, earning $25 million and reaching 1.5 million people. The film's soundtrack was also successful, selling over six million copies worldwide. The song "Who's That Girl" became Madonna's sixth number one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Plot

Nikki Finn is a young woman who often wears a leather jacket and skirt, has bright red lips, and a short, shiny hairstyle. She speaks in a high voice and is smart and clever. One day, her boyfriend Johnny sees two men stealing money from a special fund. He takes a picture of the theft and stores the photos in a safe box, giving Nikki the key to keep them safe. The thieves find Johnny, kill him, and place his body in Nikki’s car to make it look like she was involved. Nikki is then sentenced to seven years in prison.

Four years later, tax lawyer Loudon Trott is marrying Wendy, the daughter of Simon Worthington, one of New York’s richest men. Wendy is focused on her wedding plans rather than caring for her fiancé. Loudon has several tasks given to him by his boss and future father-in-law, Mr. Worthington. These include picking up a cougar for an activist named Montgomery Bell, picking up Nikki (who has been released from prison on parole), and ensuring Nikki takes a bus to her hometown, Philadelphia.

At the same time, Nikki is determined to find the real thieves and prove her innocence. After meeting Loudon, she persuades him to take her shopping. During their trip to Harlem in a luxury car, they are almost arrested during a police raid. Nikki then tells Loudon about Johnny’s murder and the stolen photos. Believing her, Loudon agrees to help. Nikki is also being chased by Raoul, a pimp, and his helper Benny, who killed Johnny. Only after Nikki hangs from a broken Cadillac limousine on the top floor of a parking garage does Raoul reveal the bank number (6111) and the location of the safe box where Johnny stored the photos.

Later, Nikki takes the cougar, whom she names Murray, and disappears. That night, Loudon visits Mr. Bell to apologize for losing the animal and discovers that Nikki had returned Murray to Mr. Bell’s home. There, Loudon finds Nikki waiting in a penthouse where he has built a rainforest with animals on his roof. Nikki and Loudon grow close and share feelings for each other. Murray also finds a mate. The next morning, Loudon drops Nikki off at the bus station, but she realizes she must return to Philadelphia, leaving Loudon, who is about to marry Wendy. On the bus, Nikki opens an envelope from the safe box and finds photos proving that Mr. Worthington stole money and planned the theft. Nikki interrupts the wedding, has Mr. Worthington arrested, and declares her love for Loudon. Nikki and Loudon leave together on a bus to Philadelphia, with Murray and his mate following them.

Cast

• Madonna plays the role of Nikki Finn
• Griffin Dunne plays the role of Loudon Trott
• Haviland Morris plays the role of Wendy Worthington
• John McMartin plays the role of Simon Worthington
• Bibi Besch plays the role of Ms. Worthington
• John Mills plays the role of Montgomery Bell
• Robert Swan plays the role of Detective Bellson
• Drew Pillsbury plays the role of Detective Doyle
• Coati Mundi plays the role of Raoul
• Dennis Burkley plays the role of Benny
• Karen Dianne Baldwin plays the role of Heather
• Ron Taylor plays the role of 1st Dock Worker
• Carmen Filpi plays the role of Street Bum #1
• Stanley Tucci plays the role of 2nd Dock Worker
• Mike Starr plays the role of Shipping Co-Worker
• Albert Popwell plays the role of Parole Chairman

Production

At the age of twenty-eight, the opportunity to work on a Warner Bros. film with a famous star seemed appealing but not for the right reasons. Many people have some interest in Hollywood, and Warner Bros. chose to work with the person because they knew they had a connection with Madonna, who had asked for their help and agreed to take part. At Close Range was a serious film, and moving toward comedy was not the best choice. However, the person involved did not care about this.

Madonna’s 1986 studio album True Blue was both critically and commercially successful. It produced five top-five Billboard Hot 100 singles and sold over eight million copies worldwide by the end of the year. However, her film career did not achieve the same success. After the popular film Desperately Seeking Susan, her 1986 film Shanghai Surprise—in which she starred with her then-husband Sean Penn—was not well received by critics or audiences. Madonna later said she struggled to understand her character in Shanghai Surprise because the innocence and repressed personality she was asked to portray did not match her own personality. She also expressed uncertainty about her ability to choose a good script, and film producers were not confident in supporting her.

Madonna believed comedy was a better fit for her and signed on to a comedy film titled Slammer, written by Andrew Smith and Ken Finkleman. She wanted to play the role of Nikki Finn, a street-smart girl who was wrongly jailed. However, due to the negative publicity surrounding her and Penn, and the failure of Shanghai Surprise, Madonna had to convince producers Rosilyn Heller and Bernard Williams, as well as Warner Bros., that she was the right choice for the role. She also wanted her friend James Foley to direct the film. Foley had been Penn’s best man at his wedding to Madonna and had directed music videos for her singles Live to Tell (1986) and Papa Don't Preach (1986). He was excited about the opportunity to make a major film, as he had previously only directed the low-budget film At Close Range, which starred Penn. As noted by author Andrew Morton in his biography of Madonna, "the combination of a movie star with questionable talent and a first-time director did not promise success, but Warner Bros. still supported the project because they wanted to benefit from Madonna’s popularity." Madonna said, "All Warner Bros. executives were positive about the project. It was a process of working with the writers to improve the script."

Casting for the film began once Madonna signed on. Griffin Dunne was cast as Loudon Trott, a lawyer who helps Nikki after her release. Initially, Madonna considered asking Penn to play Detective Bellson, but Penn was in jail for violating probation. The role went to Robert Swan, and other actors were cast for supporting roles. Madonna said she shared traits with Nikki, such as being courageous, sweet, and misunderstood. She also mentioned that Nikki clears her name in the end, which she compared to how she deals with public perception. Madonna turned down a role in the Blake Edwards comedy Blind Date with Bruce Willis, saying she was excited about the physical comedy in Slammer. Coati Mundi, a member of Kid Creole and the Coconuts and a long-time friend of Madonna, joined the cast as Nikki’s enemy. Costume designer Deborah Scott created the wardrobe for the film. Madonna imagined Nikki as a dizzy, screwball blonde and asked Scott to design comical outfits, such as rah-rah skirts and ballet tutus, with loud makeup. Scott also designed a glamorous dress inspired by Marilyn Monroe for a love scene between Nikki and Loudon.

Filming began in New York in July 1986. Madonna would spend five minutes studying the script before each scene. For example, before a scene where she needed to appear out of breath, she did push-ups. Griffin Dunne noted that Madonna preferred her first take, while he preferred his fourth. He said, "She always said, 'You got it, you got it,' and she was driving me crazy, just like her character would." Madonna wanted Foley to give her clear direction, but Foley preferred her to be herself rather than the persona she used in music videos. Foley said, "Madonna was very focused on details, which might have made her acting less natural. In Desperately Seeking Susan, she was at her best when she didn’t know what she was doing and acted naturally."

In December 1986, filming was paused for a few days due to snow in New York City. Madonna used the time to work on the film’s soundtrack and prepare for her next concert tour. While recording the title track, she changed the film’s name from Slammer to Who’s That Girl, believing it was a better title. Filming resumed in January 1987, with a scene involving a cougar. During the second take, the cougar escaped from its cage, causing filming to stop for several hours. By February 1987, Madonna’s scenes were completed, but she stayed on set to watch Foley and his team work. Foley said she was not a "pain-in-the-ass" because she was willing to spend money and knew Warner Bros. had a tight budget and schedule. He noted that Warner Bros. still did not trust Madonna’s acting ability and gave more of the budget to the soundtrack. Filming ended in March 1987, with post-production continuing until July 1987. During the opening credits, Madonna asked Foley to include a cartoon figure of her character introducing the film. Warner Bros. hired Broadcast Arts to create the animation, directed by Richard Machin and produced by Peter Rosenthal. The animation team included Glen Claybrook, John Canemaker, Doug Frankel, Dan Haskett, Norma Rivera-Klingler, April March, Bob McKnight, Edward Rivera, and Bob Scott. Concept art and character designs were done by Daniel Melgarejo with help from Neil Martinson. The sequence was edited by James Romaine and Conni X.

The film’s soundtrack was released on July 21, 1987, by Sire Records. It included four songs by Madonna and others by her label mates, such as Scritti Politti, Duncan Faure, Club Nouveau, Coati Mundi, and Michael Davidson. Warner Bros. Records considered the album a Madonna release because nearly half of the songs were sung by her. Madonna began working on the soundtrack in December 1986 and collaborated with Patrick Leonard and Stephen Bray, who had produced her True Blue album.

Release and promotion

The film was released in the United States on August 7, 1987, in 944 theatres. Warner Bros. did not arrange for an advance screening. They believed Madonna's popularity would attract moviegoers. A pre-release event was held on August 6, 1987, in Times Square, New York. Madonna arrived to promote the film. About 10,000 people gathered to see her. Radio jockeys from WHTZ radio station played Madonna's songs on a platform built for the event. Police closed parts of 43rd and 44th streets but allowed traffic to continue on Broadway and Seventh Avenue. Madonna arrived about an hour late, but the crowd continued to grow. Joseph A. Cincotti of The New York Times noted that most attendees were teenagers and young adults. Some held signs or photographs, but he observed that young girls who imitated Madonna's earlier style were not present. This was due to Madonna's more mature image in True Blue.

To promote the film, Madonna began the 1987 Who's That Girl World Tour. This was her first world tour, visiting Asia, North America, and Europe. The tour was more advanced than her previous Virgin Tour, using special effects and technology to enhance the show. Madonna trained physically with aerobics, jogging, and weight-lifting to perform the dance routines. The stage was larger than before, with four video screens, multimedia projectors, and a staircase in the center. Leonard became the music director and encouraged Madonna to rearrange her older songs into new formats. Madonna named the tour Who's That Girl after seeing a large image of herself during rehearsals and wondering, "Who was that girl on the screen?" The show included seven costume changes, song-and-dance routines, and performances addressing social issues, such as during "Papa Don't Preach." The tour ended with the title song "Who's That Girl" and "Holiday." Critics praised the tour's extravagance, Madonna's dancing, and the show's pacing. The Who's That Girl tour earned $25 million globally, with 1.5 million audience members. According to Performance magazine, it was the second-highest-selling female concert tour of 1987, after Tina Turner's Break Every Rule Tour.

The film Who's That Girl is not similar to Something Wild. It is not a direct copy of 1930s screwball comedies, though it resembles the 1938 film Bringing Up Baby by giving a major role to a character (a cougar, like Hepburn's leopard) who helps Madonna and her co-star escape trouble. In an era where art and packaging are often hard to tell apart, Madonna thrives as a performer and strong personality. However, critics noted she is not an actress and cannot convincingly portray characters other than herself.

The film received mostly negative reviews. As of May 2022, it had a 33% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 21 reviews. On Metacritic, it scored 27 out of 100, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews. Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote that Madonna was engaging as a comedian but criticized the film for lacking clear humor. Hal Hinson of The Washington Post gave a mixed review, calling the film "outrageously inept" but noting some humor. Philip Wuntch of The Dallas Morning News praised Madonna's one-liners but called the film a "deft and daffy comedy." Jay Boyar of the Orlando Sentinel said Madonna's singing helped save the film from being a "disgrace." Jamie Waylett of The Advocate called Madonna's performance "the worst in recent memory" and called the film a "disaster." Carole Kass of the Richmond Times-Dispatch criticized the film for promoting shoplifting and smoking. Dan Dinicola of The Schenectady Gazette called the film "positively unbearable" and "a vanity project." Johanna Steinmetz of the Chicago Tribune praised Griffin Dunne's acting. Jean Rosenbluth of Rolling Stone said the film was as boring as Shanghai Surprise.

The film was nominated for five Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Original Song, and Worst Screenplay. Madonna won Worst Actress. It was also nominated for Worst Picture at the 1987 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards.

The film was not successful at the U.S. box office. It opened in 944 theatres, with 66 more added later. It earned $2.5 million in its opening weekend (about $7.08 million in 2025 dollars), making it the tenth-highest-grossing film that week. Sales dropped by 60% the next week. The film earned $7.3 million in the U.S. and Canada (about $20.69 million in 2025 dollars). By November 30, 1987, it had earned $12.3 million internationally, with a worldwide total exceeding $20 million.