I stumbled upon this on cable a few weeks ago, coming into the story about halfway through. Bagdad Cafe was one of my favorite movies of the late 80s and I had completely forgotten about it.
In case you're unfamiliar with the film, here's a brief synopsis:
This West German film is set in the California Desert. A husband-and-wife pair of Bavarian tourists become stranded when their car breaks down; after a quarrel, the wife, Jasmine (Marianne Sagebrecht), gathers her luggage and stalks off. She stops at the Bagdad Cafe, a fleapit truckstop run by outspoken Brenda (C.C.H. Pounder—yes the same C.C.H. Pounder of NCIS New Orleans and Warehouse 13 fame), who is also having husband problems. The Cafe has become a magnet for some of truly odd characters: temperamental Hispanic cook Cahuenga (George Aguilar), tattoo artist Debby (Christine Kaufmann), and onetime Hollywood set designer Rudy (Jack Palance). Despite obvious personality differences, Jasmine and Brenda become friends.
I had forgotten what a sweet, innocent film this was, and immediately ordered a copy from Amazon to add it to my collection.
Personally, it came into my life during a period of great exploration and expansion I found myself in during the first few years after I'd moved to San Francisco. Seeing the quirky, indie films that would never have come to Phoenix or Tucson become one of the great joys of living in The City, and the late 80s especially, seemed full of these films: Bagdad Cafe, Prick Up Your Ears, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Eat the Rich, Personal Services, Parting Glances, Maurice, and many, many more.
If you haven't seen it, here's the trailer…
"It's all about magic."
I remember the movie. It was charming. I am fond of the plot-line of mismatched people coming together and becoming a 'tribe' as it were, accepted and loved for who they are.