Rocket Gibraltar (1988)

Director:

Daniel Petrie

Writer:

Amos Poe (written by)

Release Date:

2 September 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

An old patriarch unites for his birthday all members of his family. But the group of people is full of personal and social problems.

Plot Keywords:

Birthday | Patriarch | Precocious Child | Family Reunion | Lifeguard

Cast

Burt Lancaster	...	Levi Rockwell
Suzy Amis	...	Aggie Rockwell
Patricia Clarkson	...	Rose Black
Frances Conroy	...	Ruby Hanson
Sinéad Cusack	...	Amanda 'Billi' Rockwell (as Sinead Cusack)
John Glover	...	Rolo Rockwell
Bill Pullman	...	Crow Black
Kevin Spacey	...	Dwayne Hanson
John Bell	...	Orson Rockwell
Nicky Bronson	...	Max Hanson
Danny Corkill	...	Kane Rockwell (as Dan Corkill)
Macaulay Culkin	...	Cy Blue Black
Angela Goethals	...	Dawn Black
Sara Goethals	...	Flora Rockwell
Emily Poe	...	Emily Rockwell

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:PG (Ontario) | West Germany:12 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Westhampton Beach, Long Island, New York, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Quotes:

[the kids see Cy Blue running back to Levi's house]
Jessica Hanson: What's that little turd up to now?
Max Hanson: He's just weird.
Dawn Black: Blue's got this thing. He's psychotic.
Kane Rockwell: Definitley.
Dawn Black: No, I mean he's psychic. He knows stuff.

Movie Connections:

References E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Soundtrack:

I'm Old Fashioned

The quest for a Viking Funeral

This movie has more than one of the last movies of Burt Lancaster and the screen debut of Macaulay Culkin. It also contains the screen debuts of Angela Goethals and Sara Rue. It was the third of these kids mentioned that got me more interested in seeing it, and the fact that no video chain is selling rental copies anymore which got me to buy a copy. Angela Goethals grew up to be quite a babe, and LESS THAN PERFECT turned me into a fan of Sara Rue, whereas before I simply recognized her throughout the 1990's from the short-lived NBC Sitcom GRAND, and somehow I have a feeling that Emily Poe is related to the original playwright Amos Poe. But I digress;

Levi Rockwell(Lancaster), a writer, teacher and stand-up comedian blacklisted during the McCarthy-era is celebrating his 77th Birthday at his house in Sagaponack, Long Island with his children, their spouses and grandchildren. The family consists mainly of writers, as well as an aging baseball player(Bill Pullman), a washed-up comedian(Kevin Spacey) and a promiscuous aunt(Suzy Amis). That promiscuous aunt is actually kind of cute, but the kids are the most important part of the movie, next to Lancaster's character. It's clear that Grandpa Rockwell has very little time left on this earth, and confides in his grandchildren that he only wants one present -- a boat that he can use for a viking funeral when he dies. And while the adults seem partially wrapped up in their own lives while arranging the birthday party for Grandpa Rockwell, the kids are determined to fulfill his wish.

While the movie takes place in Sagaponack, it's actually filmed in and around Westhampton Beach. FYI, Sagaponack, Long Island is a real town that's much further east than Westhampton Beach. It's the last town along Montauk Highway before you cross the Southampton-Easthampton Township line. But if you can forgive Neil Simon for using segments of Long Island to pass as the mythical "Twin Oaks, Ohio" in 'THE OUT-OF-TOWNERS(1970), you should have no problem with this little geographical error.

After surviving a heart attack, we find Levi's personal physician, Dr. Dean Bonacker(George Martin) had a crush on Levi's late wife. Some may find it less of a story if it doesn't lead to a fistfight or an over-dramatic argument. I also noticed in one scene, Sara Rue occasionally put her arm around Macaulay Culkin. Hmm. I wonder if she had a crush on him back then. Anyway, the movie is super-sappy and sentimental, but it does contain one car-chase and some lines that'll bring a few chuckles, mainly from the kids. If you hate yuppies you may find this movie hard to live with, but you'd be missing out on an interesting tale.