The Caveman's Valentine (2001)

45% of critics liked it
(82 reviews)
52% of users liked it
(5,944 ratings)

A man struggles back from madness to avenge the death of someone he knew in an intelligent thriller based on the acclaimed novel by George Dawes Green. Romulus Ledbetter (Samuel L. Jackson) once had a career as an acclaimed concert pianist, a position at the Juilliard School of Music, and a loving… More A man struggles back from madness to avenge the death of someone he knew in an intelligent thriller based on the acclaimed novel by George Dawes Green. Romulus Ledbetter (Samuel L. Jackson) once had a career as an acclaimed concert pianist, a position at the Juilliard School of Music, and a loving wife and children. But Ledbetter's life has been devastated by paranoid schizophrenia; now homeless, Ledbetter wanders the streets of New York City as he rails against Cornelius Gould Stuyvesant, a man whom he believes controls all the evil in the world while following his movements from a perch atop the Chrysler Building. Most nights, Ledbetter takes shelter in a cave in Central Park, earning him the nickname "the Caveman." One morning, Ledbetter discovers a frozen corpse caught in the branches of a tree near his cave; the body is that of Scotty (Sean MacMahaon), a homeless drug addict who was close friends with his pal Matthew (Rodney Eastman). Ledbetter is determined to get justice for Scotty, and he's also eager to prove himself to his daughter Lulu (Aunjanue Ellis), now a New York City police officer. While Ledbetter is at first convinced that his nemesis Stuyvesant is responsible for Scotty's death, in time he focuses on another suspect: David Leppenraub (Colm Feore), a famous photographer known for his controversial erotic images of young men, who occasionally hired Scotty as a model. As Ledbetter attempts to investigate Leppenraub's possible role in the murder, he soon gains an unexpected ally -- Moira (Ann Magnuson), a noted sculptor and Leppenraub's sister. The Caveman's Valentine marked the major-studio debut for director Kasi Lemmons, who made an impressive debut in 1997 with the independent drama Eve's Bayou. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 45 min.
Directed By: Kasi Lemmons
Written By: George Dawes Green
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: Mar 2, 2001 Wide
On DVD: Jul 17, 2001
Studio: Universal Pictures

Critic Reviews

Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News
Lemmons creates mesmerizing passages, but she can't bring this one to a fulfilling crescendo.
Ray Conlogue, Globe and Mail
This is a commercial film with limited ambitions.
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
Unlike most movies these days, which have very little going on inside them so as not to confuse the audience, The Caveman's Valentine roils with both narrative and cinematic ideas.
Peter Howell, Toronto Star
Burdened by sloppy plot turns and unbelievable characters.
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
Jackson's convincing portrayal of an untethered psyche scrambling for purchase on the slippery slope of sanity and Lemmons's arresting cinematic vision, in which we see the world through the eyes of a man continually descending into ...madness, is enough.
Rita Kempley, Washington Post
Intriguing, visually startling.
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Complex and violent movie -- not for kids.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
A sophomore jinx for Lemmons, an overstuffed drama that fails to satisfy as a murder mystery or as a spiritual redemption saga of a homeless man, disappointingly played by Samuel Jackson (who was misdirected).
Jeffrey Westhoff, Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)
Remember David Helfgott, the concert pianist who goes mad in Shine? Imagine him in dreadlocks and as the star of a detective thriller, and you have a better understanding of The Caveman's Valentine than the people who made it.
Anthony Miele, Film Threat
Really not much more than an urban Scooby Doo episode, only Shaggy is black and with far more facial hair.
Jean Lowerison, San Diego Metropolitan
Jackson struggles mightily with a thankless role which has him doing and saying way too many absurd things.
Paul Salfen, Supercala.com
Samuel L. Jackson is awesome...this movie isn't.
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
...beyond the film's often startling use of imagery, Jackson's weirdly off-kilter performance, and that fine, atmospheric score, there isn't a lot going on.
Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies
A few great and original developments.
Mark Dujsik, Mark Reviews Movies
It's unfortunate that all this talent is misplaced on what is, essentially, a contrived mystery.
Rob Vaux, Flipside Movie Emporium
Though not as brilliant as Eve's Bayou, The Caveman's Valentine represents an admirable sophomore effort, and a terrific showcase for Samuel L. Jackson.

Read all 16 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Aaron N

Romulus Ledbetter: Sheila, what are you doing here? Sheila: Watching you make a fool of yourself. What are YOU doing here? Romulus Ledbetter: I have to prove Leppenraub is guilty. Sheila: Prove to who? Romulus Ledbetter: To the world. To... to Lulu. Sheila: Lulu needs a… More
Romulus Ledbetter: Sheila, what are you doing here? Sheila: Watching you make a fool of yourself. What are YOU doing here? Romulus Ledbetter: I have to prove Leppenraub is guilty. Sheila: Prove to who? Romulus Ledbetter: To the world. To... to Lulu. Sheila: Lulu needs a father, not some psycho Sherlock Holmes. A mystery featuring Samuel L. Jackson as a deadlocked, delusional, homeless man. The plot of the film is structured like a film noir, which means I get to use the phrase: Delusional Noir. The story is okay, but Jackson gives a fine performance. Bob: What do you play? Romulus Ledbetter: My skull. Jackson stars as Romulus Ledbetter, a brilliant musician who is currently delusional. Living in a cave in Central Park, believing a man on the top the Chrysler Building is plotting against him. Romulus doesn't have it easy. Things are made worse once Romulus discovers a frozen body in his tree, outside his cave one morning. While the police, which includes his daughter, Lulu, pass the body off as an unfortunate homeless victim of weather, Romulus suspects foul play and some interesting connections get him access to the art/photography scene, where he can do some investigating of his own. And if Romulus can just keep it together long enough, he may stumble upon what actually happened. The character of Romulus is the most important factor in this film. Jackson has to appropriately balance the antics of a delusional person, making him both sympathetic and believable to an extent. While Jackson is completely solid in the role, I would have liked it a little more if there was the possibility that Romulus could be wrong about the whole thing. The story of the film is interesting, but it drags a bit and the overall arc isn't entirely original. However, with such a peculiar lead role, it does stay fresh enough. Romulus Ledbetter: I have flocks of angels in my head and that'll beat you down with their wings!
Lady D

I very much like the idea of this film, it plays on a different perspective and shows graphically the thoughts of SLJ's character through the way he sees it. I don?t, however, think the storyline was adequate enough to suit the plot. SLJ acted ok at times and at others… More
I very much like the idea of this film, it plays on a different perspective and shows graphically the thoughts of SLJ's character through the way he sees it. I don?t, however, think the storyline was adequate enough to suit the plot. SLJ acted ok at times and at others perhaps a little over the top. Nothing special and a bit of an anti climax.
vieras e

Quite curious, but is clearly missing something.
Naughtia N

It was very weird seeing Samuel L. Jackson with big beard and long dreadlocks. Jackson stars as a genius and educated musician who gets very affected by hallucinations and paranoia, he ends up living in a cave and one morning he finds a dead body outside his cave and panics. The… More
It was very weird seeing Samuel L. Jackson with big beard and long dreadlocks. Jackson stars as a genius and educated musician who gets very affected by hallucinations and paranoia, he ends up living in a cave and one morning he finds a dead body outside his cave and panics. The investigators believe that this man has frozen to death but the caveman knows that the man has been murdered and he will do anything to convince people that this is the case. This movie was very different from what I'm used to and surprisingly good.
Marcus W

A delusional homeless man finds a body, and then proceeds to investigate. Except nobody will listen to him, or take him seriously - let alone believe him. Plot wise, it's not the greatest whodunnit, it's Jackson's performance along with some great production work that… More
A delusional homeless man finds a body, and then proceeds to investigate. Except nobody will listen to him, or take him seriously - let alone believe him. Plot wise, it's not the greatest whodunnit, it's Jackson's performance along with some great production work that keeps you interested.