Heartbreak Hotel (1988)
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38% of critics liked it
(13 reviews) -
42% of users liked it
(1,512 ratings)
Johnny Wolfe (Charlie Schlatter) is an Ohio teen whose alcoholic mother Marie (Tuesday Weld) has been a huge Elvis Presley fan since the 1950s. To cheer her up on her birthday, Johnny kidnaps the king of rock & roll (David Keith) after a 1972 concert. Elvis settles in to the Wolfe's den by… More Johnny Wolfe (Charlie Schlatter) is an Ohio teen whose alcoholic mother Marie (Tuesday Weld) has been a huge Elvis Presley fan since the 1950s. To cheer her up on her birthday, Johnny kidnaps the king of rock & roll (David Keith) after a 1972 concert. Elvis settles in to the Wolfe's den by decorating the house to his flamboyant tastes and helping Marie and her daughter Pam (Angela Goethals) through some difficult times. After Johnny convinces Elvis to perform with him at a high-school talent competition, he also lectures Elvis that he has lost touch with his roots and urges him do drop his schmaltzy Las Vegas image. This implausible but entertaining feature was given the go-ahead by the Presley estate and contains none of the legendary excesses that led to the king's death in 1977. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Directed By
- Chris Columbus
- Genres
- Comedy
PG-13,
- In Theaters
- Sep 30, 1988 Wide
Critic Reviews
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Janet Maslin, New York Times
[Columbus] pushes the film's slender premise much too far.
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Rita Kempley, Washington Post
Face it. The King has left the building, gone to that Caesars Palace in the sky. Columbus, say goodbye.
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Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Here it is, the goofiest movie of the year, a movie so bad in so many different and endearing ways that I'm damned if I don't feel genuine affection for it.
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Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
One would like to think that Tuesday Weld was in on the absurdity of this enterprise, but this one treats it all straight, with a solemnity that may have you rolling in the aisles.
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Clint Morris, Moviehole
Keith at the top of his game
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
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Cast
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David Keith
as Elvis Presley
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Tuesday Weld
as Marie Wolfe
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Charlie Schlatter
as Johnny Wolfe
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Angela Goethals
as Pam Wolfe
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Jacque Lynn Colton
as Rosie Pantangellio
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Chris Mulkey
as Steve Ayres
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Karen Landry
as Irene
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Dana Barron
as Beth Devereux
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Michael Costello
as Dr. Charles Devereux
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Blue Deckert
as Jones
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Noel Derecki
as Tony Vandelo
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Clarke P.Devereux
as Teacher
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Paul Harkins
as Brian Gasternick
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John Hawkes
as Talent Show M.C.
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Jerry Haynes
as Mr. Hansen
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Dennis Letts
as Alan Fortas
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Diane Robin
as Donna
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Tudor Sherrard
as Paul Quinine
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Monica Devereux
as Monica
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John L. Martin
as Sheriff Abrams
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Miles Mutchler
as Furniture Salesman
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Cheryl Beckham
as Nurse
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Graham T. Brown
as Jerry Schilling
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Stephen Lee Davis
as George Klein
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Al Dvorin
as Himself
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Hal Ketchum
as Steve's Friend
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Urban Kneupper
as Accordian Player
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Debra Luijtjes
as Cheryl
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Christine M. Poole
as Judy
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Ruth Sadlier
as Aunt Anne
