Playing for Keeps (film)
Encyclopedia
Playing for Keeps is a 1986 comedy film
directed
and written by brothers
Bob
and Harvey Weinstein
. It stars Daniel Jordano, Matthew Penn
and Leon W. Grant as a trio of inner-city teenagers attempting to strike it rich by turning a hotel into a rock 'n' roll resort. A then little-known Marisa Tomei
has a supporting role.
Danny discusses the scenario with two friends: a would-be entertainer named Silk Davis, and an athletic type named Spikes McClanahan. To earn enough money for keeping the Majestic, Danny attempts to open a bank account, while Silk and Spikes become suburban salespeople—but to no avail. Afterward, the three disguise themselves as members of the Boy Scouts
, and successfully sell a lot of mint cookies to office workers.
Danny eventually makes Marie proud, not only with his earnings, but with a bundle of food supplies for a few needy neighbors. Soon, he and his friends travel to Hawley on a decorated van, but the worn-down state of the Majestic catches them off-guard. Rockefeller G. Harding, a residing hermit
, gives them a tour that leaves the newcomers more appalled. They begin to renovate the building and transform it into "The New Hotel Majestic...For Kids Only", promising "MTV
in every room" once it re-opens. But several of the townsfolk express their displeasure over what could happen to their town, and even take measures to keep Danny and friends out of their lives.
Meanwhile, Rockefeller suggests that Danny recruit stockholders to manage the hotel. In doing so, Danny scouts the New York streets and hires many of his friends for that purpose. Arriving in Hawley, the stockholders of Majestic Enterprises are as dismayed as Danny, Spikes and Silk previously were; the luxury they expected of the Majestic is nowhere in sight. Instead, they are put to the task of fixing up the place within a month, after which inspection will take place.
; they served as its directors, co-writers and co-producers. It was partly based on Harvey's stint at the Century Theater in Buffalo, New York
; in 1974, he purchased the facility with a friend named Horace "Corky" Burger, and ran it as a rock and roll venue until its 1978 demolition. Playing for Keeps remains the Weinsteins' only effort as directors; their mother Miriam is mentioned in the "special thanks" section of the credits. The film was shot in New York City, along with several locations in Pennsylvania: Scranton
, Bethany
, Honesdale
and Hawley
. At one point in production, the brothers lacked money to continue it, and had to depend on their partner Frank McGuire to supply financing.
in 1986, features music by a decidedly higher-profile roster: Phil Collins
, Peter Frampton
, Pete Townshend
, and Duran Duran
splintergroup Arcadia
. A music video for one of the tracks, Sister Sledge
's "Here to Stay", was produced by Alan Brewer (the film's musical director), and directed by Harvey Weinstein and NFL Films
' Phil Tuckett. Players from the Chicago Bears
football team appeared in the video along with the band.
Track listing
for North American distribution. The MTV
cable network aired a 22-minute making-of documentary, Playing for Keeps: The Team Behind a Dream, as part of the promotional efforts. Opening on October 3, 1986, the film made US$1.4 million from 1,148 theaters during opening weekend, and went on to earn US$2.663 million domestically. It was released on VHS in July 1987, and on Region 1 DVD in August 2003.
criticized many of its writing and technical aspects in his review, and deemed it "a hapless, dimwitted film which—like Flashdance
and dozens of other feeble imitations—follows the dreary adventures of a band of teens fighting to achieve a cherished dream." Caryn James of The New York Times
wrote, "[The film] is so low-budget innocuous that it resembles a below-average episode of the television series Fame
. It probably should have bypassed theaters altogether and gone directly to videotape or television, where its staleness might have been less conspicuous." The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
' s Marylynn Uricchio concurred with James: "While never exactly boring, Playing for Keeps is painful and mindless viewing nonetheless." Bill Kaufman of Newsday
found the soundtrack "noisy, if nothing else." Dave Kehr of the Chicago Tribune
gave it one star out of four.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and written by brothers
Sibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
Bob
Bob Weinstein
Robert "Bob" Weinstein is an American film and theatre producer, the founder and head of Dimension Films, former co-chairman of Miramax Films, and current head, with his brother Harvey Weinstein, of The Weinstein Company.-Career:...
and Harvey Weinstein
Harvey Weinstein
Harvey Weinstein, CBE is an American film producer and movie studio chairman. He is best known as co-founder of Miramax Films. He and his brother Bob have been co-chairmen of The Weinstein Company, their film production company, since 2005...
. It stars Daniel Jordano, Matthew Penn
Matthew Penn
Matthew Penn is an American director and producer of television and theatre. Some of credits as a television director include NYPD Blue, Law & Order, New York Undercover, Brooklyn South, The Sopranos, House, Damages and Royal Pains.Prior to working in television, Penn spent many years working in...
and Leon W. Grant as a trio of inner-city teenagers attempting to strike it rich by turning a hotel into a rock 'n' roll resort. A then little-known Marisa Tomei
Marisa Tomei
Marisa Tomei is an American stage, film and television actress. Following her work on As The World Turns, Tomei came to prominence as a supporting cast member on The Cosby Show spinoff A Different World in 1987...
has a supporting role.
Synopsis
18-year-old Danny d'Angelo, an alumnus of Benjamin Franklin High School in New York City, lives in an apartment with his mother and a charitable sister named Marie. One day in July, he discovers they have inherited the Hotel Majestic, a long-closed facility in the upstate New York town of Hawley—and along with it, $8,000 in unpaid taxes. Danny's great-aunt Theresa once owned the place, but died before she could pay them off. Unknown to them, a firm called Pritchard Chemicals is willing to acquire the property for its Fox River project, and turn it into a chemical waste dump.Danny discusses the scenario with two friends: a would-be entertainer named Silk Davis, and an athletic type named Spikes McClanahan. To earn enough money for keeping the Majestic, Danny attempts to open a bank account, while Silk and Spikes become suburban salespeople—but to no avail. Afterward, the three disguise themselves as members of the Boy Scouts
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
, and successfully sell a lot of mint cookies to office workers.
Danny eventually makes Marie proud, not only with his earnings, but with a bundle of food supplies for a few needy neighbors. Soon, he and his friends travel to Hawley on a decorated van, but the worn-down state of the Majestic catches them off-guard. Rockefeller G. Harding, a residing hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
, gives them a tour that leaves the newcomers more appalled. They begin to renovate the building and transform it into "The New Hotel Majestic...For Kids Only", promising "MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
in every room" once it re-opens. But several of the townsfolk express their displeasure over what could happen to their town, and even take measures to keep Danny and friends out of their lives.
Meanwhile, Rockefeller suggests that Danny recruit stockholders to manage the hotel. In doing so, Danny scouts the New York streets and hires many of his friends for that purpose. Arriving in Hawley, the stockholders of Majestic Enterprises are as dismayed as Danny, Spikes and Silk previously were; the luxury they expected of the Majestic is nowhere in sight. Instead, they are put to the task of fixing up the place within a month, after which inspection will take place.
Cast
| Name | Character | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel Jordano | Danny d'Angelo | |
| Matthew Penn Matthew Penn Matthew Penn is an American director and producer of television and theatre. Some of credits as a television director include NYPD Blue, Law & Order, New York Undercover, Brooklyn South, The Sopranos, House, Damages and Royal Pains.Prior to working in television, Penn spent many years working in... |
Spikes McClanahan | |
| Leon W. Grant | Silk Davis | |
| Mary B. Grant | Chloe Hatcher | |
| Marisa Tomei Marisa Tomei Marisa Tomei is an American stage, film and television actress. Following her work on As The World Turns, Tomei came to prominence as a supporting cast member on The Cosby Show spinoff A Different World in 1987... |
Tracy | |
| Jimmy Baio Jimmy Baio James Joseph "Jimmy" Baio is an American actor. He was born in Brooklyn, New York. He is the cousin of actor Scott Baio.Baio first appeared onscreen in 1975 at age 13... |
Steinberg | |
| Harold Gould Harold Gould Harold V. Goldstein , best known by his stage name Harold Gould, was an American actor best known for playing Martin Morgenstern in the 1970s sitcoms Rhoda and The Mary Tyler Moore Show and as Miles Webber in The Golden Girls... |
Robert Kennica, a.k.a. Rockefeller G. Harding | |
| Kim Hauser | Marie | |
| Robert Milli | Henry Cromwell | |
| John Randolph Jones | Sheriff Billy Sullivan | |
| Raymond Barry | Mr. Hatcher (Chloe's Father) | |
| Hildy Brooks | Danny's Mom | |
| Timothy Carhart Timothy Carhart Timothy Carhart is an American actor. Carhart was born in Washington, DC. and travelled to Izmir and Ankara in Turkey and Verdun in France before returning to the US and studying theater, where he has been acting since at least the late 1970s... |
Emmett | |
| Philip Kraus | Art Lewis | |
| David Lipman | Bank Buddy | |
| Stockholders | ||
| Bruce Kluger | Gene Epstein | |
| Anthony Marciona Anthony Marciona Anthony Marciona is an American film, Broadway and television actor, singer and dancer from New York City. Marciona began his acting career at the age of five playing Kirk Douglas' godson in The Brotherhood.-Biography:... |
Ronnie Long | |
| Glen Robert Robillard | Joel | |
| Frank Scasso | Van Go Go | |
| Lisa Schultz | Jill | |
| Doug Warhit Doug Warhit Douglas M. Warhit is an author, director, actor, acting instructor, licensed psychotherapist, and life coach in Los Angeles, California. He has appeared in the films Beverly Hills Cop, Look Who's Talking, and Christine... |
Larry Diamond | |
Production
Playing for Keeps was inspired by the boyhood experiences of Harvey and Bob Weinstein, the founders of independent distributor Miramax FilmsMiramax Films
Miramax Films is an American entertainment company known for distributing independent and foreign films. For its first 14 years the company was privately owned by its founders, Bob and Harvey Weinstein...
; they served as its directors, co-writers and co-producers. It was partly based on Harvey's stint at the Century Theater in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
; in 1974, he purchased the facility with a friend named Horace "Corky" Burger, and ran it as a rock and roll venue until its 1978 demolition. Playing for Keeps remains the Weinsteins' only effort as directors; their mother Miriam is mentioned in the "special thanks" section of the credits. The film was shot in New York City, along with several locations in Pennsylvania: Scranton
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
, Bethany
Bethany, Pennsylvania
Bethany is a borough in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 246 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Bethany is located at ....
, Honesdale
Honesdale, Pennsylvania
Honesdale is a borough in and the county seat of Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located northeast of Scranton. The population was 4,874 at the 2000 census....
and Hawley
Hawley, Pennsylvania
Hawley is a borough in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,211 at the 2010 census.- History :The borough was named for Irad Hawley, first president of the Pennsylvania Coal Company. Early industry centered around the transportation and support of nearby coal mining...
. At one point in production, the brothers lacked money to continue it, and had to depend on their partner Frank McGuire to supply financing.
Soundtrack
The film's soundtrack, released by Atlantic RecordsAtlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
in 1986, features music by a decidedly higher-profile roster: Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
, Peter Frampton
Peter Frampton
Peter Kenneth Frampton is an English musician, singer, producer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. He was previously associated with the bands Humble Pie and The Herd. Frampton's international breakthrough album was his live release, Frampton Comes Alive!. The album sold over 6 million copies...
, Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
, and Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
splintergroup Arcadia
Arcadia (band)
Arcadia were the pop group formed in 1985 by Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes and Roger Taylor of Duran Duran, during a break in that band's schedule. However, Roger Taylor appeared in only a few band photographs and in none of the music videos, and stated he was only to be involved in the recording side...
. A music video for one of the tracks, Sister Sledge
Sister Sledge
Sister Sledge is an American musical group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in 1972 and consisting of four sisters: Kim Sledge Debbie Sledge , Joni Sledge , and Kathy Sledge . They are granddaughters of the former opera singer Viola Williams. The sisters used to perform under the name of "Mrs...
's "Here to Stay", was produced by Alan Brewer (the film's musical director), and directed by Harvey Weinstein and NFL Films
NFL Films
NFL Films is a Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based company devoted to producing commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries on the National Football League, as well as other unrelated major events and awards shows...
' Phil Tuckett. Players from the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
football team appeared in the video along with the band.
Track listing
- "Life to Life" - Pete TownshendPete TownshendPeter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
- "It's Not Over" - Chris Thompson
- "Distant Drums" - Peter FramptonPeter FramptonPeter Kenneth Frampton is an English musician, singer, producer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. He was previously associated with the bands Humble Pie and The Herd. Frampton's international breakthrough album was his live release, Frampton Comes Alive!. The album sold over 6 million copies...
- "It's Gettin' Hot" - Eugene WildeEugene WildeEugene Wilde is an American R&B singer and songwriter, who had two #1 hits on the US R&B charts in the 1980s.-Career:...
- "Think We're Gonna Make It" - Hinton BattleHinton BattleHinton Battle is an American actor, dancer, and dance instructor. He has won three Tony Awards, all in the category of Featured Actor in a Musical...
- "We Said Hello, Goodbye (Don't Look Back)" - Phil CollinsPhil CollinsPhilip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
(The mix of this version of the song is different than the version that appears on Phil Collins' album No Jacket RequiredNo Jacket RequiredThe album is named after an incident at The Pump Room restaurant in Chicago, Illinois. Collins , was denied admittance because he did not meet the restaurant's dress code of "jacket required" for dinner, while Plant was allowed in. Collins was wearing a jacket, and argued about it. The Maître d'...
.) - "Here to Stay" - Sister Sledge
- "Say the WordSay the Word (Arcadia song)Say the Word was the fifth and final single released by the Duran Duran off-shoot band, Arcadia. Recorded for the soundtrack of Playing for Keeps, it was released as a single in the US by Atlantic Records.-Music video:...
" - ArcadiaArcadia (band)Arcadia were the pop group formed in 1985 by Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes and Roger Taylor of Duran Duran, during a break in that band's schedule. However, Roger Taylor appeared in only a few band photographs and in none of the music videos, and stated he was only to be involved in the recording side... - "Make a Wish" - Joe Cruz
- "Stand by MeStand by Me (song)"Stand by Me" is the title of a song originally performed by Ben E. King and written by King, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller, based on the spiritual "Lord Stand by Me,", plus two lines rooted in Psalms 46:2-3...
" - Julian LennonJulian LennonJohn Charles Julian Lennon is an English musician, songwriter, actor, and photographer. He is the son of John Lennon and Lennon's first wife, Cynthia Powell. Beatles manager Brian Epstein was his godfather. He has a younger half-brother, Sean Lennon. Lennon was named after his paternal...
Release
Playing for Keeps was made at a time when much of Miramax's output consisted of arthouse, foreign and documentary fare. It was produced by Miramax, and acquired by Universal PicturesUniversal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
for North American distribution. The MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
cable network aired a 22-minute making-of documentary, Playing for Keeps: The Team Behind a Dream, as part of the promotional efforts. Opening on October 3, 1986, the film made US$1.4 million from 1,148 theaters during opening weekend, and went on to earn US$2.663 million domestically. It was released on VHS in July 1987, and on Region 1 DVD in August 2003.
Reception
Playing for Keeps did not fare well among critics. Patrick Golstein of the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
criticized many of its writing and technical aspects in his review, and deemed it "a hapless, dimwitted film which—like Flashdance
Flashdance
Another song used in the film, "Maniac", was also nominated for an Academy Award. It was written by Michael Sembello and Dennis Matkosky, and was inspired by the 1980 horror film Maniac. The lyrics about a killer on the loose were rewritten so that it could be used in Flashdance...
and dozens of other feeble imitations—follows the dreary adventures of a band of teens fighting to achieve a cherished dream." Caryn James of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
wrote, "[The film] is so low-budget innocuous that it resembles a below-average episode of the television series Fame
Fame (1982 TV series)
Fame is an American television series originally produced between 1982 and 1987. The show was based on the 1980 motion picture of the same name. Using a mixture of drama and music, it followed the lives of the students and faculty at the New York City High School for the Performing Arts. Although...
. It probably should have bypassed theaters altogether and gone directly to videotape or television, where its staleness might have been less conspicuous." The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
found the soundtrack "noisy, if nothing else." Dave Kehr of the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
gave it one star out of four.