Rocket Gibraltar (1988)

An old patriarch unites all members of his family for his birthday, but the group of people are full of personal and social problems.

Director:

Daniel Petrie

Writer:

Amos Poe

Stars:

Burt Lancaster, Suzy Amis, Patricia Clarkson

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Burt Lancaster	...	Levi Rockwell
Suzy Amis	...	Aggie Rockwell
Patricia Clarkson	...	Rose Black
Frances Conroy	...	Ruby Hanson
Sinéad Cusack	...	Amanda 'Billi' Rockwell (as Sinead Cusack)
John Glover	...	Rolo Rockwell
Bill Pullman	...	Crow Black
Kevin Spacey	...	Dwayne Hanson
John Bell	...	Orson Rockwell
Nicky Bronson	...	Max Hanson
Danny Corkill	...	Kane Rockwell (as Dan Corkill)
Macaulay Culkin	...	Cy Blue Black
Angela Goethals	...	Dawn Black
Sara Goethals	...	Flora Rockwell
Emily Poe	...	Emily Rockwell

Storyline

A man's family comes for his 77th birthday and while he loves all of his children and their children, he and his children don't exactly connect. However, he connects with his grandchildren. And he tells them what he wants for his birthday and they do what they can to give it to him.

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Plot Keywords:

viking funeral | ocean | grandfather grandson relationship | grandfather granddaughter relationship | boat | 

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Taglines:

One unforgettable weekend, one family met some remarkable, crazy, loving people. Each other.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Pam Grier had a role as a housekeeper who was having a relationship with Levi (Burt Lancaster) but her scenes were deleted. According to Grier's autobiography, the director "feared repercussions from the interracial love scenes".

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Goofs

As the camera pans from the boat model on the window sill to Burt Lancaster lying in bed while Billie Holiday's "You Better Go Now" plays, we see that the record player is turning counter-clockwise - indicating that she scene is played in reverse.

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Quotes

[the kids see Cy Blue running back to Levi's house]
Jessica Hanson: What's that little turd up to now?
Max Hanson: He's just weird.
Dawn Black: Blue's got this thing. He's psychotic.
Kane Rockwell: Definitley.
Dawn Black: No, I mean he's psychic. He knows stuff.

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Connections

References Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

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Soundtracks

So Tired Of Being Alone
Written and Performed by Al Green

User Reviews

Eccentric but entertaining

Rocket Gibraltar was definitely a film in a class of it's own. It is the story of an aging patriarch brilliantly played by Burt Lancaster, a formerly blacklisted poet, and widower , his children, and grandchildren who gather to pay homage to him for a birthday. The interesting thing is how eccentric they all were. What I found most interesting was the way the characters were portrayed. This is one of the few films in which almost every character is portrayed in detail. Among them is the Suzi Amis character. She is portrayed as a bit of a libertine, a part that she plays with style and flair. The grandchildren however steal the film. The way those kids were able to dominate the film was a true work of genius on the part of the director/s. The ending to the film which I will not describe is truly a grand finale. The film is quite entertaining, leaning a bit towards a black comedy.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 September 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rocket Gibraltar

Filming Locations:

Westhampton Beach, Long Island, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$60,523, 4 September 1988

Gross USA:

$187,349

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$187,349

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1