The Pick-up Artist

"The Pick-Up Artist... has finally met his match."

1987 1h 21m EN

😐

5.7

MID

🥫

58%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

5.4

IMDB

★5.7TMDB · 207🥫58%Rotten Tomatoes●48Metacritic★5.4IMDB · 8,190

RomanceComedyCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A womanizer meets his match when he falls for the daughter of a gambling addict who is in debt to the mob.

“The Pick-Up Artist... has finally met his match.”

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Cast

Molly Ringwald
Randy Jensen
Robert Downey Jr.
Jack Jericho
Dennis Hopper
Flash Jensen
Danny Aiello
Phil Harper
Mildred Dunnock
Nellie
Victoria Jackson
Lulu
Frederick Koehler
Richie
Bob Gunton
Fernando Portacarrero

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: James Toback
Writers: James Toback
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

81 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 89% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

39 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by James Toback, shot by Gordon Willis. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Georges Delerue. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor David Bretherton shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Molly Ringwald and Robert Downey Jr. and Dennis Hopper carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The Pick-Up Artist... has finally met his match.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

James Toback directs. Gordon Willis behind the camera. Georges Delerue scores. David Bretherton cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

181 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Earned back only 89% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
339 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Directed by James Toback, shot by Gordon Willis. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Georges Delerue. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor David Bretherton shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Molly Ringwald and Robert Downey Jr. and Dennis Hopper carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "The Pick-Up Artist... has finally met his match.".
9IMDB entry: tt0093737 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.