Chatham (The Golden Boys) (2008)

28% of critics liked it
(18 reviews)
29% of users liked it
(774 ratings)

Adapted from Joseph C. Lincoln's best-selling novel Can'n Eri, this gentle tale of three retired sea captains living together and looking to get their house in order features an all-star cast including David Carradine, Rip Torn, Bruce Dern, and Mariel Hemingway. The story begins in turn of the… More Adapted from Joseph C. Lincoln's best-selling novel Can'n Eri, this gentle tale of three retired sea captains living together and looking to get their house in order features an all-star cast including David Carradine, Rip Torn, Bruce Dern, and Mariel Hemingway. The story begins in turn of the century Cape Cod, where Captain Jerry Burgess (Torn), Captain Perez (Dern), and Captain Zeb (Carradine) decide that the only way to get their house in order is for one of them to get married. When no one jumps at the prospect of taking a bride, they decide to flip a coin and Captain Jerry is selected as the groom-to-be. After placing an ad for a mail-order bride in a big-city newspaper, the trio gets a response from Martha Snow (Hemingway), who hails from nearby Nantucket. The plan seems to be going along just fine until Captain Jerry gets cold feet, prompting Captain Perez to work overtime to keep Martha from leaving. But as Captain Jerry attempts to work up the confidence to propose, a strange thing happens: Captain Zeb falls in love with Martha and proposes. Now, if Captain Jerry can just find it within himself to forgive and old friend, this seafaring trio may find that everything will work out in the end. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 37 min.
Directed By: Daniel Adams
Written By: Daniel Adams
Genres: Comedy, Romance

In Theaters: Apr 17, 2009 Wide
On DVD: Aug 18, 2009
Studio: Roadside Attractions

Critic Reviews

Ronnie Scheib, Variety
It seems particularly perverse to take actors who helped develop the '60's thesping style of hang-loose, semi-improvisational immediacy and stick them in a creaky period piece glazed with arch gentility and ersatz quaintness.
Lou Lumenick, New York Post
This musty yarn would have worked better as a 1940s MGM programmer.
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times
The Golden Boys is an object lesson in how to squander a seasoned cast, a charming premise and a breathtaking location.
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
Aside from the occasional magical shot or affecting actor moment, it's a film whose poverty betrays most every frame.
Scott Foundas, Village Voice
You can feel yourself growing older in the 90 minutes it takes to watch this horrid piece of filmed dinner theater.
Prairie Miller, NewsBlaze
The sheer delight of this salty boy talk elder outing, is lifelong fierce courage on the high seas but acute commitment panic when females are around. While the male angst tragic ties surfacing between Rip Torn and David Carradine, are fatefully linked.
Matt Brunson, Creative Loafing
The three vets are a delight to watch, even if the movie around them remains soggy.
Renie Scolaro Mora, PopMatters
This tale of three codgery sea captains looking for a wife is not all that romantic, or especially comic.
John P. McCarthy, Boxoffice Magazine
Taking place in 1905, this harmless serving of maritime malarkey may also boast the most liver spots on screen since Cocoon.
Lawrence Toppman, Charlotte Observer
You don't have to be a geezer to grin at these goings-on.
Sean O'Connell, Filmcritic.com
peddles safe humor that's mashed up and spoon-fed to an audience craving toothless comedy
Frank Lovece, Film Journal International
Picturesque if plodding indie romantic comedy about three salty dogs in 1905 Cape Cod who bring in a would-be bride to keep house.
Connie Ogle, Miami Herald
Trying to sit through The Golden Boys is like trudging across the Cape Cod sand in galoshes during a nor'easter with a mule on your back.
Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com
All the admirable shipyard textures and thespian marquee value can't fog the fact that while peaceful, The Golden Boys is about as thrilling as an Abe Simpson bedtime story.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Proves the course of love is never what we think it is going to be.
Susan Granger, SSG Syndicate
Imagine! It's an amusing, high-spirited romantic picture about senior citizens. What will they think of next?
Simon Abrams, Slant Magazine
The Golden Boys, writer-director Daniel Adams's adaptation of Joseph Lincoln's novel Cap'n Eri, could just as easily be called Grumpy Old Sea-Men or Two Brides for Three Salty Seadogs.
Prairie Miller, NewsBlaze
The sheer delight of this salty boy talk elder outing, is lifelong fierce courage on the high seas but acute commitment panic when females are around. While the male angst tragic ties surfacing between Rip Torn and David Carradine, are fatefully linked.
Harvey S. Karten, Compuserve
The ambiance of early 1900 Cape Cod is a character in this all-too-slight movie that could play better on cable, DVD, or an off-off-Broadway stage.

Read all 19 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Bruce B

From one end of the spectrum to the other. Yesterday I am watching more a less a movie about a child and today its old men. The previews are far better then the movie itself but its still a cute movie, about 3 old shipmates living together and they decided one needs to marry in order… More
From one end of the spectrum to the other. Yesterday I am watching more a less a movie about a child and today its old men. The previews are far better then the movie itself but its still a cute movie, about 3 old shipmates living together and they decided one needs to marry in order for there home to be kept up. Lots of twist and turns. Easy to see that 3 old friends in the movie business enjoyed making this film. An enjoyable film but still only 3 Stars.
Arash X

Starts off promising actually then goes straight to shit
moon r

i didn't even know this one was out there but, following a group of nothing but silver-haired types into the local multiplex (as opposed to a group of squealin skateboardin cellphonin pimplepoppers headin for "hannah montana"), i found this relic warped from the days of… More
i didn't even know this one was out there but, following a group of nothing but silver-haired types into the local multiplex (as opposed to a group of squealin skateboardin cellphonin pimplepoppers headin for "hannah montana"), i found this relic warped from the days of abc's movie-of-the-week as the old new wave (carradine, torn, and dern, their wild, capricious, potsmokin, f-ck-the-man, "we do it our way" days of the '70's long behind them) dust off their best eastcoaster accents and entertain entertainin ms. hemingway's competent though lonely spinster. who'll get the girl? is the most action this quaint "senior entertainment" vehicle offers.