Rented Lips 1987

Comedy

Runtime

82 mins

Language

English

Made by

The Vista Organization

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Rented Lips Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Rented Lips (1987). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

Archie Powell is a documentary filmmaker, portrayed by Martin Mull, who works with his best friend and cinematographer Dick Shawn on projects such as Aluminum and Our Shiny Friend. He still lives at home with his mother, Mrs. Powell June Lockhart, who is growing weary of Archie’s single-minded devotion to filmmaking and would rather he meet a nice woman.

When a chance arises to realize their dream project—a musical about Indian farming techniques—for an executive who will allow them to reuse the same cast and crew, Archie and Charlie head to the set with cautious optimism and a shared stubbornness about the kind of movie they want to make.

On arrival they discover the project is actually a porno with a clunky World War II-era script, but rather than walk away they decide to salvage it by reworking the material into a musical exploitation film, hoping the audacious pivot will win over the producers and the audience.

Obstacles multiply on set, including an eccentric actor named Wolf Robert Downey Jr who throws unpredictable energy into the production and raises tensions with his bold ideas, as well as external threats from an extreme religious organization that puts pressure on the shoot.

Archie’s mother arranges a blind date for him with Mona Lisa Jennifer Tilly, who is delighted to learn he is a director and quickly becomes part of the cast, though she is kept away from adult scenes to accommodate the evolving script.

This decision annoys Wolf, who pushes for more explicit scenes, only to be rebuffed by Mona Lisa’s boundaries and professionalism, which in turn sets up a clash of visions among the ensemble.

Midway through, Rev. Farrell Kenneth Mars arrives with followers to set everything on fire; the turn of events shocks Archie, who discovers that Mona Lisa is actually Farrell’s daughter, a revelation that raises the stakes and complicates his choices.

Archie ultimately changes his mind, choosing to complete both films, and learns that Farrell once produced pornography and wrote the original script—information Archie weaponizes as blackmail to protect the project and push it forward.

With the production wrapped and his career advancing, the film ends with a cut to Archie waking up at his typewriter, continuing to write, and then a montage of professional success, leaving it up to the viewer to decide whether the events were real or merely a script he was drafting.

Rented Lips Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of Rented Lips (1987) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Archie and Charlie's Filmmaking Duo

Archie is a documentary filmmaker who lives at home with his mother, who is frustrated by his single-minded focus on work. He teams up with his best friend and cinematographer Charlie to make ambitious projects. Their world is about to change when they’re offered a chance to pursue a passion project.

Present day Home

The Opportunity: The Passion Project

They must complete a film for an executive to secure funding for their dream project, a musical on Indian farming techniques. If they succeed, they’ll be allowed to use the same cast and crew. Hopeful, they accept the challenge.

Day Executive's office

Discovery on Set: The Porno

They arrive on set and discover the film they’re supposed to fix is actually a pornographic feature with a terrible World War II–era script. Despite the deception, they decide to press on and salvage the project by turning it into a musical exploitation film. The revelation tests their partnership and resolve.

Day Film set

A Plan to Improve: Turning It into a Musical Exploitation

They commit to elevating the material, hoping to salvage the production by turning it into a musical exploitation film. On-set issues pop up as they navigate a tense atmosphere and conflicting ambitions. An eccentric actor named Wolf adds to the chaos.

Production Set

Blind Date with Mona Lisa

Archie's mother arranges a blind date with Mona Lisa, who is thrilled to meet a director. He finds her enthusiasm infectious and she becomes a potential collaborator. She’s eager to act, but insists she will not be involved in explicit scenes.

Evening Date venue

Mona Lisa Joins the Cast

Mona Lisa is added to the film’s cast, though she is not given any adult scenes. This choice heightens tensions as Wolf pushes for more provocative material from the original script. Archie and Charlie try to keep the production on track.

During filming Set

Wolf's Frustration and Rebuke

Wolf attempts to insert sex scenes from the original script, but Mona Lisa firmly rebuffs him. The on-set friction grows as the cast and crew contend with divergent creative visions. Archie works to maintain momentum despite the clashes.

Production Set

Rev. Farrell Arrives

The leader of an extreme religious organization arrives with followers to shut down the shoot and threaten the production. Tension peaks as his presence looms over the set. The situation shifts when he learns Mona Lisa is his daughter.

Day Film set

Archie Storms Off

Overwhelmed by the family revelation and the on-set chaos, Archie storms off the set. He questions his choices and the feasibility of finishing both films. The moment marks a personal and professional turning point.

After confrontation Set

A Change of Heart

Archie reconsiders and decides to complete both the farming musical and the on-set version. He commits to finishing the two films, balancing competing visions and pressures. The decision injects renewed energy into the production.

Immediately after Set

Revelation of Farrell's Past

Archie discovers that Rev. Farrell produced pornography himself and wrote the original script, using it as leverage to force the project forward. This knowledge reframes the conflict and motivates Archie to use the information to his advantage. The revelation deepens the moral questions behind their film.

Reveal Set/Trailer

Completion and Success

Archie completes both films and achieves professional success, signaling a major breakthrough in his career. A montage shows his rising recognition and the fruits of their stubborn persistence. The double project redefines his ambitions.

Final weeks Studio

Ambiguous Ending: Reality or Script

The film cuts to Archie waking up at his typewriter, implying he may have been dreaming or writing a script. He resumes writing as scenes of professional success continue to play out. The ending leaves it up to the viewer to decide what was real and what was imagined.

End Archie's workspace

Rented Lips Characters

Explore all characters from Rented Lips (1987). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Archie Powell (Martin Mull)

A documentary filmmaker whose single-minded pursuit of cinema drives him to take risks on a bleakly funny, chaotic production. He juggles creative ambition with a nagging worry about romance and domestic life, and grows as he decides to finish both the porno and the musical. His traits include stubborn dedication, optimism, and a willingness to confront difficult ethical choices.

🎬 Filmmaker 🔎 Observer 🧠 Creative

Charlie Slater (Dick Shawn)

Archie’s best friend and cinematographer, a steady, pragmatic presence on set. He helps navigate script revisions and keeps morale up amidst chaotic production. His loyalty and practical eye balance Archie’s big ideas, even as he questions what they should reveal on screen.

🎥 Cinematographer 🧭 Loyal 🧠 Pragmatic

Wolf Dangler (Robert Downey Jr.)

An eccentric actor on set whose appetite for sensationalism and sex scenes threatens to derail the project. He pushes for explicit material and clashes with Mona Lisa’s boundaries, turning the shoot into a pressure cooker of ego and artifice.

🎭 Eccentric 🧨 Provocateur 🧭 On-set

Mona Lisa (Jennifer Tilly)

A hired actress who brings enthusiasm and charm to the production. She’s determined not to do adult scenes, which creates friction with Wolf and raises questions about power and consent. Her presence complicates Archie’s personal and professional decisions as the plot unfolds.

🎭 Actress 💃 Ambitious 🤝 Romantic Foil

Reverend Farrell (Kenneth Mars)

Leader of a zealous religious organization who arrives with followers to burn the set. He embodies control and hypocrisy, and is revealed to be connected to the porno through his daughter Mona Lisa. His arrival escalates the conflict and foreshadows darker ambitions behind the production.

⛪ Religious Leader 🗝️ Hypocrite 🔥 Threatening

Rented Lips Settings

Learn where and when Rented Lips (1987) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Location

Archie's home, Film studio / film set

Most of the action unfolds on a movie set where Archie and Charlie struggle to salvage a disastrous script into a musical. The production bleeds into Archie's home life, highlighting how personal space intersects with professional ambition. The set is chaotic, featuring a flamboyant actor and a power-hungry religious leader, escalating the conflict. The environment underscores the film's commentary on art, commerce, and exploitation.

🎬 Film Studio 🏠 Domestic Setting

Rented Lips Themes

Discover the main themes in Rented Lips (1987). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

🎬

Filmmaking

Archie and Charlie chase a dream of making meaningful cinema, even as they confront a low-budget, exploitative premise. The process of turning a terrible script into a musical reveals tensions between artistic integrity and commercial demands. On set, decisions are shaped by personalities, power dynamics, and the lure of success. The narrative uses film production as a battleground for creativity and compromise.

💰

Exploitation

The project begins as a porno under a bad script, then becomes a commentary on the exploitation endemic to the industry. Archie's attempt to improve the material while negotiating consent, boundaries, and audience reach exposes ethical gray areas. The presence of a money-driven producer and an aggressive on-set culture heightens the sense that art is often commodified. The revelation that the original writer participated in pornography adds a troubling dimension to the enterprise.

🌀

Reality vs Fiction

The film blurs lines between what happened, what was scripted, and what Archie imagines writing. The ending leaves the viewer unsure whether the events occurred or exist only within Archie's manuscript. This meta-narrative probes how story and reality influence each other and the nature of truth in cinema. The on-set chaos mirrors the constructed nature of film, inviting interpretation.

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Rented Lips Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of Rented Lips (1987). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In a world where documentary seriousness collides with the flamboyance of adult cinema, a seasoned filmmaker finds his long‑awaited dream project teetering on the edge of absurdity. Archie Powell has spent years chasing the perfect slice of reality, most famously with his 15‑year‑old cult hit about aluminum. When an eccentric producer offers him the chance to helm a musical about Indian farming—on the condition he also directs a pornographic feature—Archie is thrust into a wild hybrid that promises both artistic fulfillment and chaotic compromise.

Joined by his loyal best friend and cinematographer, Dick Shawn, Archie steps onto a set that feels part agricultural classroom, part backstage of a raunchy show. The crew is a mismatched collection of professionals and free‑spirits, each bringing a distinct agenda. His overprotective mother, Mrs. Powell, still hopes he will settle down, while a blind date arranged by her introduces Mona Lisa, an actress whose presence adds a fresh dynamic to the already volatile mix. Adding further flavor is the unpredictable performer Wolf, whose larger‑than‑life energy constantly pushes the boundaries of what the production can become.

Hovering over the chaos is an uncompromising fundamentalist preacher, Rev. Farrell, whose fervent convictions clash with the film’s unconventional ambitions. The tension between artistic vision, personal relationships, and ideological pressure creates a tone that is simultaneously witty, satirical, and oddly tender. As the cameras roll, the project becomes a playground for exploring how far one will bend to preserve creative integrity while navigating the unpredictable currents of an industry that thrives on the unexpected.

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