Rooftops (1989)

0% of critics liked it
(6 reviews)
33% of users liked it
(1,116 ratings)

Set in the Manhattan street milieu that served him well in West Side Story, Robert Wise's Rooftops tells the story of T, a quiet, soft-spoken teen-ager who has left his broken home and is living in a makeshift shelter in an old water tower on top of an abandoned tenement building. There are other… More Set in the Manhattan street milieu that served him well in West Side Story, Robert Wise's Rooftops tells the story of T, a quiet, soft-spoken teen-ager who has left his broken home and is living in a makeshift shelter in an old water tower on top of an abandoned tenement building. There are other kids like him, including Squeak, a talented graffiti artist who joins T after an altercation involving his mother's boy friend. T and Squeak manage to scrape together what little money they need through minor sins (stripping cars, etc.), and at night all these street inhabitants get together in a vacant lot to "combat" dance, in which they use a combination of karate and dancing to force an opponent off of a platform. Into this mix comes Lobo, a drug dealer who moves into T's building and turns it into a crack house. Lobo's beautiful cousin Elana serves as his lookout - not because she wants to, but because her father's heart attack has left her family in dire financial straits. T and Elana become interested in each other, but T and Lobo are at odds with each other - which fact leads to a showdown in which T must put his "combat" skills to good use. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 48 min.
Directed By: Robert Wise
Genres: Action & Adventure, Romance, Musical & Performing Arts

In Theaters: Mar 17, 1989 Wide
On DVD: Mar 8, 2005

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
This romantic musical drama about homeless Manhattan teens living on rooftops doesn't reach any heights.

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Cast

            Jason Gedrick as T

            Troy Beyer as Elana

            Eddie Velez as Lobo

            Alexis Cruz as Squeak

            Tisha Campbell as Amber

            Allen Payne as Kadim

            Rafael Báez as Raphael

            Jay M. Boryea as Willie

            Paul Herman as Jimmy

            Robert La Sardo as Blade

            Rockets Redglare as Carlos

            Stuart Rudin as Wino

            Bruce Smolanoff as Bones

            Jaime Tirelli as Rivera

            Millie Tirelli as Squeak's Mom

            Lauren Tom as Audry

            Coley Wallace as Lester

            Robert Weil as Hotel Clerk

            Luis Guzman as Martinez

            Steve Love as Jackie-Sky

            Woodrow Asai as Yard Foreman

            Edouard de Soto as Angelo

            Angelo Florio as Cop at Dance

            Jed James as X

            Edythe Jason as Lois

            Herb Kerr III as Jorge

            Peter Lopez as Burn

            Kurt D. Lott as Zit

            Diane Lozada as Older Sister

            Danny O'Shea as Rookie Narc

            Imani Parks as Younger Sister

            Jose Ynoa as Young Cook

            John Canada Terrell as Junkie Cop
See full cast

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