IMDb > One Trick Pony (1980)

One Trick Pony (1980) More at IMDbPro »


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Overview

User Rating:
5.5/10   254 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 26% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer:
Paul Simon (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for One Trick Pony on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
3 October 1980 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Rock 'n' roll will give you some laughs...but it won't do you any favors.
Plot:
Jonah (Paul Simon) is an aging rock star trying to put together a new album in the face of an indifferent record label and a talentless producer. At the same time, he's struggling to save his failing marriage. | add synopsis
Awards:
1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
I Am Afraid Of Harmony Korine
 (From FilmExperience. 10 September 2009, 8:52 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
The movie is also a "One Trick Pony" more (11 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Paul Simon ... Jonah
Blair Brown ... Marion

Rip Torn ... Walter Fox
Joan Hackett ... Lonnie Fox
Allen Garfield ... Cal van Damp (as Allan Goorvitz)

Mare Winningham ... Modeena Dandridge
Michael Pearlman ... Matty Levin
Lou Reed ... Steve Kunelian
Steve Gadd ... Danny Duggin
Eric Gale ... Lee-Andrew Parker
Tony Levin ... John DiBatista
Richard Tee ... Clarence Franklin

Harry Shearer ... Bernie Wepner
Kate Pierson ... Herself (as The B-52s)
Fred Schneider ... Himself (as The B-52s)
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Additional Details

Runtime:
98 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | USA:R
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Floyd Vivino was supposed to appear in this film as the night club owner, but none of his scenes made the final cut. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: When Jonah and Matty practice baseball in the park, the ball is returned to Jonah by someone obviously taller than eight-year-old Matty. more
Quotes:
Jonah: Anna Freud came backstage last week -- Anna Freud. She sold us some blow. more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
Me And Bobby McGee more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful.
The movie is also a "One Trick Pony", 18 October 1998
Author: Scoopy from Budapest

Paul Simon is a self-conscious, introspective, thoughtful man. These qualities, together with his superb guitar licks, eclectic international tastes, and sweet whispery tenor, have made him one of the musical giants of the 20th century, at least figuratively.

The same qualities don't stand him in good stead as an actor. Unlike other self-conscious performers (Woody Allen comes to mind), he can't effectively emote even as himself - a Simonesque musician named Jonah Levi. He uses his limbs awkwardly, and he always seems to be waiting politely for the other actors to finish their lines so he can get his turn.

I wanted to like this film, because I like Simon and he threw his heart into it. I just couldn't. He's stiff, the script is meandering, and the ending is so abrupt you wonder if you missed something. Even his music is decidedly on the lower side of his career output, and it seems to create gaps in the movie's flow. (Hey, what can the characters do to kill two and a half minutes until the background song ends? How about showing Paul taking out the garbage?) Besides, if you want to hear his music, grab one of his concert tapes and get his "A" output.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for One Trick Pony (1980)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
I actually have this on dvd... porlhancock
DVD now available directly from Warner's webpage! simonhowson
Does Mare Winningham sing on this? timeslord
movie's fatal flaw EJF
Any DVD in the future? lucksted
This films deserves more credit than it got porlhancock
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