The Prince of Pennsylvania (1988): Cast, Box Office & Plot
The Prince of Pennsylvania is a 1988 comedy drama directed by Ron Nyswaner, starring Keanu Reeves as Rupert Marshetta, Joseph De Lisi and Fred Ward. It runs 1 hour 27 minutes and earned $5,415 worldwide.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 27m (87 min)
- Director
- Ron Nyswaner
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Columbia Pictures
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Prince of Pennsylvania About?
The premise of The Prince of Pennsylvania without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Desperate to find love, happiness, wisdom, truth and the meaning of life by next Thursday, he hatches a wild plan. In a remote Pennsylvania coal‑mining town, this off‑beat comedy follows Carla, a hippie, and Rupert, a teenage punk outsider. To escape their dead‑end lives they kidnap Rupert’s father for ransom, sparking chaotic misadventures.
The Prince of Pennsylvania Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- man tied up
- tied to chair
- bound and gagged
- long haired male
- place in title
- reference to a saint
- standing on the roof of a car
- statuette
- broken car window
- pennsylvania
- van
- car wreck
+38 more Show fewer
- riding a moped
- riding a motorcycle
- written by director
- choir
- singing along
- church choir
- church
- family relationships
- starring long haired male
- husband wife relationship
- running late
- new haircut
- new hairstyle
- christian
- baby
- bouquet
- neighbor
- biker
- black sheep of the family
- police car
- policeman
- talking to oneself
- secretly observing
- handcuffs
- matronizing
- high school dropout
- manager
- coworker coworker relationship
- reference to saint jude
- gift
- statuette as a gift
- garage
- audio tape
- mannequin
- living in a garage
- social outcast
- miner
- anti conformist
The Prince of Pennsylvania Cast & Characters
Keanu Reeves leads the cast as Rupert Marshetta, with Joseph De Lisi as Roger Marshetta and Fred Ward as Gary Marshetta. Directed by Ron Nyswaner; 12 actors are credited in all.
- Director Ron Nyswaner
-
Keanu Reeves as Rupert Marshetta - Joseph De Lisi as Roger Marshetta
-
Fred Ward as Gary Marshetta -
Bonnie Bedelia as Pam Marshetta
Also Starring in The Prince of Pennsylvania
· 8 more- Amy Madigan Carla Headlee
- Jeff Hayenga Jack Sike
- Tracey Ellis Lois Sike
- Jay O. Sanders Trooper Joe
- Jeff Monahan Tommy Rutherford
- David Early Deputy
- Dan Monahan Tommy Rutherford
- G. Ross Berger Chester
More from Ron Nyswaner
More films directed by Ron Nyswaner, best-rated first: Why Stop Now and She’s The Best Thing in It.
The Prince of Pennsylvania Plot Summary
What happens in The Prince of Pennsylvania from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Rupert Marshetta is the black sheep son of a miner, precocious and misunderstood. He is frustrated with his parents, Gary Marshetta and Pam Marshetta, has dropped out of high school and doesn’t fit in with the other teens in his town. Rupert is also in love with an older woman, the free-spirited Carla Headlee, who operates a run-down roadside ice cream kiosk. Carla also has a young daughter with her ex-boyfriend Joe, a state trooper.
Full summary
The whole story of The Prince of Pennsylvania, scene by scene
The Prince of Pennsylvania Box Office
The Prince of Pennsylvania grossed $5,415 worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$5.4K
- US & Canada
- $5.4K
The Prince of Pennsylvania Videos
The clip of The Prince of Pennsylvania.
How Well Do You Know The Prince of Pennsylvania?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What is Gary Marshetta's profession?
Cars in The Prince of Pennsylvania
17 cars on screen, including the 1983 Ford Ranger and the 1988 Mercury Tracer.
-
1983 Ford Ranger Important role -
1988 Mercury Tracer Important role -
unknown Important role -
1976 Chevrolet Chevy Van Minor role
The Prince of Pennsylvania Also Known As
12 alternative titles, including “O Príncipe da Pensilvânia” and “Un príncipe en América”.
- Also known as
-
- O Príncipe da Pensilvânia
- Un príncipe en América
- Pennsylvanian kingi
- Le prince de Pennsylvanie
- O prigipas tis Pennsylvania
- Il principe di Pennsylvania
- Pimaszság hercege
- Der Prinz von Pennsylvania
- 펜실바니아 귀공자
- Książę Pensylwanii
- 魔鬼小霸王
- Princ z Pensylvánie
Seen The Prince of Pennsylvania?
Movies Like The Prince of Pennsylvania
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Prince of Bel Air, Fit for a Prince and The Barefoot Prince.
-
Prince of Bel Air 1986 -
Fit for a Prince 2021 -
The Barefoot Prince 1966 -
Stealing Harvard 2002 -
The Prince and the Showgirl 1957 -
The Prince & Me 2: The Royal Wedding 2006 -
The Prince and Me 2004 -
The Polka King 2018 -
The Mysteries of Pittsburgh 2009 -
Three Crazy Jerks 1987 -
The Prince & Me: A Royal Honeymoon 2008 -
Love on a Bet 1936
The Prince of Pennsylvania FAQ: Cast & Box Office
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office and post-credit scenes of The Prince of Pennsylvania, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Prince of Pennsylvania?
The Prince of Pennsylvania runs 1 hour 27 minutes (87 minutes).
When was The Prince of Pennsylvania released?
The Prince of Pennsylvania was released on October 10, 1988.
Who directed The Prince of Pennsylvania?
The Prince of Pennsylvania was directed by Ron Nyswaner.
More films by Ron Nyswaner Who is in the cast of The Prince of Pennsylvania?
The Prince of Pennsylvania stars Keanu Reeves as Rupert Marshetta, Joseph De Lisi as Roger Marshetta and Fred Ward as Gary Marshetta, among 12 credited actors.
How much did The Prince of Pennsylvania make at the box office?
The Prince of Pennsylvania grossed $5,415 worldwide.
Does The Prince of Pennsylvania have a post-credit scene?
No. The Prince of Pennsylvania has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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