Rhinestone (1984)

User Rating:

2.9/10   

Director:

Bob Clark

Writers:

Phil Alden Robinson (story)
Phil Alden Robinson (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

22 June 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Music

Tagline:

She's bet everything, and we mean everything, that she can turn this New York cabbie into an overnight sensation. He has other things in mind. But he's never had a trainer like this one!

Plot:

A country music star must turn an obnoxious New York cabbie into a singer in order to win a bet.

Plot Keywords:

Country Music | Bet | Reckless Driving | Heckler | Father Daughter Relationship

Awards:

2 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Sylvester Stallone	...	Nick Martinelli
Dolly Parton	...	Jake
Richard Farnsworth	...	Noah, Jake's Father
Ron Leibman	...	Freddie Ugo, Rhinestone Owner
Tim Thomerson	...	Barnett Kale
Steve Peck	...	Father Martinelli (as Stephen Apostle Pec)
Penny Santon	...	Mother Martinelli
Russell Buchanan	...	Elgart
Ritch Brinkley	...	Luke, Leipers Fork Townsman
Jerry Potter	...	Walt, Leipers Fork Townsman
Jesse Welles	...	Billie Joe
Phil Rubenstein	...	Maurie
Thomas Ikeda	...	Japanese Father
Christal Kim	...	Japanese Grandmother
Arline Miyazaki	...	Japanese Mother

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) (original rating) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) (re-rating on appeal) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | UK:PG | Iceland:L | Germany:16 (video rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:S | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Golden Oak Ranch - 19802 Placerita Canyon Road, Newhall, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Sylvester Stallone turned down the Michael Douglas role in Romancing the Stone (1984) and the lead in Beverly Hills Cop (1984) (before it was re-written as a comedy) to make this film.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: During the opening credits, the camera is reflected in the window of the helicopter they used to film the night-time scenery.

Quotes:

Jake: All right, we'll go to your place and you can show me your organ. But I'm warning you, it'd best be having music coming out of it.

Movie Connections:

References The Man Who Loved Women (1983)

Soundtrack:

Too Much Water

This is what Hollywood does

So Stabone wanted to depart from his usual toughguy persona, and do some comedy. That's what Dolly does. Since they are both big stars with big box office, a couple of producers said "Hey, how about if we set this up so Dolly says she'll make the next guy who walks in the door a country western singer, and Stabone, the New York cabbie walks in! Bingo, fish out of water meets My Fair Lady!"

Small problem. Stabone, despite all of the studio tricks in the world, and songs written to limit his need to actually sing, is absolutely the worst singer on earth. And I imagine on the set, because Stabone is Stabone, nobody told him. I'm guessing they said "sounds great, Sly"! And "you're as good as Frank (Stabone)".

When Stabone "sings", it sounds actually like he is gruffly saying "Ruh Ruh Ruh" into the microphone. Then, Dolly and her friends say "Wow, he's great!", which seems unlikely. The script is filled out with some incredibly lame jokes, delivered by Stabone, who, in addition to not being a singer, is also not a comedic actor. There is also some sort of romance supposedly blooming between Stabone and Dolly, which again seems somewhat unlikely, because he is a young handsome in-shape dude, and she is some sort of weird huge-bosomed southern anomaly, possibly created in a laboratory.

I would like to see this shown in midnight movies. I believe it would draw great raucous crowds who would come back week after week. After that, perhaps a broadway adaptation in 10 years.