American Boy: A Profile of: Steven Prince (1978)
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48% want to see it
(417 ratings)
Martin Scorsese's American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince is both a documentary and a tragicomedy, in which the personal experiences of one twentysomething Jewish gay man are rendered universal. Surrounded by friends in a cozy living room, the sensitive and humorous Prince (Taxi Driver's… More Martin Scorsese's American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince is both a documentary and a tragicomedy, in which the personal experiences of one twentysomething Jewish gay man are rendered universal. Surrounded by friends in a cozy living room, the sensitive and humorous Prince (Taxi Driver's gun salesman, Handy Andy) recounts his personal history, from his run-in with a gorilla, to his relationship with his parents, his childhood bagel delivery business, his coming out, his addiction to drugs, his job as Neil Diamond's road manager, and his father's falling ill. One of Prince's most exciting tales, an account of his reviving a friend's overdosing girlfriend by injecting stimulant into her heart, was re-created almost to a tee by director Quentin Tarantino in Pulp Fiction. As wild and theatrical as the young man's accounts are, Scorsese intersperses them with childhood pictures of Prince that could be of any American, quickly reminding the entire audience of their common humanity. ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, Rovi
- Directed By
- Martin Scorsese
- Written By
- Julia Cameron, Mardik Martin
- Genres
- Documentary, Special Interest
Unrated,
Critic Reviews
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Janet Maslin, New York Times
There is a party atmosphere to the telling of these stories, as Mr. Prince holds forth in a smoke-filled room with a group of friends, Mr. Scorsese among them. But the film maker's conviviality takes on an element of regret.
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Rob Nelson, Village Voice
It's not just in the hot tub that Scorsese wishes to separate himself from this guy.
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, Time Out
It looks suspiciously like another demonstration of his awe of violence that makes some of Taxi Driver look immature.
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, TV Guide's Movie Guide
American Boy is certainly valuable as a glimpse into the life of the director, but it's also perfectly entertaining in and of itself.
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Cast
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George Memmoli
as Himself
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Steven Prince
as Himself
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Martin Scorsese
as Himself
- Julia Cameron
- Mardik Martin
