Themes: Riches To Rags, Stop the Wrecking Ball, Fathers and Daughters
Main Cast: Dabney Coleman, Uma Thurman, Joanna Cassidy, Crispin Glover, David Hewlett, Suzy Amis
Release Year: 1990
Country: US
Run Time: 115 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
In this comedy from writer-director John Boorman, wealthy real estate mogul Stewart McBain (Dabney Coleman) owns a demolition firm which specializes in blowing up old buildings to make way for upscale new ones. When neighbors protest his plans to raze a dilapidated old building to make way for a new Brooklyn subdivision, television crews film the confrontation, and McBain comes off like a fool. His three spoiled children ridicule him. Tired of their carping, McBain gives them each $750 and drops them off at the old building, known as the Dutch House. Daphne (Uma Thurman), Chloe (Suzy Amis) and Jimmy (David Hewlett) are at first completely lost, because they have no idea how to live in the real world. As McBain and his wife Jean (Joanna Cassidy) monitor their children's progress, the three youngsters learn to get along with the neighborhood people and eventually set up a commune of sorts, into which they invite their friends and various homeless people. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
Christopher Plummer - Homeless Gent; Maury Chaykin - Harry; Dylan Walsh - Tom; Ken Pogue - Hamilton; Sheila Kelley - Sheryl; David Bronstein - Stock Exchange Dealer; Ida Carnevali - Mrs. Jose; Robbie Coltrane; Frances Flanagan - TV Reporter (Dutch House); Prabha Gandhi - Mya; Paulina Gillis - Secretary; Michael Kirby - Lionel's Father; Gary Krawford - Presidential Aide; Howard Lende - Wall Street Man; Sandi Ross - Woman Speaking in Tongues; Juan Sanchez - Jose; Albert Schultz - Edgar; George Seremba - Preacher; Ralph Small - Eviction Man; Timothy Stickney - Marcus; Dennis Strong - Marvin X; Najma Uddin - Porna; Philip Williams - Man with Writ; Emma Woollard - Olivia; Maurice Godin - Stock Exchange Dealer; Christine Kossak - Runway Model; Ric Sarabia - NYC Unemployment Clerk; Catherine Blythe - Runway Model; Anne-Marie MacDonald - TV Reporter (Stock Exchange)
Credit
Susan Kaufman - Art Director, James McAteer - Art Director, Richard Murphy - Choreography, Linda Matheson - Costume Designer, John Boorman - Director, Ian Crafford - Editor, Peter J. Martin - Composer (Music Score), Carol Spier - Production Designer, Peter Suschitzky - Cinematographer, John Boorman - Producer, Edgar Gross - Producer, Elinor Rose Galbraith - Set Designer, John Boorman - Screenwriter, Telsche Boorman - Screenwriter
