This unlikely sleeper poses an essential question for disenchanted teenagers: is quality time with your family better than being chained to the door of a refrigerator? For coal-miner's son Keanu Reeves the answer is a no-brainer: his father is a Vietnam War veteran turned ultra-conservative; his feisty mother is having an affair with dad's best buddy; and his only friend is a socially marginalized, die-hard hippie. Meanwhile everyone thinks Reeves has problems, but he's only trying to avoid conforming to Middle America's messy ideas about normality. And since a rebel in the 1980s needs some sort of cause, he invents one: kidnapping his own father and holding him hostage. There's more than one contrivance in the otherwise original and unpredictable screenplay: the young protagonist's mechanical aptitude and closet intellect (he likens himself to Socrates, who was killed for daring to tell the truth) don't fit his delinquent image, and the kidnapping scheme carries the plot too far into fantasy. But if nothing else the film is an offbeat satire of modern domestic friction, and a refreshing change of pace from the usual condescending screen treatments of adolescent angst.

High school drop-out Keanu Reeves (as Rupert) gets a weird haircut (long on the left side, short on the right). A biker dude, slash aspiring poet, Mr. Reeves works with conservative father Fred Ward for a coal-mining company. But, Reeves does not want to follow in his father's sooty footsteps. After tailing busty mother Bonnie Bedelia, Reeves confirms she has a sex buddy. Soon, Reeves has one too; it's ex-hippie ice-cream trailer owner Amy Madigan (as Carla). The couple decide to kidnap Mr. Ward, for money… The potentially interesting father/son dynamic never really amounts to much. Instead of working on its own, you're liable to flesh it out by thinking of how well the theme worked in other films. Writer/director Ron Nyswaner includes the intriguing potential for a one woman/two man familial relationship; not with Reeves' parents, of course, but in the proposition he receives near the film's end. The Pennsylvania locations are refreshing (check out the IGA), and Mr. Nyswaner gets good performances from his cast.***** The Prince of Pennsylvania (5/15/88) Ron Nyswaner ~ Keanu Reeves, Fred Ward, Amy Madigan, Bonnie Bedelia

I'm amazed by the positive comments posted about this one. Some of them are understandable--okay, you're from the Podunk area in Pennsylvania and you've never seen your old stomping grounds on film before. You love it. I understand. I hope they make a movie on your patio someday, that will be even better.The big problem is the plot. There's absolutely no good motivation driving the behavior of Keneau's character. He's a dumb kid with a stupid haircut, and Bonnie Bedelia keeps telling him what a genius he is and how he's so much better than the other small town Scrapple eaters. On what evidence? He's a moping little whiner who doesn't have the acting chops to play the James Dean game, and the weak script gives him no motivation that justifies his way-overboard actions.On that last point--without offering a "spoiler"--the Kenau character's actions throughout this movie, and particularly in climactic scenes, are far from charming. He's got way too high an opinion of himself, and gives himself way too much license. His nemesis isn't really that bad--so he comes off as an unhinged spoiled brat, and not even an entertaining brat, just an annoying arrogant punk.Don't fall into the trap of thinking this is some cult classic you have to seek out. There are very good reasons you haven't heard of it. I cannot recommend this offensive and boring yawner, not even to the Pennsylvania Dutch.

i was 21 yrs old when this film released.never heard of it....on TV,commercial,trailer,TV guide,magazine,editorial,grapevine.whoever was the p.r. firm for this picture should be incarcerated.to this day,(20 years later)i still cant find anyone who has heard of or seen this flick. it's almost as if someone sabotaged its release!!!!!on a snowy Sunday,i flicked on an encore channel(avail thru direct TV sat.)and got lucky.i am male and not a fan of reeves or anyone in film.i love real filming locations, and especially ones in penn.we have the most diverse and beautiful state in the country.from huge cities(pitts&philly)to flat farm land, to mountains(Appalachian,Poconos,blue,Allegheny).my maternal side is from Pitts and I've driven right by that high school on I-79.the plot was comical and the movie was well acted and directed.it held my attn. for entire flick.mining was a big part of my life as a child(my g-pop,uncle m.,uncle Mitch.,all coal miners) i need to buy a copy of this movie for my mom.she was born and raised in pitts.well worth seeing,even if you have to buy it.coal and steel still rule!!!in my mind,at least.i am a little angry that i almost might have died w/out seeing this movie.?????why the 007 on advertising it?mmmmmm.......