Rotten Tomatoes

Movies / TV

    Celebrity

      No Results Found

      View All
      Movies Tv shows Movie Trivia News Showtimes

      The King of Marvin Gardens

      1972, Drama, 1h 44m

      32 Reviews 1,000+ Ratings

      You might also like

      See More
      True Believer
      The Underneath
      Clean and Sober
      Finder's Fee
      The Hanging Garden

      Where to watch The King of Marvin Gardens

      Rent/buy Rent/buy Rent/buy

      Rent The King of Marvin Gardens on Vudu, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, or buy it on Vudu, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video.

      Rate And Review

      User image

      Verified

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Rate this movie

        Oof, that was Rotten.

        Meh, it passed the time.

        It’s good – I’d recommend it.

        Awesome!

        So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

        What did you think of the movie? (optional)



      • You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Step 2 of 2

        How did you buy your ticket?

        Let's get your review verified.

        • Fandango

        • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

        • Cinemark Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Regal Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Theater box office or somewhere else

        You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Rate this movie

        Oof, that was Rotten.

        Meh, it passed the time.

        It’s good – I’d recommend it.

        Awesome!

        So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

        What did you think of the movie? (optional)

      • How did you buy your ticket?

        • Fandango

        • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

        • Cinemark Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Regal Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Theater box office or somewhere else

      The King of Marvin Gardens  Photos

      The King of Marvin Gardens (1972) The King of Marvin Gardens (1972) The King of Marvin Gardens (1972) The King of Marvin Gardens (1972) The King of Marvin Gardens (1972)

      Movie Info

      David Staebler (Jack Nicholson) is a sullen radio personality who reconnects with his scheming brother, Jason (Bruce Dern), in Atlantic City, N.J. A fast-talking con man, Jason is traveling with the beautiful Sally (Ellen Burstyn) and her stepdaughter, Jessica (Julia Anne Robinson), and attempts to rope David into a deal involving a tropical island resort. While David initially humors his ne'er-do-well sibling, Jason isn't happy when his brother tries to rain on his parade.

      • Rating: R

      • Genre: Drama

      • Original Language: English

      • Director: Bob Rafelson

      • Producer: Bob Rafelson

      • Writer: Jacob Brackman, Bob Rafelson

      • Release Date (Theaters):  original

      • Release Date (Streaming):

      • Runtime:

      • Distributor: Columbia Pictures

      • Production Co: Columbia Pictures Corporation

      • Sound Mix: Mono

      Cast & Crew

      Critic Reviews for The King of Marvin Gardens

      Audience Reviews for The King of Marvin Gardens

      • Oct 21, 2011

        Ellen Burstyn is crazy (as usual)

        Super Reviewer
      • Mar 13, 2011

        Easily one of the most overlooked movies of the 70s. This has such a brave finale that completely changes the entire plot, character motives and mood of the movie. Bob Rafelson takes a story about two estranged brothers and turns it into something so much more engaging and memorable. Knowing Jack Nicolson, it's almost bizarre not to see him have multiple freak outs in a movie, especially during his 70s era of acting. He plays a really introspective and reserved character that honestly ends up being just as admirable as his more famous ones. Who really does end up completely dominating the movie is a completely unsuspecting Ellen Burstyn. When you think of character development, there is no better example than her in this movie. To see her go from a seemingly jolly and upbeat person into a train wreck of doom is an event you can't miss. This has all the great cinematography and direction that Bob Rafelson had with Five Easy Pieces, but this is a completely different take on America.

        Super Reviewer
      • Sep 05, 2010

        A very deep, intense, dramatic movie with a great story and brilliant actors. I loved this movie, and I highly recommend it.

        Super Reviewer
      • Nov 22, 2006

        The King of Marvin Gardens is a seriously underrated gem from an era where Jack Nicholson was at his peak. Between Bob Fafelson's direction and the entire cast's performances (especially Ellen Burstyn in an increasingly batshit crazy turn as a fading glamour queen) its almost impossible to see why this movie never really got its due. Admittedly there are stretches where The King of Marvin Gardens feels like a fever dream or reading a novel with some of the more important pages torn out but its so worth the ride. Especially for the opening and closing scenes.

        Super Reviewer

      Movie & TV guides

      View All