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The Flamingo Kid (1984)

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Top Critics

Average Rating: 6.8/10
Reviews Counted: 17
Fresh: 15 | Rotten: 2

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 4
Fresh: 4 | Rotten: 0

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Average Rating: 2.8/5
User Ratings: 5,225

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Movie Info

Set in 1963, The Flamingo Kid finds 18-year-old Brooklynite Matt Dillon, the son of blue-collar Hector Elizondo, getting a taste of the Good Life by joining several of his friends at "El Flamingo", a swank Long Island beach club. Wealthy car salesman Richard Crenna, the uncle of Matt's girl friend Janet Jones, befriends the boy and takes him under his wing. Thanks to Crenna's influence, Matt secures a good job at the Flamingo. The boy is bedazzled by Crenna's sumptuous lifestyle, and most

PG-13, 1 hr. 45 min.

Drama, Comedy

Directed By: Garry Marshall

In Theaters: Dec 21, 1984 Wide

On DVD: Feb 8, 2000

Live Home Video

The Flamingo Kid Trailer & Photos

Cast

Matt Dillon
Jeffrey Willis
Richard Crenna
Phil Brody
Hector Elizondo
Arthur Willis
Jessica Walter
Phyllis Brody
Fisher Stevens
Hawk Ganz
Brian McNamara
Steve Dawkins
Carole R. Davis
Joyce Brody
Martha Gehman
Nikki Willis
Molly McCarthy
Ruth Willis
Leon
Fortune Smith
Janet Jones
Carla Samson
Bronson Pinchot
Alfred Schultz
Melvin Allen
Himself
Seth Allen
Jerry Berlin
Barbarian Brothers
Turk and Dirk
Frank Campanella
Col. Cal Eastland
Peter Costa
Peter
Googy Gress
Freddy
Joe Grifasi
Mario Minetta
Michael C. Mahon
Lifeguard
Kathi Marshall
Adventurer's Inn Hostes...
Ron McLarty
Pat McCarty
Irving Metzman
Big Sid
Novella Nelson
Lizzy the Housekeeper
David Paul
Credited as The Barbari...
Peter Paul
The Barbarian Brother
Tracy Reiner
Polly
Bo Sabato
Uncle Jack
Richard Stahl
Charlie Cooper
Sharon Thomas
Mrs. Unger
Marisa Tomei
Mandy
Steven Weber
Paul Hirsch
Carol Williard
Mrs. Rifkin
Steve Witting
Frank
David Berry
Steve's Father
Eric Douglas
Donny
John Turturro
Ted from Pinky's
Scott Marshall
Stickball Player
Lee Steele
Furniture Store Owner
Margery Simkin
Lisa Beth Ross
Bimbette
Leslie S. Sachs
Big Sid's Girl

Critic Reviews for The Flamingo Kid

All Critics (17) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (15) | Rotten (2) | DVD (4)

Dillon does a good job in his fullest, least narcissistic characterization to date.

March 26, 2009 Full Review Source: Variety

| Comment

Variety Staff

Variety

Top Critic

Dillon is a revelation in this movie.

October 23, 2004 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times

| Comment

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Top Critic

Even if The Flamingo Kid comes out of sit-com country, the character and the performance effortlessly rise above their origins.

May 20, 2003 Full Review Source: New York Times

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Andre Sennwald

New York Times

Top Critic

Professionally made, quite entertaining, and disappointingly hollow.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader

| Comment

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

The performances compensate, with Dillon turning in a light and touching portrait of confused ambitions.

January 26, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out

| Comment

Geoff Andrew

Time Out

As coming-of-age stories go, this one is an underrated treasure with Dillon and Crenna doing fantastic work.

January 6, 2006 Comment

Dan Fienberg

Zap2it.com

Winning comedy about a have-not among the haves.

October 28, 2005 Comment

Rob Thomas

Capital Times (Madison, WI)

The Flamingo Kid is one of those rare films that follows a traditional method of coming-of-age storytelling and then shakes it up by not dealing us mere caricatures and stereotypes.

November 5, 2003 Full Review Source: Apollo Guide

| Comment

Erik Childress

Apollo Guide

The Sixties setting seems a shade gratuitous and its attitude to easy money is ambiguous, but the characters are well drawn and the story is sensitively handled.

May 24, 2003 Full Review Source: Film4

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Film4

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Audience Reviews for The Flamingo Kid

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This movie is funny,and cute,and Matt Dillion is so ADORABLE!!!

April 24, 2008

Cassie Hill

Super Reviewer

One of Gary Marshall's best films and one of Matt Dillon's best performances. It is a study of upper vs. working class and features superb performances from Hector Elizondo and Richard Crenna. Dillon plays Jeffery a kid from Queens who gets a job working at a posh summer club the El Flamingo. Jefferey finds love in the

January 28, 2011

Christopher Oakley

Super Reviewer

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