Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss (1988) (TV)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Dick Bartlett

Writer:

Jean Shepherd (writer)

Release Date:

6 August 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family

Plot:

It's summertime in Holman, Indiana, and 14-year-old Ralph Parker can't wait to get his first job. His friends Schwartz and Flick are less enthusiastic...

Plot Keywords:

Vacation | Sequel | Nostalgia | Teenage Boy | Character Name In Title

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jason Clarke Adams	...	Randy Parker
Dorothy Chiesa	...	Animal Shelter Assistant
Robert J. Colonna	...	John
Arnie Cox	...	Ace
Craig Dawson	...	Lennie
Desmond Dhooge	...	Ollie Hopnoodle
Ross Eldridge	...	Schwartz
John William Galt	...	Grannie of Grannie's Old Log Cabins
Peter Gerety	...	Gertz
Leslie Harrell	...	Mrs. Kissel
Cameron Johann	...	Flick
Edward Logan	...	Johnson
Dorothy Lyman	...	Ralph's Mother
Bill McDonald	...	Cop
W. Clapham Murray	...	Archie
Jerry O'Connell	...	Ralph Parker
Marjorie O'Neill-Butler	...	Clerk
Peyton E. Park	...	Gas Station Attendant
Martin Rayner	...	Chauffeur
Jean Shepherd	...	Mr. Scott (the Boss) / Narrator
James Sikking	...	Ralph's Old Man
Annabelle Weenick	...	Colette
Frank T. Wells	...	Zudoc

Runtime:

USA:89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Cedar Hill, Texas, USA

Company:

American Playhouse

Trivia:

The same 'fridge that Ralphie and his friends carry up flight after flight of stairs is seen again later in the movie, abandoned by the side of a road in the woods.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Near the end when the family is stopped at a railroad crossing, the caboose on the train is Burlington Northern, which wasn't formed until 1971.

Quotes:

Ralph's Mother: [the family is finishing loading the car] OK, we have the box of canned goods... did you get the bath mat?
Old Man: The what?
Ralph's Mother: The bath mat!
Old Man: A bath mat? What do we need a bath mat for?
Ralph's Mother: Well, you never know! It might be nice.

Movie Connections:

Follows A Christmas Story (1983)

A classic summer flick in my house

My family and I have been watching this movie at least once every summer since 1988 (we taped it). It's one of those movies you can watch a thousand times, have every line memorized, and still laugh at all the same jokes. One thing I noticed about this one is that they switched the characters of Schwartz and Flick. In "A Christmas Story", Schwartz is the cool, cocky one and Flick is the pathetic loser. In this installment, Flick is the cool one and Schwartz is the loser. Is this intended? Oh well, no matter what it's a great movie. The people who play the parents are excellent. Especially James Sikking, he is absolutely hilarious. I want to see this on DVD sometime soon. Everyone should see this movie. Family Channel should run it again.