Hugo Pool (1997)

Director:

Robert Downey Sr.

Writers:

Robert Downey Sr. (writer) and
Laura Ernst (writer)

Release Date:

12 December 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

A comedy with serious relief

Plot:

Hugo Pool is a quirky tale of a Los Angeles pool cleaner who falls in love with a young man dying of Lou Gerhig's Disease.

Plot Keywords:

Swimming Pool | Surrealism | Gambling | Lou Gehrigs Disease | Dysfunctional

Cast

Alyssa Milano	...	Hugo Dugay
Mark Boone Junior	...	Pool Supply Man
Malcolm McDowell	...	Henry Dugay
Sean Penn	...	Strange Hitchhiker
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Franz Mazur
Cathy Moriarty	...	Minerva
Patrick Dempsey	...	Floyd Gaylen
Sean Glenn	...	Andy the Orderly
Bert Remsen	...	Sad Old Man
Kevin Dornan	...	Bad Advice Father
Michael Mazzola	...	Kid
Richard Lewis	...	Chick Chicalini
Chuck Barris	...	Irwin
Jim Shield	...	Lifeguard
Ann Magnuson	...	Drowning Matron

Also Known As:

Pool Girl (UK) (DVD title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and sex-related material.

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Netherlands:AL | USA:R | Argentina:16 | UK:15

Company:

BMG Independents

Goofs:

Continuity: After Hugo changes from her pants into her shorts (right before crying in the truck) she is seen cleaning her first pool wearing pants again. After that she is back in her shorts.

Quotes:

Strange Hitchhiker: If words could speak, I'd still would have nothing to say.

Soundtrack:

Misterioso

Some Strange Characters

Judging from the range of comments on Hugo Pool they seem to run the gamut. As a film, it's not the kind of thing I'd usually watch, but it did contain some rather strange characters.

Alyssa Milano in between her stints as Tony Danza's daughter in Who's The Boss and one of the Halliwell sisters in Charmed was cast in the lead by director Robert Downey, Sr. She seems to have taken complete charge of the pool cleaning company that is a family business because dad (Malcolm McDowell) is reverting to being a teenager and mom (Cathy Moriarty) can't control her gambling addiction. In fact she either has to come up with the money or sleep with the bookie.

Anyway somebody has to step up to the plate and Alyssa seems the only one likely to do so. She's got a lot of customers out there in Nevada who want to use their swimming pools because of the heat and who need them cleaned.

Anyway on her route she meets Patrick Dempsey who even with Lou Gehrig's disease is not about to miss out on all the good things in life. In fact one of only two parts of his anatomy are untouched by amytrophic lateral sclerosis, his brain and the love muscle. In fact the second has some remarkable staying power as he informs us.

Hugo Pool is the story of all these characters and the day they spend together. It's an interesting tale and maybe had it been done in a more straightforward and romantic way, I might have liked the film better.

Still it's not the fault of the cast who give some very good performances. Not mentioned by me before are Robert Downey, Jr. as an egotistical movie director and Sean Penn as a hitchhiker Malcolm McDowell picks up. Dig those sky blue shoes that Penn wears.

Hugo Pool might be your cup of tea, it wasn't quite mine though.