Product Details

• Actors: Matt Dillon, Hector Elizondo, Molly McCarthy, Martha Gehman, Richard Crenna
• Directors: Garry Marshall
• Writers: Garry Marshall, Bo Goldman, Neal Marshall
• Producers: Michael Phillips, Nick Abdo
• Format: Color, Original recording reissued, NTSC
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
• VHS Release Date: March 24, 1998
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304847211
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #440,857 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Matt Dillon broke through as a heartthrob in this surprisingly affecting comedy, from director Garry Marshall. Dillon plays a Brooklyn kid who lands a summer job at a tony Long Island beach club in 1963. His good looks and obsequious manners win him favor among the snobby members, who trigger dreams that he might actually move up far enough in the world to be one of them--particularly his hero, the club gin champ (Richard Crenna). Meanwhile, his hard-working plumber father (Hector Elizondo) casts a jaundiced eye at all the easy moolah his son is raking in in tips and the lessons about easy living that he seems to be learning. Marshall captures a loose comic nostalgia and the sense of a teen who is suddenly discovering his own abilities--and seeing his parents for the first time, both for bad and for good. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Dad, how many potatoes do you think you'll eat b4 u die?", November 28, 2001

By 

andrew i. chaplowitz (springfield, nj United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Flamingo Kid (DVD)

I fell on the floor with above line by Matt Dillon, to his father, perfectly played by Hector Elizando. And many other lines as well.

Dillon is a young impressionable kid from working-class Brooklyn who is in awe of the part played by Richard Crenna, a charming charlton. Dillon's character is swept up by wealth and the beautiful people and Crenna's character undoubtedly likes the attention. So Jeffrey hangs on to every word and goes home at night and repeats them. It doesnt take long for his true-to-his word father to catch on and call him on it.

The differences in class and values come to a head when Elizando and Crenna meet.

Funny and very entertaining.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Summer Flies By, July 7, 2008

By 

J-Train - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Flamingo Kid (DVD)

Another classic that doesn't really get the attention it deserves. This is a fun movie, a summer movie. Matt Dillon plays Jeff, a young kid who has just started his last summer before college. His dad wants him to work in an office for the summer but he wants to work at an upscale beach resort called The Flamingo. He grew up in lower class Brooklyn, but his job takes him to the ritzy shores of Long Island where he is quickly making money, moving up the ladder and making solid connections with the wealthy. His friendship with Mr. Brody (The King) begins to change Jeff's ideas about his future, much to the dismay of Jeff's father. Surrounded by wealthy people all day long, Jeff begins to dream of following in Mr. Brody's footsteps and becoming a sports car salesman. When Jeff finds out that Mr. Brody is just a cheater filled with a lot of hot air he takes him on in a marathon game of Gin. This is a great coming of age story and Matt Dillon is perfect in the role. All of the acting is great, it looks beautiful and is an easy movie to watch. The moral of the story for me: don't be fooled by those who preach the easy life, life is more rewarding when you take the hard road.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Happy Days, May 17, 2009

By 

Randy Keehn (Williston, ND United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Flamingo Kid (DVD)

"The Flamingo Kid" turned out to be a real "sleeper" for me. I enjoyed it from beginning to end and most everything in between. This is a "feel good" movie that gives us a young man looking to make his start in the world. His rich buddies introduce him to a Rockaway (NY) resort where he is offered a job. His father had other ideas and their ensuing relationship is one of the major focusses of the film. In the meantime there are a variety of characters and events that keep the movie moving along. In the end, our hero, Matt Dillon, learns a lot of valuable lessons in life.

I think of TV when I think of the director Gary Marshall. His hit series "Happy Days" has to be measured along with the questionable "Laverne and Shirley". I found "The Flamingo Kids" to be a professionally done movie. Perhaps a little more lightly done than some but certainly comparable to the film-making of its' time. This is a FUN movie.