Prince of Central Park (2000)

A young boy sets out to find his mother. After setting up camp in Central Park, he encounters a group of people even needier than himself.

Director:

John Leekley

Writers:

John Leekley, Evan Rhodes (novel)

Stars:

Kathleen Turner, Danny Aiello, Cathy Moriarty

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kathleen Turner	...	Rebecca Cairn
Danny Aiello	...	Noah Cairn
Cathy Moriarty	...	Mrs. Ardis
Frank Nasso	...	JJ Somerled (as Frankie Nasso)
Harvey Keitel	...	The Guardian
Lauren Vélez	...	Rosa Sanchez (as Lauren Velez)
Jerry Orbach	...	Businessman
Mtume Gant	...	Easy
Tina Holmes	...	Annalisse Somerled
Carmen Moreno	...	Sophia
Svetlana Efremova	...	Sophia's Mom
Francesco Vittorio	...	Young JJ
Michael P. Moran	...	Security Guard (as Michael Moran)
Stephanie Berry	...	School Principal
Frank Anthony	...	Carousel Operator

Storyline

JJ's life has been miserable ever since his ill mother had to give him up. The only two good things he has are his best friend Sophia and his wonderful talent for music. Determined to know what happened to his mom, the young man escapes from his foster mother, a woman who encourages her charges to steal and bully. Following his memories, he takes shelter in Central Park. JJ becomes the new protégé of the Guardian, a homeless eccentric and self-appointed King of Central Park who promises to protect the boy and offers him the companionship of a dog called Mutt in exchange for food. Also, JJ's path crosses with Rebecca Cairn, another eccentric who lives in a brownstone overlooking the park. She takes particular interest in him, as does her estranged husband Noah Cairn who is always rescuing Rebecca when she grows depressed. JJ tries to shake off the help of these characters, thinking that his life would be better on his own. However, JJ's foster mother is looking for him, making his ...

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Plot Keywords:

new york city | central park manhattan new york city | remake | manhattan new york city | based on novel | 

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Taglines:

Survival is the most dangerous game of all

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 September 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

El príncipe de Central Park

Filming Locations:

Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$7,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$5,810 (USA) (22 September 2000)

Gross:

$5,810 (USA) (22 September 2000)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Seagal/Nasso Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The last film that producer Steven Seagal and Julius R. Nasso worked together and their production company "Seagal/Nasso Productions" broke apart.

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Connections

Remake of The Prince of Central Park (1977)

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Soundtracks

"JJ's Blues"
Performed by Theodore Shapiro and Brooklyn Funk Essentials
Written by Theodore Shapiro

User Reviews

Yet another failed remake

Remakes are bad news. There have been many examples of this in the past decade. From movies like Bedazzled and Sabrina to TV-to-movie repurposings like Beverly Hillbillies and McHale's Navy, the field is littered with failures. One can only hope no director will ever have enough gall to remake Casablanca or Citizen Kane.

I saw this movie only because an online TV listing misidentified this as the 1977 movie that I enjoyed so many years ago. That movie had a youthful joy and sense of innocence that was refreshing in the crime-ridden NYC of the '70s. Alas, apart from the boy's name and the fact that he ran off to Central Park, nothing else was even remotely similar. This JJ is not likeable at all. He's irresponsible and selfish and backed by a host of characters that I care little about, least of all the absurd Guardian, something of a second-rate Fisher King.

It would have been nice to celebrate Central Park's sesquicentennial this year with a DVD of the first movie. For now, I'll have to continue searching and waiting for it to air.