The Pompatus of Love (1995)

Four guys sit around drinking beer and talking, trying to figure out the meaning of "the pompatus of love" (from the Steve Miller song "Joker") and analyzing their relationships with women.

Director:

Richard Schenkman

Writers:

Jon Cryer, Adam Oliensis

Stars:

Adrian Pasdar, Paige Turco, Arabella Field

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Adrian Pasdar	...	Josh
Paige Turco	...	Gina
Arabella Field	...	Lori - Phil's Wife
Dana Wheeler-Nicholson	...	Kathryn
Mia Sara	...	Cynthia
Jon Cryer	...	Mark
Adam Oliensis	...	Phil
Kristin Scott Thomas	...	Caroline
Tim Guinee	...	Runyon
Kristen Wilson	...	Tasha
Lianna Pai	...	Ting (as Liana Pai)
John Norman Thomas	...	Cabbie
John Hoyt	...	Big Toe (as John Glen Hoyt)
Charlie Murphy	...	Saxophone Man
Helen Haft	...	Real Estate Broker

Storyline

Four guys sit around drinking beer and talking, trying to figure out the meaning of "the pompatus of love" (from the Steve Miller song "Joker") and analyzing their relationships with women.

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Plot Keywords:

beer | drinking | love | pacific ocean | moon | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title phrase was taken from two songs by Steve Miller. The mysterious word "pompatus" was originally spelled "pompitous" in the printed lyrics. But it originally comes from The Medallions' 1954 song "The Letter", written by Vernon Green when he was fourteen. Green explained in the 1990s that the word actually began with "puppet" and was a term he'd made up for "a secret paper-doll fantasy figure, who would be my everything and bear my children."

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Jack/Aladdin and the King of Thieves/Escape from L.A./Basquiat/The Pompatus of Love (1996)

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Soundtracks

Blame It on the Moon
Writer Unknown
Performed by Scott Bryan

User Reviews

The X Factor

I saw this when it first was released on video, and now, 5 years later, got to watch it again from a different perspective.

Character development - there's not much with the exception of Josh.

Plot - sort of vague, it goes from one situation to the next with aside comments and monologues spliced together and thrown in just for fun and transition.

So what is it about? Very simply put - the differences between men and women and how difficult they can be to understand.

Why this title? No clue. But it sort of makes sense; how many people over the years have understood that Steve Miller was saying "the pompatus of love", and if they understood it, how many knew what the heck he meant by it?? Exactly! But the song was still a big hit. It sounds cool and is a blast to sing along with. Men and women, despite all the griping, jokes, cliches and misunderstandings between the two genders, still keep getting together and, hopefully, can make it through life with their sanity, intelligence and love intact.

There is no pat answer with which to end this movie. Life doesn't have any either. I'm not one for vague endings. I usually prefer to have a Hollywood Happy Ending. But this works for me for some reason. There's no blinding vision of how one must change to be able to live happily ever after with the object of one's affection. It's just an acceptance that there are differences. Maybe not understood, but now one knows that they are there and can work with them; or around them; or whatever it may take.

It's a good look at relationships for the over 21 crowd. It's a good movie.

Details

Country:

France USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 July 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Confissões de Quatro Apaixonados

Company Credits

Production Co:

BMG Independents, Counterproductions Inc., Monte Cristo International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color