The Caveman's Valentine (2001)

A cave-dwelling man sets out to track down the killer of a homeless boy, and bring him to justice.

Director:

Kasi Lemmons

Writers:

George Dawes Green (novel), George Dawes Green (screenplay)

Stars:

Samuel L. Jackson, Colm Feore, Ann Magnuson

4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Romulus
Colm Feore	...	Leppenraub
Ann Magnuson	...	Moira
Damir Andrei	...	Arnold
Aunjanue Ellis	...	Lulu
Tamara Tunie	...	Sheila
Peter MacNeill	...	Cork
Jay Rodan	...	Joey / No Face
Rodney Eastman	...	Matthew
Anthony Michael Hall	...	Bob
Kate McNeil	...	Betty
Leonard L. Thomas	...	Shaker / Greater No Face (as Leonard Thomas)
Joris Jarsky	...	Boy Toy / Andy (as Joris Jorsky)
Pierre Alcide	...	Toupee
Richard Fitzpatrick	...	Walter

Storyline

Romulus is mentally ill, a troglodyte in a New York City park. He's also a gifted composer and the father of a city cop. On Valentine's Day, a young man freezes in a tree near his cave. The police determine it's the accidental death of someone behaving bizarrely, but Romulus believes a friend of the dead youth who says that noted avant-garde photographer, David Leppenraub, murdered him. Romulus, urged on by hallucinations of his wife as a young woman, resolves to catch the killer and manages to be invited to Leppenraub's farm to play a new composition. Can Romulus hold it together long enough to get to the bottom of the death and also to make a breakthrough with his daughter?

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Plot Keywords:

juilliard school | title directed by female | manhattan new york city | delusion | chrysler building manhattan new york city | 

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Taglines:

Romulus Ledbetter lives on the edge. The view is incredible.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Music | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some violence and sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

e-Pipoca synopsis,gallery [Brazil] (Portuguese) Manga Films [Spain]

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 September 2001 (Malaysia)

Also Known As:

Az ösztönember

Filming Locations:

Bryant Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$13,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$112,041, 4 March 2001, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$687,194

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures,Franchise Pictures,Jersey Shore

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Throughout the film, Romulus raves at, and about, a fictional man named Stuyvesant. In Samuel L. Jackson's earlier film One Eight Seven (1997), his character works at a school in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn.

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Goofs

In one shot when Bob and Betty toast Romulus in his new suit, Bob's "z-ray" green drink is orange (though this may have been intentional, since it is unclear if the "z-rays" are simply in Romulus's mind).

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Quotes

[first lines]
Romulus Ledbetter: Don't you watch me! You think you're gonna crawl into my brain and see a show? That what I am? Is that what you think?
Social Worker: What I think, Mr. Ledbetter, is that the temperature is dropping.
Romulus Ledbetter: I got freezing temperatures all over my brain. And I got legends of angels up there! Like little moths, and they'll beat the hell out of you with their wings!

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Crazy Credits

For "Billie" 1955-1999 - "love you baby. always have. always will."

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Connections

Referenced in Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #2.21 (2011)

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Soundtracks

Concerto for Two Violins, 2nd Movement
Written by Johann Sebastian Bach
Courtesy of Associated Production Music, LLC

User Reviews

Manhattan Underground

It's not really a cave. It's more like a rock shelter. But whatever we call it, it is home to Romulus Ledbetter (Samuel L. Jackson), a sensitive, and sometimes delusional, homeless man in Manhattan. One winter morning, he discovers a dead man outside his abode. But who is this person, and how did he end up outside of Romulus' cave? Or, could the dead man be just another one of Romulus' delusions? The rest of the film follows Romulus, in his quest to solve the mystery.

One of the film's strengths is Jackson's fine performance. With his long curly locks, his dark and grubby attire, his distinctive way of walking, and his stutter, Jackson gives depth to his character, and entreats empathy for a group of people who are too often stereotyped as worthless.

Another strength is the film's ability to contrast street life with high society. Romulus' quest carries him to society's elite. In one sequence, we see images of torture, while listening to opera. In another sequence, we see a homeless man playing classical piano to an audience of art lovers. The contrast is marvelous.

The film's downside is the contrived and hokey plot, with tons of improbable occurrences. Also, secondary roles seem hollow, and exist mainly to advance the plot.

"The Caveman's Valentine" is worth seeing once, for Jackson's sensitive and persuasive portrayal of a homeless man. I just wish the writers could have found some other, more plausible, reason for Romulus to interact with New York City's cultural elite.