Don Juan DeMarco is a 1995 American
romantic comedy-drama film starring
Johnny Depp as John Arnold DeMarco, a man who believes himself to be
Don Juan, the greatest lover in the world. Clad in a cape and
domino mask, DeMarco undergoes psychiatric treatment with
Marlon Brando's character, Dr. Jack Mickler, to cure him of his apparent delusion. But the psychiatric sessions have an unexpected effect on the psychiatric staff, some of whom find themselves inspired by DeMarco's delusion; the most profoundly affected is Dr. Mickler himself, who rekindles the romance in his complacent marriage.
The movie is based on two different sources; the modern-day story is based on director/screenwriter
Jeremy Leven's short story
Don Juan DeMarco and the Centerfold (the movie's original title before the studio changed it shortly before release), while the flashbacks depicting DeMarco's back-story are based on the more familiar legend of Don Juan, especially as told by
Lord Byron in his
version of the legend.