THE PICK UP ARTIST

US, 1987, 81 minutes, Colour.
Robert Downey Jr, Molly Ringwald, Harvey Keitel, Dennis Hopper, Danny Aiello, Mildred Dunnock, Robert Towne, Lorraine Bracco.
Directed by James Toback.

The Pick Up Artist is a brief youth oriented comedy drama. It was written and directed by James Toback, director of the grim Fingers with Harvey Keitel (who appears here) as well as Love and Money, Exposed.

The film is a vehicle for Molly Ringwald after her work with John Hughes in 16 Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink. The film also stars Robert Downey Jnr. (Less Than Zero) - a lively, almost manic comic stylist. There is an interesting supporting cast including Dennis Hopper as an alcoholic father, Danny Aiello as a sympathetic friend, Harvey Keitel as the thug, Mildred Dunnock as Downey's grandmother. The film has New York and Atlantic City settings, focuses on love, romance, picking up girls as well as serious themes of debts and gambling.

1. Youth oriented comedy drama? A piece of Americana? Entertainment? Moralising?

2. New York settings, the two environments of the leads, the museum, school, the casinos? Atlantic City and the casinos, car sales yards? The score and the popular songs?

3. The plausibility of the plot, characters, motivation and themes?

4. The title and its focus on Jack Jericho? His talking to himself in the mirror, practising his pickup styles, his narcissism? With the girls, the song, seeing him in operation in the street with the various girls, with Lulu, ringing up and being hung up on, seeing Randy in the club and being puzzled, seeing her in the street, in the car, the sexual encounter and its seeming meaninglessness for her? The police picking him up and his paying off with Lulu's money? Type, the contrast with his being at work, relating with the children, and his taking them to the museum for the tour? His following Randy? Change of heart? At home, living with his grandmother, his care for her, her diabetes and eating chocolates, his strictness, his severity about her going out on a date (and projecting onto her date what he actually did)?

5. Following Randy, at home, misunderstanding her relationship with her father, puzzled about the gambling? Wanting to help? Phil and his friendship, the museum and her leaving, following her to New Jersey, his love for his car (and his parking it), his selling it, using the money for her, his telling off of the gambler publicly in the casino, the break with Randy, her return? A possible future? Genuine love and concern?

6. Randy in the street, the sexual encounter, leaving him, on the job in the museum, the bets and the money, the scenes with her father and her concern, Jack following her, leaving him in the museum, going to New Jersey, the gambling, the possible win, the loss, Jack's help, selling the car, success, her leaving, thinking that there was no future, her returning to his home? Molly Ringwald's presence and style?

7. Flash and his drinking, love of gambling, decline, love for his daughter, with Jack, the trip to New Jersey, with the owners and the gangsters, the happy ending?

8. The small-time gangster and his clients, debt-collecting, threats towards Flash, visit to his home, the pressures, the encounters with Jack, Lulu, New Jersey, his being told off in public?

9. Phil and the bar, the girls coming in, his concern for Jack, going to New Jersey to help him out?

10. The grandmother and her diabetes, Jack staying at home, her going out, her friend, their using the friend's name as if he were a millionaire? The happy ending?

11. The gangsters and the toughs, their connections, standover tactics?

12. Randy moving out of the hold that her father had over her? Jack moving away from his grandmother? Challenge, love, becoming selfless?