Cabin Boy (1994)

Director:

Adam Resnick

Writers (WGA):

Chris Elliott (story) &
Adam Resnick (story) ...

Release Date:

7 January 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

He's Setting Sail On The High Seas... Without A Rudder, A Compass, Or A Clue!

Plot:

A foul-mouthed finishing school graduate mistakenly winds up on an ill-fated fishing boat, and faces the wrath of a crew that considers him bad luck.

Plot Keywords:

Boat | Sea | Giant | Monkey | Cupcake

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Chris Elliott	...	Nathanial Mayweather
Ritch Brinkley	...	Captain Greybar
James Gammon	...	Paps
Brian Doyle-Murray	...	Skunk (as Brian-Doyle Murray)
Brion James	...	Big Teddy
Melora Walters	...	Trina
I.M. Hobson	...	Headmaster Timmons
Alex Nevil	...	Thomas
David H. Sterry	...	Lance (as David Sterry)
Bob Elliott	...	William Mayweather
Edward Flotard	...	Limo Driver
Jim Cummings	...	Cupcake (voice)
David Letterman	...	Old Salt In Fishing Village (as Earl Hofert)
Ann Magnuson	...	Calli
Russ Tamblyn	...	Chocki

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:14A (Canadian Home Video rating) | Singapore:PG | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 (NO. 32709)

Filming Locations:

Greystone Park & Mansion - 905 Loma Vista Drive, Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

David Letterman appears as the "Old Salt in the Fishing Village", but the credits list him as "Earl Hofert". This is an inside joke for Letterman fans, as he also referred to himself as "Hofert" in some skits back at his old program "Late Night with David Letterman" (1982) on NBC. In real life, Hofert is an uncle of Letterman's on his mother's side.

Quotes:

Trina: What happened to you?
Nathanial Mayweather: Well, let's just say I've finally shed my feminine side, like a snake sheds its fur.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Gilmore Girls: Teach Me Tonight (#2.19)" (2002)

Soundtrack:

THE ALLEY CAT SONG

Without hyperbole: THE greatest thing ever done by Mankind!

Cabin Boy is a work of genius, pure and simple!

****** It's really as simple as this: The world divides into two kinds of people, those who GET Chris Elliot, and those who DON'T. If you're the former, you'll like this film, if you're the latter, you probably won't....DON"T WATCH IT!!! DON"T READ FURTHER...GO AWAY. ******

My fellow Cabin Boy aficionados, surely you've all noticed that people of mediocre sensibilities ALWAYS respond to works of true genius with cries of derision and scorn ("oh, that's stupid!" etc. etc.) and even fear. When faced with something their small minds can't comprehend, the unenlightened masses always reach for their "torches" and seek to destroy. Even as the great virtuoso Paganini played his violin with an unimaginable speed and sweetness, never before seen in Italy, the crowd raised a cry of "Deviltry", "He is possessed", and chased him from the stage. You need only observe the drivel on television and churned out by Hollywood to appreciate the low sophistication level of today's spoon fed audience. Most people today just don't seem to be able to appreciate the difference between a big budget, Hollywood production that IS stupid and a low budget, good movie ABOUT stupidity...and unfortunately seem to prefer the former...in droves! I'm looking at YOU Adam Sandler...et al.

Seriously, the production values of CB are pretty good for a low budget movie, The sets are well crafted, the cinematography and effects are spot on, the comedic timing of the talent is impeccable. It's NOT poorly made on any level; it's WELL crafted to create the desired effect. Sure it seems silly and looks cheesy...it's SUPPOSED to! The scripting and tone of CB is calculated to perfectly capture that unique Chris Elliot personae; the condescending, insufferably annoying, delusionallly self-satisfied, clueless idiot.

It is the one movie that my friends and I watch over and over again when we get together and want to laugh in our cups. (that means we're drinking etc. ;-) for you less sophisticated CB haters)

For the Cabin Boy fans: Watch the film "Captains Courageous" AFTER watching Cabin Boy...It's the 'serious' film CB is loosely parodying. You'll get a chuckle out of it. Cheers!

"What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left." Oscar Levant