Rubin and Ed (1991)

Reclusive Rubin Farr teams up with vocal but unsuccessful multi-level salesman Ed Tuttle on a quest to bury Rubin's dead cat in the "perfect spot." Their trip takes them across Utah's ... See full summary »

Director:

Trent Harris

Writer:

Trent Harris

Stars:

Crispin Glover, Howard Hesseman, Karen Black

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Crispin Glover	...	Rubin Farr
Howard Hesseman	...	Ed Tuttle
Karen Black	...	Rula
Michael Greene	...	Mr. Busta
Anna Louise Daniels	...	Rubin's Mom
Brittney Lewis	...	Poster Girl
Jonathan Chapin	...	Brat
Ray Gordon	...	Barking Man
Jane Mendenhall	...	Woman By Pool
Dorene Nielsen	...	Ed's Mom
James Nielsen	...	Ed's Dad
Frank Magner	...	Bob
Diane St. Cyr	...	Bonnie
Aaron Tranberg	...	Desk Sergeant
Michael Scott	...	Jimbo

Storyline

Reclusive Rubin Farr teams up with vocal but unsuccessful multi-level salesman Ed Tuttle on a quest to bury Rubin's dead cat in the "perfect spot." Their trip takes them across Utah's desert where they have run-ins with Ed'd ex-wife Rula and an elusive Andy Warhol critic.

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Plot Keywords:

salesman | utah | desert | dead cat | absurdism | 

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Taglines:

As soon as Ed saves Rubin's life, he's gonna kill him.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 May 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rubin E Ed

Filming Locations:

Goblin Valley State Park - Highway 24, Green River, Utah, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Working Title Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Crispin Glover infamously appeared on Late Night with David Letterman in 1987 dressed, and in character, as Rubin Farr. This caused much confusion to Letterman as he, after almost being kicked in the face by Glover, walked off his own set while still on the air.

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Goofs

For one or two shots, Rubin's shoe faces the wrong way as it spins towards Rula and Jimbo's car.

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Quotes

Ed Tuttle: [seeing a reflection on a mountain in the distance] Yep, there's an asswipe up there.

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Connections

References Late Night with David Letterman: Episode dated 28 July 1987 (1987)

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Soundtracks

"Symphony #1 in D Minor"
Written by Gustav Mahler
Performed by Suddeutsche Philharmonie
Conducted by Dennis Zsoltay
Southern Music Publishing Co. Inc.

User Reviews

Quirky, weird, and utterly delightful

This movie is a story of two failures who get thrown into each other's worlds for one of the most bizarre journeys ever captured on film. As an avid lover of truly weird films, I find Rubin and Ed to be an irresistible comedy.

Crispin Glover is, as always, wonderful. He portrays Rubin, a social outcast and complete shut-in who's forced to go out into the world to prove to his mother that he is making friends, so she'll give him back his stereo.

He comes across Ed (Hessman), who is a "fraud failure" trying his hand as a member of "the organization," which is portrayed as some sort of real estate cult. The two wind up traveling into the Utah West Desert to bury Rubin's recently murdered cat, and come to hate each other entirely as they become the most unlikely pair of friends.

This movie is not for everyone, and indeed it is not easy to find even in Utah (where it is set, and from whence director Trent Harris hails). Rubin and Ed is a remarkably strange and offbeat film. It's the epitome of a cult classic, and as such will inevitably leave you thinking, "huh?" However, if you're tired of Hollywood's sanitized story lines and obvious repetition, I highly recommend trying to find a copy of this movie.