The Prince of Pennsylvania (1988)

A teenager in love, who needs money to arrange his future life with his mistress, kidnaps his own father for ransom, but nobody cares.

Director:

Ron Nyswaner

Writer:

Ron Nyswaner

Stars:

Fred Ward, Keanu Reeves, Bonnie Bedelia

4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Fred Ward	...	Gary Marshetta
Keanu Reeves	...	Rupert Marshetta
Bonnie Bedelia	...	Pam Marshetta
Amy Madigan	...	Carla Headlee
Jay O. Sanders	...	Trooper Joe
Jeff Hayenga	...	Jack Sike
Tracey Ellis	...	Lois Sike
Joseph De Lisi	...	Roger Marshetta
Lauren Camp	...	Baby Sike
Demetria Mellot	...	Minister
Pam Call	...	Lucky Bell White
Kari Keegan	...	Biker Girl
Jeff Forman	...	Biker Boyfriend
Paul Palmer	...	Ed McLaglen
G. Ross Berger	...	Chester

Storyline

There's nothing wrong with the Marshetta family that a little felony can't cure. Rupert doesn't want to follow in his father's blue-collar footsteps, so he and his quirky friend kidnap his father for ransom, only nobody wants him back.

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Plot Keywords:

title in title | teenager | prom | older woman younger man relationship | mother son relationship | 

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Taglines:

He's The King Of The Badlands... The Rebel Of The Road...

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

October 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

O Príncipe da Pensilvânia

Filming Locations:

Harmar Mine, Harmarville, Pennsylvania, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,174, 18 September 1988

Gross USA:

$5,415

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,415

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Fred Ward is first billed, while Keanu Reeves had a bigger role.

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Goofs

Earlier in the movie, Rupert puts a lighted electric ice cream cone on the roof of the Twin Twisters diner, and as he and Carla step back and admire it, we see that the sign on the rooftop of the diner reads "Carla's Twin Twisters" - with the name "Carla's" appearing in twinkling lights. Yet a few scenes later when Rupert drives up on his motorbike, the "Carla's" portion of the sign is no longer there, and the sign reads only "Twin Twisters."

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Quotes

Gary Marshetta: "You know those things are damn near indestructable. Come nuclear holocaust, there will be two things left in this world... cockroaches, and god damned portable shithouses!"

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Connections

Referenced in People Like Us: Making 'Philadelphia' (2003)

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Soundtracks

Good King Wenceslas
Written by John M. Neale (uncredited) and Thomas Helmore (uncredited)
Performed by The Mars Area Middle School Chorus

User Reviews

25 years ago now.

It is fun from first moment til last. Reeves is in nearly every scene in all his pre belly scar youthfulness. The story is preposterous but we have seen how he is on board for that over the years. It's LOL funny in some scenes. Well cast. Filmed in the writer/directors hometown in, get this...Pennsylvania. Rupert is smart and adorable and the cinematographers were savvy enough to get plenty of closeups. The love story is what dreams are made of as well as the intimate moments, one in particular that involves an erotic, in the moment, and sensually sloppy kiss. Over all it was a wonderful way to tell a story about small town issues, the 80's, teenaged angst, and intimacy problems. Of course, and it is right and good, that Rupert/Keanu solves all the personal problems in the end. I am seeing a lot of Henry's Crime here but that's just me. It made no sense that Bonnie Bedelia & Amy Madigan were nominated for Indie Spirit awards and Keanu was not, as it was clearly his movie. I will say no more. Make every effort to see it. Enjoy the wayback machine for 87 minutes.