Memories of Me (1988)

On his girlfriend's insistence, a disgruntled man tries to make peace with his high-spirited, street-smart and often irritatingly careless father, a failed actor who never quit his dream to be a success.

Director:

Henry Winkler

Writers:

Eric Roth, Billy Crystal

Stars:

Billy Crystal, Alan King, JoBeth Williams

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Billy Crystal	...	Abbie
Alan King	...	Abe
JoBeth Williams	...	Lisa
Janet Carroll	...	Dorothy Davis
David Ackroyd	...	1st Assistant Director
Phil Fondacaro	...	Horace Bosco
Robert Pastorelli	...	Al (Broccoli)
Mark L. Taylor	...	2nd Assistant Director
Peter Elbling	...	Director
Larry Cedar	...	1st Assistant Director (Soap)
Sheryl Bernstein	...	Dancer
Joe Shea	...	Stan Kantor
Joe 'Flash' Riley	...	Tango (as Jay 'Flash' Riley)
Billy Beck	...	Angry Man
Margarito Mendoza	...	Mariachi Trumpet Player

Storyline

On his girlfriend's insistence, a disgruntled man tries to make peace with his high-spirited, street-smart and often irritatingly careless father, a failed actor who never quit his dream to be a success.

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Plot Keywords:

boyfriend girlfriend relationship | father son estrangement | surgeon | flashback | failed actor | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 October 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Memories of Me - Das tragisch-komische Leben eines großartigen Versagers

Filming Locations:

San Diego, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$3,965,604

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM),Odyssey Entertainment

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In many scenes throughout the movie, Billy Crystal is seen wearing either a sweatshirt or a t-shirt from New York University. Billy Crystal graduated from NYU with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1970.

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Goofs

At Abe's funeral, there were flowers surrounding and on top of the casket. At Jewish funerals, flowers are not sent because it signifies a joyous occasion.

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Quotes

Abbie: I'm a heart surgeon, for Chrissakes. I should have seen it coming. Even the Indians warned Custer, "Don't come over today - we're a little cranky."

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Connections

References What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

User Reviews

Uneasy father son relationship

Abbie (Billy Crystal) is a surgeon who just had a heart attack. On his on again off again girlfriend Lisa (JoBeth Williams)'s insistence, he visits his estranged father Abe (Alan King). Abe is a failed actor/extra who is slowly suffering from dementia.

Henry Winkler directs this movie. He doesn't really have any vision or style. All he does is just turn on the camera and let the actors go. And that's what Alan King does. He's manic. He's powerful. Billy Crystal is playing the angry young man trying to reconnect with his crazy father.

The pace is slow and cumbersome. The jokes come fast and deliver flat. Everybody is grumpy. I hoped the movie to be better. I'm pulling for them. But Crystal is just too grumpy.

The stuff about being an extra just doesn't ring true. It may seem right if you don't think about it. But if an extra keeps causing trouble, he'd be quickly kicked off the set.