Popi (1969)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Arthur Hiller

Writers:

Tina Pine (written by) and
Lester Pine (written by)

Release Date:

22 October 1969 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Better to drown in the ocean than in the sewer.

Plot:

Abraham is a Puerto Rican single parent with two boys. He is becoming very worried about them living...

Plot Keywords:

Single Father | Hispanic | Breaking The Fourth Wall | Death Of Wife | Father Son Relationship

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Alan Arkin	...	Abraham
Rita Moreno	...	Lupe
Reuben Figueroa	...	Luis (as Ruben Figueroa)
Miguel Alejandro	...	Junior
Arny Freeman	...	Diaz
Joan Tompkins	...	Miss Musto
Anthony Holland	...	Pickett
Louis Zorich	...	Penebaz
Antonia Rey	...	Mrs. Cruz
Victor Junquera	...	Man From Novitas
Arnold Soboloff	...	Dr. Perle (as Arnold Sobolof)
Barbara Dana	...	Receptionist

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:G (certificate #22038) | Sweden:11

Filming Locations:

Miami Beach, Florida, USA

Company:

Herbert B. Leonard Productions

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Killing Floor (2007)

Soundtrack:

Popi

Overworked man wants to escape the inner city

I loved Alan Arkin in "The Inlaws", but here he plays a completely different part. In POPI, he is a widowed Puerto Rican father "Abraham" who can't wait to get his young sons out of Harlem. The sons are played by Reuben Figueroa and Miguel Alejandro; the actors playing the sons appeared in just a couple more projects after this one. The film opens with them attending the funeral in New York City. Then we meet the girlfriend, Lupe, (a 38 year old Rita Moreno, with long hair!). We see them trying to survive in the rough city neighborhood, working three jobs. His roof leaks, they try to break into his shabby apartment, but when they pick on his kids, he comes up with a plan to get away from it all. As of today, IMDb has this film rated as "G", but when Turner Classics showed it, it's listed "TV 14". There is some violence, at 23 minutes in. Also, at one point, Arkin turns and talks to the camera, which felt a little out of place at that point in the film. The first half is the setup, showing us how bad things are in the city, but the second half is the big adventure, which almost turns into a farce. A pretty-good, entertaining film, with some small tidbits of humor thrown in here and there. According to IMDb, this film was shown on NBC in 1977... they must have edited some of the scenes out to make it safe for TV. Directed by Arthur Hiller, who would direct Arkin ten years later in "The Inlaws". In 1976, it was made into a TV series for CBS, starring Hector Elizondo, but it looks like it only lasted one season.