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The Coca Cola Kid (1985)

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All Critics
Top Critics

Average Rating: 5.1/10
Reviews Counted: 16
Fresh: 7 | Rotten: 9

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 4
Fresh: 1 | Rotten: 3

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Average Rating: 2.9/5
User Ratings: 1,272

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Movie Info

The ugly American bullying his way through a foreign country was a subject for comedy in several films of the 1980s, most notably Bill Forsyth's Local Hero and this film from exiled Yugoslavian director Dusan Makavejev. Eric Roberts plays Becker, an aggressive marketing executive for the Coca-Cola Company; he has been assigned to figure out why sales in hot and dry Australia aren't higher. Becker comes up against a low-key but formidable adversary, T. George McDowell (Bill Kerr), whose homegrown

R, 1 hr. 34 min.

Drama, Art House & International, Comedy

Directed By: Dusan Makavejev

In Theaters: Jul 14, 1985 Wide

On DVD: Apr 16, 2002

Cast

Eric Roberts
Becker
Greta Scacchi
Terri
Bill Kerr
T. George McDowell
Chris Haywood
Kim
Kris McQuade
Juliana
Max Gillies
Frank
Tony Barry
Bushman
Paul Chubb
Fred
David Slingsby
Waiter
David Argue
Newspaper Vendor
Peter Armstrong
Security Guard
David Bracks
Santa
Gia Carides
Chambermaid
Colleen Clifford
Mrs. Haversham
Angelo D'Angelo
Projectionist
Steve Dodd
Mr. Joe
Ian Gilmour
Marjorie
Chris Hession
Santa
Jane Markey
Doris
Julie Nihill
Marching Girl
Rebecca Smart
DMZ
Ebsen Storm
Country Hotel Manager
Rikki Fataar
Rock Musician
Tim Finn
Philip
Paul Hester
Rock Musician
David Roe
Quarantine Officer
Adam Bowen
Flight Steward
Rex Goh
Rock Musician
Mark Moffatt
Rock Musician

Critic Reviews for The Coca Cola Kid

All Critics (16) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (7) | Rotten (9)

Yhe mix of earthy symbolism, offbeat eroticism, the picaresque and the rough-and-tumble social, rather unpolitical satire now seems poured from a bottle that has been left uncapped overnight.

November 7, 2007 Full Review Source: Variety

| Comment

Variety Staff

Variety

Top Critic

The film's cutting edge is never very keen.

May 20, 2003 Full Review Source: New York Times

| Comment

Janet Maslin

New York Times

Top Critic

An oddball comedy that is particularly well-timed to coincide with the current Coke marketing circus.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times

| Comment

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Top Critic

[A] mild, uneven social satire.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader

| Comment

Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

The satire is peculiarly fizzless

August 30, 2009 Full Review Source: CinePassion

| Comment

Fernando F. Croce

CinePassion

The film that has spread the director's political message to the widest audience.

November 7, 2007 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide

| Comment

TV Guide's Movie Guide

A plot that goes AWOL in the interests of true love, and Roberts, as the kid from Coke, who is well on his way to becoming the world's worst actor.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out

| Comment

Time Out

A zany look at the competitive ethos of an aggressive corporation.

August 22, 2004 Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice

| Comment

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Spirituality and Practice

A complete mess, but so benign it's rather hard to take offence.

May 24, 2003 Full Review Source: Film4

| Comment

Film4

The first half is far better than the resolution, which eventually meanders off to the point of silliness.

March 7, 2001 Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com

| Comment

Christopher Null

Filmcritic.com

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for The Coca Cola Kid

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A strange, quirky, yet predictable comedy, romance, adventure in Australia. I half like it and half hate it, so it's okay.

September 6, 2010

AJ Verser

Super Reviewer

A movie about a guy whose life is selling coca-cola, and how he learns that there is more to life? In the 80s, I can't see this movie being too popular, but it does have a nice lesson. The film itself is not much to look at most of the time, and kinda strange at times since it takes place in Australia, a popular

June 13, 2010