THE PRINCE OF BEL AIR
US, 1987, 95 minutes, Colour.
Mark Harmon, Kirstie Alley, Robert Vaughan.
Directed by Charles Braverman.
The Prince of Bel Air is a bland telemovie, capitalising on the television popularity and charm of Mark Harmon (St Elsewhere, Sweet Bird of Youth, Summer School).
He is a pool cleaner who serves as a kind of gigolo for the bored housewives of Los Angeles. He is commissioned by a wealthy constructor (Robert Vaughan) to try to educate his shy son. He turns him into an image of himself. In the meantime he falls in love with a cousin of the young man, played by Kirsty Alley. Needless to say, true love has its ups and downs, the hero discovers that there should be some depth in his life - and, of course, everything works out right in the end.
Typical popular television material - no more, no less.
1.Enjoyable telemovie? Among the rich and famous? Los Angeles and Bel Air?
2.Los Angeles locations, the wealthy homes, the swimming pools? The art world? The pool cleaner's headquarters? Reality/unreality? Musical score?
3.The title, Robin Prince - and the play on the word "prince"? Irony? Mark Harmon and his screen presence?
4.Robin Prince, pool cleaning, his friends and their talk about sex, his relationships with the wives - and the lack of suspicion of their husbands? Boasting with friends? Friendship with Stan, offering him partnership? Asking him to look after Justin? Educating Justin, getting his friends to help, the dates - Justin with the two women and his angry reaction? Meeting with Jamie, friendship, posing for her art, a different kind of relationship, her criticisms? His discovery of some depth? Her asking him about his ambitions? Change of heart, telling Stan off, marrying Jamie - a future?
5.Stan, wealthy, wanting his son to be a man's man? Paying Robin? Offering him the job - after telling him to keep away from Jamie? Robin telling him off?
6.Justin, awkward, the pool table, reaction to his father? Working with Robin, awkward? Discussions with the friends, emphasis on sex, dates, talking at the beach, the two women in the house, Robin's angry reaction? His going off to college? His future?
7.Jamie, cousin, swimming, her art, her point of view on life, morals? Infatuation with Robin? An affair? The art gallery, her friends? Sharing, talking more deeply, changing Robin's point of view, her suspicions of him, the happy ending?
8.The friends, talk about sex? Robin's married friend and the children? Going to the boat and talking things over with his friend there? The influence of the men about town?
9.The women, sex, relationships with pool cleaners? The film's point of view on the sunny and amoral life of California?
10.The film as a moral fable for the wide television audience, the alleged good life, the proper good life?
