''Hi, Mom!'' is a 1970 American black comedy film written and directed by Brian De Palma, and is one of Robert De Niro's earliest films. De Niro reprises his role of Jon Rubin from '' Greetings'' (1968). In this film, Rubin is a fledgling "adult filmmaker" who has an idea to post cameras at his window and film his neighbors.

Plot

Vietnam veteran and aspiring filmmaker Jon Rubin is hired by producer Joe Banner to make a pornographic film. Rubin, who has been spying on his neighbor Judy Bishop, uses the opportunity to seduce her and secretly film them having

sexual intercourse Sexual intercourse (also coitus or copulation) is a sexual activity typically involving the insertion of the Erection, erect male Human penis, penis inside the female vagina and followed by Pelvic thrust, thrusting motions for sexual pleasure ...

using a camera mounted on his apartment window. The camera tilts during filming, however, spoiling the results, and the displeased Banner withdraws his offer. Rubin joins an experimental acting troupe headed by another of his neighbors. The troupe mounts a production called ''Be Black, Baby!''. A group of white theater patrons attend a performance by the troupe. First, they are forced to eat soul food. The white audience is also subjected to wearing shoe polish on their faces, while the

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

actors sport whiteface and terrorize the people in

blackface Blackface is the practice of performers using burned cork, shoe polish, or theatrical makeup to portray a caricature of black people on stage or in entertainment. Scholarship on the origins or definition of blackface vary with some taking a glo ...

. The white audience members attempt to escape from the building but are ambushed in the elevator by the troupe. As two of the Black actors rape one of the white audience members, Rubin arrives in the character of an NYPD policeman and arrests members of the white audience under the pretense that they are Black. The sequence concludes with a thoroughly battered and abused audience raving about the show on

public television Public broadcasting (or public service broadcasting) is radio, television, and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service with a commitment to avoiding political and commercial influence. Public broadcasters receive f ...

. Rubin decides to remain in the city and stay with the troupe. He marries Judy and finds work as an insurance salesman. Rubin soon plants a bomb in the building where he lives with Judy, demolishing it. He watches the devastation from the street and speaks to a TV reporter.

Cast

Production

According to the 1972 book ''The Movie Rating Game'' by Stephen Farber, the film was originally given an "X" rating by the

Motion Picture Association of America The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the Major film studios, five major film studios of the Cinema of the United States, United States, the Major film studios#Mini-majors, mini-major Amazon MGM Stud ...

(MPAA), but after a few minor trims, it was approved for an "R". The main cut occurred during the scene in which Gerrit Wood ( Gerrit Graham) paints his entire body for the ''Be Black, Baby!'' performance. He hesitated for a moment about painting his penis, but finally finished the job. The actual painting of the penis was deleted to obtain the "R". Jennifer Salt and Charles Durning would both work with DePalma on his suspense thriller ''

Sisters A sister is a woman or a girl who shares parents or a parent with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to r ...

'' (1973). Appearing in a supporting role is

Paul Bartel Paul Bartel (August 6, 1938 – May 13, 2000) was an American actor, writer and director. He was perhaps most known for his 1982 hit black comedy ''Eating Raoul'', which he co-wrote, starred in and directed. Bartel appeared in over 90 movies an ...

Reception

Roger Greenspun of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' wrote that the film "stands out for its wit, its ironic good humor, its multilevel sophistications, its technical ingenuity, its nervousness, and its very special ability to bring the sensibility of the suburbs to the sins of the inner city". '' Variety'' stated that the film "is three-fourths of a funny, engaging serio-comedy about a 'peep art' filmmaker and urban guerrilla in New York. Unfortunately, the fourth that fails is the finale which literally and figuratively flops, leaving the audience with a creative promise unfulfilled." Kevin Thomas of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' wrote, "Satire is a naturally attractive form of expression for young film-makers, but few display the degree of sustained humor, energy and control that De Palma did in 'Greetings' and now even more so in the farther-ranging 'Hi, Mom!' Indeed, his ability to fuse hilarity and anger, spontaneity and discipline, is nothing short of brilliant."Thomas, Kevin (June 25, 1970). "'Hi, Mom!' Topical Satire". ''

''. Part IV, p. 18.

References

External links