Robot in the Family (1993)

A manic search for a valuable relic pits a father, son, and trouble-prone robot against a nasty villain.

Directors:

Mark Harry Richardson (as Mark Richardson), Jack Shaoul

Writer:

Jack Shaoul

Stars:

Joe Pantoliano, John Rhys-Davies, Danny Gerard

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joe Pantoliano	...	Jack Shamir
John Rhys-Davies	...	Eli Taki / Rashmud / Sashri
Danny Gerard	...	Alex Shamir
Amy Wright	...	Kristina Shamir
Howard Scott Nicoll	...	Golddigger
Derrick McQueen	...	Golddigger
John Patrick Shanley	...	Golddigger (as Patrick Shanley)
Ari Taub	...	Golddigger
Peter Maloney	...	Dr. Clayhand
Matthew Locricchio	...	Clyde Baldino
David Shuman	...	Bono Baldino
Jack Shaoul	...	Isaac Shamir / Blind Man
Tom Signorelli	...	Detective Goober
Barton Heyman	...	Mr. Marshall
Jane Connell	...	Mrs. Miller

Storyline

A manic search for a valuable relic pits a father, son, and trouble-prone robot against a nasty villain.

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Plot Keywords:

hare krishna | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 March 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Golddigger

Company Credits

Production Co:

Rapid Film Group

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Don Peoples (the voice of Golddigger) appears in the opening credits but he's uncredited on the end credits.

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Connections

Referenced in Best of the Worst: Our VHS Collection (2019)

User Reviews

Golddigger is not the worst

The original title is GOLDDIGGER. IMDb, you should update your listing! ("A Robot In the Family" was a later title used in some markets.) I met the filmmaker, a true "Independent" if a bit naive. He could not get distribution so he even did some additional sound and re-edited the movie to try to please one studio, but did not sell it anyway. When it finally got a distributor, the result was very spotty. So, it's a rare movie. I am amazed any of your viewers saw it! Maybe they found a videotape lying around in a sale bin somewhere.

The movie is actually pretty amusing, if you don't take it so seriously. The problem is more one of classification: It's not a kids movie, despite having a featured role for the son. It's too adult to be for a teen or preteen audience. Maybe college kids can dig it, along with adults with a tolerance for some silly "business" and satirical plot elements that may hit or miss. The "auteur" here was a real amateur when he made this film, so it's akin to a mid-budget student film. But remember, all Indies have to start somewhere. David Lynch and Quentin Tarrantino have come a long way from their first efforts. If you see this movie, please suspend critical disbelief, relax, and enjoy its better qualities. It's like if the film were a spoof or camp, even if maybe it wasn't intended to be. On that level, it succeeds better than some intended spoofs that fail.