Heartbreak Hotel (film)
| Heartbreak Hotel | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Chris Columbus |
| Written by | Chris Columbus |
| Produced by | Debra Hill Lynda Obst |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Steve Dobson |
| Edited by | Raja Gosnell |
| Music by | Georges Delerue |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista Pictures |
Release date | September 30, 1988 |
Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $13 million |
| Box office | $5.5 million (USA) |
Heartbreak Hotel is a 1988 American comedy film written and directed by Chris Columbus, and stars David Keith and Tuesday Weld. Set in 1972, the story deals with one of the many "legends" involving Elvis Presley (Keith) about his fictional kidnapping, and his subsequent redemption from decadence.
The film was shot on location in Austin, Texas at Green Pastures the former residence of John Henry Faulk.
Plot
The film opens with a single mother and her two children, and a teenage son and nine-year-old daughter, running a boarding house. The mother is hurt in a car accident, after her drunkard boyfriend crashed, and he kidnaps her favorite singer, Elvis Presley, for her birthday, getting the owner of a local pizzeria who looks eerily like Elvis' mother to pose as his mother's ghost as a distraction. Elvis awakens, after being drugged by the boy, in the boarding house. He and the boy do not get along at first. The boy disrespects for the 70's Elvis saying that he sold out to Vegas. However, the boy and Elvis get to know each other, and they became friends. Elvis even plays "Heartbreak Hotel" with the boy's band at a talent show.
Cast
- David Keith as Elvis Presley
- Tuesday Weld as Marie Wolfe
- Charlie Schlatter as Johnny Wolfe
- Angela Goethals as Pam Wolfe
Reception
The film received mixed reviews.[1][2][3] It currently holds a 38% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 13 reviews.[4]
Box office
The film received a box office failure.[5]
Music
Most of the songs contained in the film are actual Elvis Presley recordings despite the film being fictional, with David Keith and Charlie Schlatter performing the title track in the style of the 1968 television special recording.
References
- ^ Maslin, Janet (1988-09-30). "Movie Review - Heartbreak Hotel - Review/Film; Winning Elvis's Heart (And the Rest of Him) - NYTimes.com". Movies.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2012-06-26.
- ^ "'Heartbreak Hotel' (PG-13)". Washingtonpost.com. 1988-10-01. Retrieved 2012-06-26.
- ^ "Heartbreak Hotel - Reviews". Rogerebert.suntimes.com. 1988-09-30. Retrieved 2012-06-26.
- ^ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/heartbreak_hotel/
- ^ Klady, Leonard (1989-01-08). "Box Office Champs, Chumps : The hero of the bottom line was the 46-year-old 'Bambi' - Page 2 - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. Retrieved 2012-06-26.
External links
